Step into the arena of cutting-edge motion graphics with Adobe After Effects. Used from Hollywood to home studios, be it video, web, or mobile, After Effects commands a significant presence in the realm of visual graphics and animations.
The Best Features of After Effects
Unlimited creative potential: Animate logos, create breathtaking visual effects, or breathe life into characters. The only limit is your imagination.
3D Space Design: A breeze to navigate, designing in a 3D space has never been more intuitive.
Preset magic: Offers the expertise of seasoned motion designers at your fingertips with rich, customizable presets.
Connectivity: Seamlessly integrates with Adobe products like Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro for a unified workflow.
Third-party enhancements: Extend your functionality using integrations, plug-ins, and scripts for an elevated designing experience.
Platform support
Available on cloud, web-based, Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, Linux, and Chromebook.
Asset Management
Pack some serious punch into your project with a solid library of media assets and content management system.
Programming Affinity
Extensions and automation of tasks using JavaScript, ExtendScript language, HTML5 and CSS.
After Effects Limitations
3D Modeling: Not an ideal choice for creating 3D environments and models.
Video Editing: While it excels in animation, it doesn’t offer substantial video editing capabilities.
After Effects Pricing
For the solo creatives, pricing starts at $20.99/month. For teams, it begins at $35.99/month per license. Also available as part of Creative Cloud All Apps plan, with special pricing for students and teachers.
After Effects Use Cases
Creative Professionals
With tools like motion tracking, text overlay, and 3D video editing, creative professionals can produce striking visual content.
Action Movie Producers
Used in notable projects like Star Trek: Into the Darkness and Action Movie Kid, prove that amazing special effects aren’t exclusive to Hollywood studios.
Branding Teams
Need to animate a logo or create an engaging ad for platforms like Nike, CNN? After Effect’s asset library and plug-in enhancements get the job done.
Blender
Blender is a comprehensive, free and open-source 3D computer graphics software. Developed by the Dutch animation studio, NeoGeo, it’s known for its application in various fields like animated films, visual effects, art, 3D-printed models, motion graphics and virtual reality.
Blender Top|Best Features
3D Modelling: Enables creation and manipulation of 3D models.
UV Mapping and Texturing: Provides accurate texture mapping on 3D models.
Fluid and Smoke Simulation: For realistic animations of fluids and smoke.
Match Moving: For integrating CG and live action footage.
Compositing: Enables combining visual elements from separate sources.
Feature
Description
Digital Drawing
Graphic design and image editing capabilities
Sculpting
Shape your 3D model with virtual sculpting tools
Blender Limitations/downsides
Complex User Interface: Might be challenging for new users.
Depreciation of Blender Game Engine: This feature was removed in the 2.8 release.
Removal of Blender Internal: Favored Eevee renderer over Blender Internal in the 2.80 release.
Blender Pricing
Blender is a free, open-source program, making it accessible to everyone.
Blender Use Cases
Use case 1: Animated Films
With its comprehensive modeling, animation and rendering tools, Blender is a popular choice for creating animated films.
Use case 2: Visual Effects
Blender’s compositing features make it ideal for creating stunning visual effects for films and games.
Use case 3: 3D Printing
Blender provides the necessary tools for 3D modelling and texturing, enabling user to create precise models for 3D printing.
KeyShot
An industry titan in the realm of 3D rendering, KeyShot specializes in empowering design visualization, collaboration, and publishing. This company’s legacy revolves around delivering high-quality 3D rendering tools and continuously upgrading its software, like in the latest KeyShot 2023, to guarantee efficiency and superior user experience.
KeyShot Top Features
Intuitive interface designed for creative flow, not software proficiency.
Single-click switch between CPU and GPU mode.
Real-time updates showcasing alterations in material, lighting, and geometry.
Expansive plugin library for geometry updates without work loss.
3D Paint feature for material and finish customization.
Physics Simulation tool for keyframe animation of object physics.
Web Viewer optimized for real-life visuals on various platforms.
Apple silicon native support for increased usability and performance.
Feature
Description
Material Library
KeyShot provides a gamut of materials including Cie-Lab colors, Gloss values, Mold-Tech digital representations, Sørensen leather, and integrated Pantone and RAL color libraries.
Company-wide Solutions
KeyShot offers enterprise-wide 3D rendering solutions, enabling departments like marketing to create visuals without waiting for product photography.
Scientifically Accurate Renders
The rendering in KeyShot offers scientific accuracy, enhancing the value of its stunning visuals.
KeyShot Limitations
Advanced input and output control is limited.
Limited capabilities for simulations and advanced animations.
No Hair/fur generation and grooming features available.
KeyShot Use Cases
Use case 1: Product Design
From idea conceptualization to rapid prototyping, KeyShot is a go-to tool for product designers. Its real-time updates, material customization options, and seamless integration with CAD programs fast-track the design process.
Use case 2 – Engineering
Engineers often grapple with making complex ideas understandable. KeyShot emerges as a savior, transforming obscure concepts into intuitive and understandable visuals thanks to its real-time updating and vast library of materials.
Use case 3 – Packaging Design
Virtual packaging experiences made with KeyShot not only save physical printing costs but also boost creativity through its 3D Paint functionality and extensive material library.
Element 3D
If you’re seeking a high-performance tool for creating stunning motion design and visual effects, meet Element 3D. This plug-in is designed to integrate seamlessly with After Effects. It shares a developer-friendly environment with powerful features for 3D object import and texture mapping, coupled with versatile shadow and reflection capabilities.
Element 3D Top Features
3D Object Import: Compatibility with OBJ & C4D formats allows for easy import.
Dynamic Shadow Support: Choices include OpenGL shadows for fast rendering, improved SSAO, and ray trace shadows & AO for more visually complex scenes.
Dynamic Reflection Maps: Enhances the presentation of object reflections, thereby enriching the visual experience.
Advanced Distortion Capabilities: Multiple Distortion Noise modes coupled with Particle Noise featuring Sub-Surface Scattering permit extensive control over the deformation of 3D objects.
Redesigned Interface: Including Group folders, new texture Levels control, new parametric objects for easy navigation and control.
3D File Formats
OBJ, C4D (R12-R20)
Compatible Systems
After Effects CS5, Windows 7 SP1, Mac 10.8.5, and up
Graphic Card Requirements
1GB of VRAM, NVidia and ATI supported
Element 3D Limitations
Requires a system with at least 1GB of VRAM and running on specific operating systems
Lacks native support for formats other than OBJ and C4D
Element 3D Pricing
For the pricing details, kindly refer to the company’s official website or reach out to their sales team.
Element 3D Use Cases
Use Case 1: Motion Design
With its robust feature set, Element 3D is a great tool for creating dynamic and captivating motion designs. Its 3D import capabilities, powerful shadow rendering, and distortion options make it well-suited for this application.
Use Case 2: Visual Effects
Element 3D’s extensive dynamic reflection mapping and flexible controls allow for the creation of detailed and accurate visual effects, making it a strong choice for VFX artists.
Use Case 3: Web Development
Given its compatibility with Three.js, Element 3D can be a potent tool for web developers looking to create animated 3D computer graphics in a web browser, leveraging WebGL editions for GPU-accelerated animations via JavaScript.
ZBrush
Revered in the world of 3D modeling, ZBrush stands as a front-runner in digital sculpting software. Internationally recognized and utilized by professionals in the gaming, film, and animation sectors, ZBrush is recognized for its versatile suite of features, specialized tools, and realistic modeling techniques.
ZBrush Top Features
Sculptris Pro: A dynamic tessellation sculpting workflow that lets you ignore polygon distribution and focus solely on creating!
Dynamesh: Enables users to freely add or remove polygons wherever and whenever desired, allowing unrestricted creativity.
PolyPaint: A feature allowing stand-alone painting on a model’s surface without pre-assigning a texture map.
Gizmo 3D: An intuitive tool interface enabling easy manipulation in 3D space for new and experienced artists alike.
ZRemesher: A one-click solution for automatic retopology, improving workflow efficiency.
ZBrush Courses
Courses available on multiple platforms such as Udemy, Skillshare, Cineversity etc, catering to various learning styles and skill levels.
Support Tools
Enhance your ZBrush creations using paired tools such as Photoshop.
Online Communities
Interact, learn and share with like-minded ZBrush artists in platforms like r/ZBrush.
ZBrush Limitations
No Direct Export: ZBrush lacks certain direct export features to game engines, which means artists need to use a 3D package as an intermediary.
Complex Interface: It is known for having a slightly steep learning curve with its unique UI and distinct user experience.
Texturing Limitations: While PolyPaint is a powerful tool, it can be cumbersome for texture painting when compared to some other 3D software.
ZBrush Use Cases
Use Case 1: High-Polygon Character Development
ZBrush excels in developing high-polygon characters, offering tools for sculpting intricate details and complex shapes, popular in game development and film industries.
Use Case 2: Realistic Sculpting
In creating high-realistic dinosaur figures for gaming purposes, ZBrush’s advanced sculpting tools shine, making it a favorite among game developers and animators.
Use Case 3: Jewelry and Artifact Design
ZBrush is heavily adopted in the field of digital jewelry design. Its precision and advanced sculpting tools help bring highly detailed and intricate objects to life.
Sculptris
Developed by the acclaimed creators Pixologic, Sculptris Pro is the unique digital sculpting mode in ZBrush that permits unparalleled artistic freedom. Leveraging automatic triangulation or tessellation, it brings a new perspective to 3D modeling.
Sculptris Top Features
Offers precision in brush shape accuracy regardless of the underlying topology.
Enables changes to the model’s topology on-the-fly.
Promotes zooming in for finer detail or erasing unnecessary elements.
Bears compatibility with imports, scan data, DynaMesh, and more.
Integrates Tessimation, a unique combination of tessellation and decimation, which optimizes the modeling process.
Brush Size & Density Correlation
Small brushes lead to dense triangulation for finer detail, while larger brushes result in minimal triangulation, allowing for broader surface deformations.
Usage Scenarios
Concept creation, refinement, Boolean mesh results editing, and to modify CAD files.
Technology Implications
Real-time decimation application leads to optimized results. Furthermore, it supports output models from the Live Boolean system and operators.
Sculptris Limitations
Heavy reliance on model’s vertices for deformation in non-Sculptris Pro ZBrush versions.
May pose technical constraints related to polygon resolution.
Sculptris Use Cases
Use case 1
Known for its artistic freedom, Sculptris Pro is appreciated by beginners and intermediates alike for its seamless integration with 3D gaming, animated films, commercials, and scene reconstruction requirements.
Use case 2
Adopted widely in the industrial design and 3D printing sector, Sculptris brings utility to modify CAD files with ease and convenience.
Use case 3
The attributes of Sculptris contribute to the creation of art and photorealistic illustrations, achieving movie-level photorealism, marking its impact in the virtual domain.
Cinema 4D
Cinema 4D, a leading-edge 3D modeling software, has thrived notably in the realm of motion graphics. Its transformative techniques empower creators with an impressive list of features organized through a hierarchical structure, resulting in objects fraught with compelling character and life.
Cinema 4D Top Features
Highly intuitive object management: Built upon a hierarchical structure, this allows users to manipulate geometry objects directly in the viewport, easily tag properties and generate compelling elements through the scene node editor.
Comprehensive toolkits: From polygonal modeling, parametric objects, volume modeling to advanced sculpting tools, poly pen, material system, and node-based materials, Cinema 4D offers a robust suite to cater to various project needs.
Animation capabilities: Cinema 4D paves the way for animation freedom. Almost any object, material, or parameter can be animated, with keyframing possible both manually and parametrically.
Redshift 3D: Complete with an artist-friendly GPU renderer, Redshift promises quick tinkering capabilities and operates smoothly in a CPU mode that is accessible to all users.
Feature
Benefit
BodyPaint 3D
Transform dull objects into photorealistic animations with mind-blowing details.
S26 and 2023 releases
Offers newly-improved modeling tools including fit circle, straighten edges,flatten components, etc., and features like symmetry, topology symmetry, bridge among others.
ZRemesher technology
Allows the creation of simplified geometry from dense, chaotic meshes with procedural adjustments, making it easier than ever to handle complex projects.
Cinema 4D Downsides
Fee: Cinema 4D’s high-quality features come at a substantial cost, which could be prohibitive for smaller businesses or individual artists.
Complexity: The software’s extensive capabilities demand a steep learning curve, potentially limiting its accessibility to newcomers in the 3D modeling field.
Cinema 4D Pricing
Cinema 4D offers flexible pricing options to meet diverse needs. Avail monthly access for $94, or commit annually for $719. A perpetual license attracts a fee of $3,495, with an extreme value educational access available at just $9.99 for 6 months.
Cinema 4D Use Cases
Use case 1 – Motion Graphics
With its vast array of tools and intuitive interface, Cinema 4D is a go-to choice for motion graphic designers, enabling survival in the fast-paced world of digital media creation.
Use case 2 – Film and Video Animations
In the film industry, where high-quality animations and graphics are paramount, Cinema 4D’s capability to create photorealistic characters and environments is highly prized.
Use case 3 – Educational Institutes
Colleges and universities offering courses in 3D design and animation find it useful for its comprehensive educational access, helping students explore the full potential of 3D modelling at an affordable price.
3ds Max
Stepping onto the 3D graphics and modeling landscape is 3ds Max, an industry titan developed by Autodesk Media & Entertainment. Formerly known as 3D Studio, this powerhouse is renowned for its prowess in creating awe-inspiring 3D animations, models, games, and images.
3ds Max Top Features
Flexible plugin architecture: Customise and augment your 3ds Max capabilities.
Advance Animation Tools: Keyframing in two modes, expressions, scripts, list controllers, wiring, and more.
AUTODESK Vault Integration: Centralized asset management for enhanced project efficiency.
Specialized Plugins: Further specific enhancements can be purchased separately.
Max Creation Graph (MCG): A robust toolset built into 3ds Max itself.
Feature
Benefit
Scene Explorer
Provides a hierarchical view of scene data, enhancing data visibility & control.
Character Studio
No longer a plugin, it is now an integral part of 3ds Max for efficient character animation.
3ds Max Limitations
Available only on Windows platform, affecting cross-platform users.
Frequent updates may require constant adaptation and learning.
Max 2023 and 2024, named Vesta and Olympus respectively, show highest compatibility with Windows 10 and 11 only.
3ds Max Pricing
3ds Max utilises a pay-as-you-go basis with tokens for usage, giving you flexible payment and usage options as per your needs.
3ds Max Use Cases
Use case 1: Video Game Development
Widely favoured among video game developers, 3ds Max’s unparalleled modeling capabilities and polygon modeling functionality makes it the go-to for immersive game design.
Use case 2: Architectural Presentations
In the realm of architectural and engineering design firms, 3ds Max’s rendering excellence aids in creating detailed, vibrant pre-rendered presentations and visualisations.
Use case 3: Animation in Film
Known to have been leveraged in high-profile films, 3ds Max is a favourite in the animation scene, offering pre-rendering for whole scenes, special effects, and character movements.
Maya
Welcome to the illustrious world of Maya! Brought to life by Autodesk, this powerful 3D computer graphics application has rewritten the rules of reality in animated films, TV series, and visual effects.
Maya Top Features
Highly customizable user interface,based on a request from Disney!
Legendary for its open architecture, an absolute gamechanger in the animation industry.
Stunning capabilities like 2D drawing, 3D modeling, and animation simulation all under one roof.
Recognized for the industry-leading NURBS modeling system, perfect for your complex designs.
Detailed texturing, shading, lighting,, and advanced rigging systems that take animation to the next level.
Features
Real World Impact
mental ray Integrated renderer
Known for features like global illumination and subsurface scattering, mental ray make your projects shine.
Powerful Animation Capabilities
Allows you to create movement, deformations, and effects that breathe life into your designs.
Compatibility with Game Engines
Your assets can be directly imported to game engines like Unreal Engine and Unity, a seamless integration for all your projects.
Maya Limitations
Steep learning curve due to complex functionalities and versatility.
Higher subscription costs compared to some other software in the industry.
Maya Pricing
Maya offers different pricing based on the needs and scale of your projects. Monthly and yearly subscriptions are available. They also offer a free trial and a special license for educational purposes.
Maya Use Cases
Use case 1: Film Industry
Maya is a powerhouse in the film industry. It was used in masterpieces like ‘The Lord of the Rings’ series and ‘Star Wars’ series! Deliver your audience a hypnotic visual treat using Maya.
Use case 2: Business
Whether you are Accenture or a bootstrap startup earning less than $100,000, Maya’s scalable solutions cater to all. Transform your business presentations with an engaging 3D spin!
Use case 3: Education
Maya is not just about animations and film. It’s also a valuable educational tool, enabling learning in an interactive, 3D environment, perfect for educational institutions and students.
Houdini
Houdini bursts onto the scene as a multifaceted 3D animation and special effects heavyweight. Developed by SideFX, this application stands as the brainchild of experienced hands in the visual effects (VFX) industry.
Houdini Top Features
Node-based procedural workflow: Unleashes the potential for multiple iterations, leading to work refinement and artistic freedom.
Dynamic simulation tools: Provide the opportunity to create highly realistic visual effects.
Extensive toolset: Incorporates all requirements for 3D production, including modeling, lighting, animation, and rendering.
Python-scripting APIs: They offer ease and versatility when it comes to scripting.
Custom Node Networks: Designers can encapsulate node networks into sharable custom nodes.
Top Feature
Benefit
Advanced tools for simulating fluids, destruction fx, grains, and more
Allows for the creation of realistic, high-quality visual effects
Extensive cross-industry usage
Proven success in a range of high-profile projects
Procedural nature
Enables efficient and quick production
Houdini Limitations
Focused expertise: Houdini is best leveraged by visual effects artists with a technical background.
System requirements: Houdini necessitates a system equipped with 4GB+ memory, 3GB disk space, and an Intel or AMD x64 CPU with SSE 4.2.
Houdini Pricing
Embracing a tiered approach, Houdini’s pricing ranges from a stoutly free version (Houdini Apprentice) for students and hobbies, to a $4,495 perpetual license (Houdini FX) built for professionals.
Houdini Use Cases
Use Case 1: Film and Television
With recognition from top studios like Disney and DreamWorks, Houdini excels in creating magical moments in feature animations and award-winning television effects.
Use Case 2: Game Development
Houdini, demonstrated in games like Killzone 2 and Uncharted, provides designers with ground-breaking effects—from cloth simulations to terrain generation.
Use Case 3: 3D Animation Learning
The Houdini Apprentice version introduces students to industry-leading 3D animation tools, cultivating an important foundation for those entering the industry.
Unity
Unity, established in 2005, is a powerhouse in the domain of game development engines, facilitating both 3D and 2D game designs. It enables cross-platform game launches, making it adaptable across various operating systems and creating a space for diverse developments, from Augmented Reality applications to 3D simulations.
Unity’s Finest Features
Unity offers a rich vault of tools, rendering technology, and features to craft high-quality games.
Cross-platform capability extending to Android, iOS, and other operating systems.
Unity 3D supports several coding languages including BOO script, Javascript, and C#.
A robust asset store equipped with varied pre-designed textures and features provides a creative sandbox for developers.
Unity supports an active developer community for comprehensive problem-solving and feedback acquisition.
The platform continually evolves its technology to enhance user-friendly interfaces, system compatibility, and immersive visual experiences.
Highlight Features
Description
Continuous Evolution
Unity is always refining its tech to improve user-friendliness, compatibility, and visual immersion for an unparalleled developer’s experience.
Active Developer Community
Interact, learn and problem-solve with a pool of enthusiastic, skilled individuals in an active developer community dedicated to Unity.
Rich Asset Store
Empower creativity with pre-designed textures and features available in the extensive Unity asset store.
Unity’s Limitations
The recently announced per-install fee could be damaging for solo and indie developers, especially those focused on mobile games.
This pricing change has caused a rift in the trust between Unity and developers.
Unannounced changes have resulted in a lack of faith among users.
Another worrying aspect for developers is the sudden pricing shifts that could endanger their financial stability.
Unity Pricing
A new pricing model will take effect on January 1, 2024, where developers would be charged a fee every time a game using Unity software is installed. The fee applies once the game surpasses $200,000 in revenue and exceeds 200,000 installations. Note that the per-install fee would be higher in “standard” markets like the US and UK when compared to “emerging” markets such as India and China. Unity no longer offers the Unity Plus subscription tier, however, both free and paid versions of Unity remain available with many features.
Unity Use Cases
Use case 1: Cross-Platform Game Development
For developers working on games targeted towards multiple platforms, Unity’s cross-compatibility shines bright. From launching Android and iOS platform games to developing applications for diverse operating systems, the flexibility Unity offers is commendable.
Use case 2: Augmented Reality Application Development
Unity encourages digital creators venturing into the fields of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR). The robust tools and immersive rendering technology Unity provides are quintessential for developers in this domain.
Use case 3: Indie Game Development
Despite the recent pricing changes impacting smaller developers, Unity equips indie game creators with a vast toolkit and an extensive asset store, fostering an environment conducive to independent creativity.
Unreal Engine
Written in C++ and spanning across various platforms, Unreal Engine integrates a robust series of 3D computer graphics game engines. From desktop to mobile, console to VR, Unreal Engine holds a rich history since its debut with the game “Unreal” in 1998.
Unreal Engine Top Features
A wide range of supported platforms.
Incorporates a level editor, UnrealEd, for real-time constructive solid geometry.
Presentation of Unreal Engine 4 18 months into development.
Integration of features from acquired companies such as Quixel.
Profitable and diverse Unreal Engine Marketplace for developers.
Cost
Feature
Free for schools and universities
Gratis access for academic institutions.
5% revenue cost over USD 1 million
A clear, straightforward royalty model aimed at commercial use.
Royalty waived for games on Epic Games Store
No royalty fee for games published on the dedicated platform.
Unreal Engine Limitations
Limited openness for modders with the release of Unreal Engine 3.
Charges for products that generate more than $3,000 per quarter.
Unreal Engine Pricing
Striking a balance between utility and affordability, Unreal Engine is free for educational institutions. For commercial use, a charge of 5% applies on revenues exceeding USD 1 million. However, this model is waived for games published on the Epic Games Store.
Unreal Engine Use Cases
Use case 1: Gaming
The versatile Unreal Engine, introduced with the game “Unreal,” has since been the backbone of various game genres, showcasing its proficiency in the expansive world of gaming
Use case 2: Film and Television
Embracing the cinematic realm, Unreal Engine extends to industries such as film and television, reflecting its pervasive impact across digital mediums.
Use case 3: Education
With its thoughtful free offering to schools and universities, Unreal Engine plays an instrumental role in nurturing the next wave of creators in the academic field.
Unreal Engine 5
Enter the world of Unreal Engine 5 (UE5), a powerful real-time 3D content creation tool developed by Epic Games. Aiming its sights on next-generation content, it offers advanced features that make creating detailed and immersive environments easier and more efficient.
Unreal Engine 5 Top Features
Nanite: Revolutionizes creation of detailed worlds with real-time processing of multi-million-polygon meshes.
Lumen: Provides dynamic, on-the-fly adaptations of global illumination and reflections.
Temporal Super Resolution (TSR): Offers low-res rendering with high-res pixel fidelity, essential for smooth 60 fps performance.
World Partition: Dynamically manages world division and streaming, enabling simultaneous team collaboration.
Control Rig: Reduces round-tripping with an inbuilt animation authoring toolset.
Feature
Benefit
Nanite
Detail-rich environments for immersive gameplay
Lumen
Dynamic lighting for realistic worlds
TSR
Improved frame rate for smoother gameplay
Unreal Engine 5 Downsiides
Royalty fee of 5% on lifetime gross revenue when it exceeds $1 million.
High development cost ranges (~35k-85k).
Requires higher knowledge of C++, limiting accessibility for some developers.
Unreal Engine 5 Pricing
UE5 charges a royalty fee of 5% once your product’s lifetime gross revenue exceeds $1 million. Development costs are estimated between $35,000 and $85,000.
Unreal Engine 5 Use Cases
Use Case 1: Video Game Development
With its expansive toolsets and high-detail rendering capabilities, UE5 is perfect for creating immersive video games on multiple platforms ranging from desktop to VR/AR.
Use Case 2: Animation Production
Because of its Control Rig setup, animation production becomes a streamlined process, allowing creators to craft detailed and smooth sequences with ease.
Use Case 3: AR/VR Experience Design
For AR/VR developers, UE5 brings effective spatial and lighting consideration tools, making UE5 a premiere choice for designers in these rising industries.
Substance Designer
Think, create, manipulate! Step into the world of Substance Designer, a whirlwind of a software that breathes life into 3D materials!
Best Features of Substance Designer
Master material creation with 25 new nodes for generating, merging, transforming, rendering splines.
10 Nodes for generating paths from grayscale masks, converting to splines. Wander away in the maze of creativity!
A godsend for node graph organisation! The Dot node now has ‘portal’ functionality for seamless data transfer!
Substance Engine 9- Support for loops repetition within Substance Function Graphs! Stuff of dreams for 3D enthusiasts.
Home Screen feature added – dive into tutorials, adjust project settings at lightning speed!
Feature
Details
Spline, Path Tools
Generate, manipulate 2D shapes. Open uncharted territories of design!
Language Editions
Native French, Italian, Portuguese language editions available. Breaking the language barrier!
Downsides of Substance Designer
Version 13.0 saw the discontinuation of procedural geometry toolset. Model graphs removed entirely. Little hiccups in an otherwise smooth journey!
Authoring 3D models is limited. But let’s not lose heart, the software scores in other areas-excellently!
Substance Designer Pricing
Invest in creativity powered by Substance Designer! Get individual license for $149.99 (via Steam). Or, dive into subscriptions – $19.99/month or $219.88/year via Adobe’s Substance 3D subscriptions
Substance Designer Use Cases
Game Developers
Get hooked onto Substance Designer. Its texture compatibilities and mesh creation ring music to the ears of both AAA Game Developers and Indies!
Animation Studios
Substance Designer and its awe-inspiring features have been the secret sauce behind some high-profile games and feature animations. Feature Animation studios, this is your call!
Visual Effects Studios
The options for advanced customisations, third-party plugins integration that Substance Designer provides, makes it a favorite amongst Visual Effects studios! It’s time to roll up your sleeves and dive in!
Grant Sullivan
Content writer @ Aircada and self proclaimed board game strategist by day, AI developer by night.
