Marmoset Toolbag offers real-time rendering, texturing, and baking tools for 3D artists, providing a lightweight, user-friendly editor with customizable interfaces. Its latest version, Toolbag 4, features advanced capabilities like texture baking, real-time Ray Tracing, and enhanced user interface customization.
Looking for alternatives to Marmoset Toolbag? Consider KeyShot, Unreal Engine, Substance Painter, Arnold, Redshift, Blender, Stride, Raylib, Panda3D, Solar2D, Unity, Substance Designer, Open 3D Engine, and Defold.
KeyShot
An established provider of superior 3D rendering solutions, KeyShot adds value to design visualization, collaboration, and publishing through its feature-rich platform.
KeyShot Top Features
Real-time Rendering: Accommodates changes instantaneously for material, lighting, and geometry.
3D Paint Functionality: Offers customization of material and finish on model surfaces, introducing a new level of customization.
Physics Simulation tool: Records physics of objects which can be applied as keyframe animation.
Web Viewer: Optimized for unrivaled visuals on web browsers and mobile devices.
Native support for Apple silicon: Enhances performance and usability for Mac users.
KeyShot Feature
Description
Pantone and RAL color libraries
Ensures color accuracy in renderings.
EXR Option
Allows users to render layers with increased control.
Partnership with Pantone
Integrated color libraries for precise color visualization.
KeyShot Limitations
Limited advanced input and output control.
Lacks advanced animations.
Insufficient for hair/fur generation and grooming.
KeyShot Use Cases
Marketing Teams
KeyShot offers marketing teams the ability to generate visuals without waiting for product photography, saving time and resources.
Engineers
Complex ideas are made understandable via KeyShot’s high-quality 3D rendering, aiding communication and comprehension within engineering teams.
Packaging Designers
The tool enables designers to create virtual packaging experiences, effectively reducing physical printing costs.
Unreal Engine
Embark upon a virtual journey with Unreal Engine, a name synonymous with cutting-edge 3D computer graphics and gaming engines. Hailing from the house of Epic Games, this versatile tool has been powering remarkable gaming realities since its inception in 1998. Today, its widely-acclaimed series, from Unreal Engine 1 to the newly-released Unreal Engine 5, supports a vast array of platforms, making it a resilient driver of next-gen gaming, film, and television industries.
Unreal Engine Top Features
Liberty to craft: UE’s project templates offer a foundation for creating both first and third-person experiences.
Marketplace: Sell your UE creations or purchase the works of others through the Unreal Engine Marketplace, offering creators an attractive 88% revenue share.
C++ programming: With the powerful C++ language at its core, UE allows in-depth and seamless customization of game mechanics.
Wide Platform Availability: From desktop to mobile, console to virtual reality platforms, UE offers extensive compatibility.
Feature
Benefit
Quixel Incorporation
Quixel’s photorealistic rendering tech is embedded in UE, delivering visually stunning experiences.
Unreal Engine 5
Released in April 2022, the latest version optimizes large-scale environments and propels real-time digital humans.
School & University Access
UE’s commitment to academia – free access for learning institutions, ignites the creative spark in the minds of tomorrow.
Unreal Engine Limitations
The royalty-based model may prove costly for commercial use, charging 5% of revenues over USD 1 million.
While UE offers a powerful development toolset, the learning curve can be steep, especially for those unfamiliar with C++.
Unreal Engine Pricing
Unreal Engine operates on a royalty basis. Use is free until your product’s revenue exceeds $1 million, which then activates a 5% fee. However, Epic waives this royalty for products published on their own Epic Games Store. For academic institutions, UE is completely free.
Unreal Engine Use Cases
Use case 1 – 3D Game Development
For multi-genre game developers, UE serves as a holistic platform. Its support for C++, an industry-standard language, makes this tool highly versatile across platforms and genres.
Use case 2 – Film and Television Industry
Bringing fictional worlds to life has never been easier for cinematic professionals. UE’s rich suite allows creators to construct detailed and immersive universes on-screen.
Use case 3 – Academia
For Higher Education Institutions, UE offers an invaluable teaching tool. Free access enables students and educators to explore, innovate, and master the art of 3D graphics, making it ideal for academic use.
Unity
Offering a powerful platform for both 3D and 2D game development, Unity is a multi-faceted engine launched in 2005. It enables seamless implementation of augmented reality (AR) features and creation of diverse applications, with its adaptability across several operating systems.
Unity Top Features
Cross-platform compatibility: Unity supports Android and iOS platforms, making it a versatile tool for developers.
Rich Asset Store: The platform is integrated with a variety of pre-designed textures and features, facilitating brainstorming for game designs.
Diverse coding language support: With support for BOO script, Javascript, and C#, developers have robust coding options at their disposal.
Feature
Description
Range of tools
Unity provides a suite of tools and rendering technology to enable high-quality game creation.
Active Developer Community
Unity fosters a strong community which helps in problem-solving, critiques, and system improvement.
AR/VR Feature Support
Unity encourages the incorporation of augmented reality/virtual reality features, taking game designing to new heights.
Unity Limitations
New Pricing Model: The impending pricing model change, where developers will pay a fee per game installation, has been met with backlash, especially among solo, indie, and mobile developers.
Diminished Trust: The sudden unveiling of changes led to a degree of mistrust between Unity and its users.
Financial Sustainability Concerns: Some developers worry that unexpected pricing shifts could jeopardize their projects’ financial viability.
Unity Pricing
As for Unity’s pricing, a new model will become effective from January 1, 2024, which will require developers to pay a fee each time a game using Unity software is installed. However, to relieve initial burdens, Unity assured that developers won’t be charged an install fee until their game generates $200,000 in revenue and exceeds 200,000 installations. Also, note that games purchased in standard markets will bear a higher fee than those in emerging markets.
Unity Use Cases
Unity for Mobile Game Developers
Thanks to its cross-platform compatibility and support for augmented reality, Unity is a prime choice for mobile game developers looking to create immersive gaming experiences.
Unity for Indie Developers
Indie developers can leverage the diverse pre-designed textures and features from Unity’s asset store, resulting in cost-effective and visually stunning independent games.
Unity for AR/VR Game Development
Unity offers robust AR/VR integration and toolsets, providing a well-equipped platform for AR/VR game developers aiming to produce sophisticated, captivating games.
Substance Designer
An integral part of Adobe’s Substance 3D Package, Substance Designer is an industry-leading material-authoring software. Its latest version, 13.0, introduces remarkable updates with a focus on amplifier user workflow efficiency and improving 2D shape manipulation. With certain limitations, it offers an array of powerful features that cater primarily to AAA game developers and animation or visual effects studios.
Substance Designer Top Features
Effective Spline and Path tools for ease in generating and manipulating 2D shapes.
Enhanced functionality of Dot node, featuring a portal function for smooth data transfer without wire connections.
25 new nodes for generating, merging, transforming, and rendering splines.
Substance Engine 9 support, allowing loop repetitions in Substance Function Graphs.
Creation of surface patterns, pattern scattering and image warping control.
Feature
Description
Node graph organization
Bolsters the task with the Dot node’s portal functionality.
Home Screen
Allows quick tutorials access and adjustment of project settings.
Regular Updates
Free updates on Steam until end of 2023.
Substance Designer Limitations
Discontinued procedural geometry toolset, model graphs removed completely.
Limited (displacement) 3D models authoring.
Requires separate purchase of Substance Painter for best results.
Substance Designer Pricing
Substance Designer offers a license at $149.99 (via Steam); a subscription plan at $19.99/month or $219.88/year via Adobe’s Substance 3D subscriptions; and a Linux edition for $1,198.88/year with the provision of a Creative Cloud Plan for Teams.Note: Pricing varies based on subscription or regional pricing, and a one-time purchase is an option for non-subscription users.
Substance Designer Use Cases
Use Case 1: AAA Game Developers
Substance Designer is highly preferred for its compatibility with any engine into which it is imported, as evident from its use in high-profile games like Deathloop and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
Use Case 2: Animation/Visual Effects Studios
The software is adept at creating tiling textures, an essential feature in the animation field. It holds the ability to improve general workflow with its strong integration capabilities.
Use Case 3: Indies
For enthusiast developers or freelance producers, Substance Designer offers an efficient material-authoring experience. With cost-effective licensing and subscription options, it is a practical consideration for indie users.
Open 3D Engine
A free, open-source 3D game engine steeped in innovation, Open 3D Engine (O3DE) was developed by the Open 3D Foundation (O3DF). Initiating its journey with a stable release in October 2023, O3DE presents a versatile toolset for creating immersive experiences on a variety of platforms.
Open 3D Engine Best Features
Advanced Rendering: O3DE uses Atom, a physically based renderer, coupled with robust graphics APIs support from DirectX 12, Vulkan, and Metal.
Modularity: O3DE has a modular structure based on Gems, enabling flexibility in asset building.
Dynamic Scripting Capabilities: Supports Script Canvas and Lua for creating runtime logic.
Enhancements
Collaborations
The O3DE 23.10 Release brought workflow enhancements, prefab overrides, memory support improvements, and more.
O3DF and Rochester Institute of Technology have teamed up for Project Eureka – an academic collaboration to build and foster O3DE adoption.
Open 3D Engine Downsides
Lack of out-of-the-box solutions.
Requires advanced knowledge of C++, Lua, Python.
Some features still under development.
Open 3D Engine Pricing
The Open 3D Engine offers a free open-source platform, ensuring users get advanced toolsets without the accompanying price tag.
Open 3D Engine Use Cases
Use case 1
For Game Developers: Boasting high-end graphics rendering, Open 3D Engine is an excellent tool for developing intricate 3D games across multiple platforms.
Use case 2
For Academia: Given its deep ties to educational institutions like the Rochester Institute of Technology, Open 3D Engine can play a vital role in AR/VR research.
Defold
A free and open-source game engine, Defold prides itself on its easy-to-use interface and flexibility across platforms. Developed by Christian Murray and Ragnar Svensson, and now managed by Refold AB, this engine is becoming a go-to for developers around the globe.
Defold Top Features
No upfront costs, licensing fees, or royalties
Accessible source code on GitHub with developer-friendly license
Platforms supported: console, desktop, mobile, web
Defold offers Any<->Any building, without the need for SDKs
VSCode and CLI build system
Defold offers both VSCode option and CLI build system for flexibility
Open-source
You have the freedom to fork the Defold source code
Defold Downsides
Primarily designed for 2D games; 3D development ongoing
Due to small development team, there may be limitations on the scale of development
Defold Pricing
One of the standout features of Defold is that it’s completely free. No licensing fees, no royalties, no upfront costs. All the power of Defold, at zero cost.
Defold Use Cases
Use case 1: Game Developers
With no upfront costs, Defold aids game developers focused on console, desktop, mobile, and web games.
Use case 2: Educational Institutions
Defold’s ease of use and supportive documentation makes it highly suitable for educational institutions teaching games development.
Use case 3: App Developers
Defold’s capability with Lua and its flexibility enables app developers to fully utilise it for broader app development.
Substance Painter
The art of 3D painting reaches its apex with Substance Painter, a power-packed tool by Allegorithmic. Acclaimed throughout the tech realm as the Adobe Photoshop of the 3D digital landscape, it occupies a well-earned position in the gaming industry.
Substance Painter Top Features
Effective for texturing models and creating textures.
Houses advanced masking and procedural texturing tools.
Empowers artists with 8k texture baking and real-time PBR material workflows.
Allows painting on 2D maps and 3D model in the 3D viewport.
Boasts export compatibility with major game engines.
Highly revered in digital three-dimensional art and game art.
Interface akin to 3D software packages and Photoshop.
Employed in creating high profile games such as Uncharted 4 and Horizon Zero Dawn.
Substance Painter Limitations
Relies on a properly UV unwrapped polygonal model for painting.
May be priced slightly higher for individual game developers.
Substance Painter Pricing
For single fixtures, the cost may be higher, but it shares an equivalency with options like 3D-Coat and Mudbox. Plans are afoot to offer Substance Painter bundled with Substance Designer for a holistic $700 solution.
Substance Painter Use Cases
Use case 1: Gaming Industry
Substance Painter holds a stronghold within the gaming industry. Trusted by titans like Capcom and Activision, it is used to develop high-impact games because of its proficiency in generating realistic textures and meshes swiftly.
Use case 2: Asset Selling
With a beta license, Substance Painter allows you to sell assets on the Steam Store, making it a solid choice for game developers seeking to monetize their assets.
Use case 3: Digital Three-Dimensional Art
In the realm of digital three-dimensional art, Substance Painter thrives. The tool’s advanced masking and procedural texturing tools are alluring to artists aiming to stretch the boundaries of the possible.
Arnold
Born in the heart of Spain by relentless innovator, Marcos Fajardo, Arnold has emerged as a powerful, versatile 3D rendering software. Co-developed by Solid Angle and Sony Pictures Imageworks, Arnold is grounded in Monte Carlo path tracing techniques and recognized for its photorealistic rendering capabilities across animation and VFX for the film and TV industry.
Arnold Top Features
Unbiased, physically-based, Monte Carlo path tracing techniques.
Natively written in C++ and runs on x86 CPUs. Supports Nvidia RTX-powered GPUs since March 2019.
Efficient rendering of high-resolution texture maps due to OpenImageIO integration.
Programmable API and shaders written in C++ or Open Shading Language.
Built into industry-standard platforms like Maya and 3DS Max.
User-friendly interface with toggle option between CPU and GPU rendering.
Feature
Benefit
RenderAPI
Advanced flexibility in earlier versions
Arnold RenderView
Live update during rendering
Integrated with software including Maya, Cinema4D, and Houdini
Broad compatibility and seamless workflow
Arnold Limitations
Competition with V-ray, a prominent render engine.
Requires technical understanding and learning for efficient use.
Limited to x86 CPUs and Nvidia RTX GPUs.
Arnold Pricing
Arnold pricing is subscription-based, offering monthly and yearly options, in addition to discounted packs for multiple users. Access to the software is immediate upon subscription via the Autodesk e-store.
Arnold Use Cases
Use case 1: Animation and VFX for Film and TV
With its successful track record in rendering popular films like ‘Thor’, ‘Gravity’ and TV series like ‘Game of Thrones’, Arnold proves itself an optimal choice for 3D animation and VFX in film and television production.
Use case 2: 3D Graphics & Modeling
Arnold works smoothly with top 3D software including Maya, 3DS Max, Cinema4D, and Houdini, enhancing efficiency in the construction and rendering of 3D graphics and modeling.
Use case 3: Large Studios
More than 300 studios globally use Arnold, underlining its robustness and scalability when dealing with large-scale projects and high rendering demands.
Redshift
Introducing Redshift, an industry-leading, GPU-accelerated 3D rendering software developed by Redshift Rendering Technologies Inc., a Maxon subsidiary. Since its inception in 2014, it has consistently evolved to match the demands for production-quality rendering in the CGI world.
Redshift Top Features
Performance improvements on systems with 12 CPU threads, ensuring rapid acceleration of renderings.
Support for large asset numbers through Jitter Node and shader attributes variation.
Delivers photorealistic results in real-time through the RenderView Interactive Preview Region feature.
Advanced shading networks and texturing capabilities to support top-tier production-quality rendering.
Seamless integration with popular 3D applications, promoting smooth production pipeline integration.
Flexible balance between quality and performance, allowing for adjustable rendering settings.
Feature
Benefit
Distorter Node
Adds 3D distortion using Maxon Noise
Support for MatCap shader
Boosts illustrative renders
Bump Map Distortion
Adds detail and realism to textures
Redshift Limitations
Depends heavily on GPU capacity for efficient rendering, limiting its effectiveness on low-capacity systems.
While it supports a variety of applications, shifting between server configurations still requires manual intervention.
Redshift Pricing
Redshift is available through Maxon’s licensing system with subscription costs comparable to the current annual maintenance fees.
Redshift Use Cases
Use case 1: CGI Studios
For studios requiring high-speed, GPU-accelerated rendering of detailed and accurate images from 3D data, Redshift provides a robust solution with its production-ready rendering capabilities.
Use case 2: 3D Artists
Artists working in 3D modeling and design can benefit immensely from Redshift’s advanced shading networks and texturing abilities, ensuring the creation of photorealistic models.
Use case 3: Independent Creators
For individual creators seeking to deliver professional-grade work, Redshift offers CPU renderer properties at GPU rendering speeds, making the creative process faster and more efficient.
Blender
Blender is a free and open-source 3D computer graphics software tool set, used for a multitude of applications such as animated films, visual effects, art, 3D-printed models, motion graphics, interactive 3D applications, and virtual reality. Blender was first released on January 2, 1994 by the Dutch animation studio NeoGeo.
Blender Top Features
3D modelling: Allows creation of complex 3D models with sophisticated features.
UV mapping and texturing: Customizes the surfaces of 3D models for a more realistic look.
Fluid and smoke simulation: Enhances scenes with lifelike fluid and smoke effects.
Sculpting: Allows for organic shapes and extreme detail.
Animation and motion graphics: Breathes life into static 3D models.
No More Blender Game Engine: The game engine feature has been depreciated in the 2.8 release.
Renderer Change: The Blender Internal render engine has been removed in the 2.80 release favoring the Eevee renderer.
Blender Pricing
Blender is free and open-source, making it a cost-effective solution for all your 3D graphics and modeling needs.
Blender Use Cases
Use case 1: Animated Films
With Blender’s comprehensive suite of animation tools, film makers can create stunning and lifelike animations for their projects.
Use case 2: Visual Effects
Blender’s advanced simulation tools make it an excellent choice for creating high-quality visual effects in post-production.
Use case 3: 3D Printed Models
The software’s robust 3D modeling features enable designers to create accurate and detailed models suitable for 3D printing.
Stride
As we venture into the realm of 3D graphic creations, we encounter Stride, an open-source, free to use, game engine equipped with 2D and 3D cross-platform abilities. Offering a versatile toolkit for both novice and expert game developers alike, it was conceptualized by Silicon Studio and is widely used in creation of video games for a range of platforms such as PC, mobile devices, and virtual reality.
Stride Top Features
C# suite tools: Provides robust programming capacity in a familiar environment.
Customizable shader system: Allowing developers to add unique visual touches to their games.
Game Studio: Integrated environment for streamlined asset import, scene creation, script assignment, game building and running.
Physically-Based Rendering (PBR) layered material editor: Delivers photorealistic visuals and high-fidelity graphics.
Additional Feature
Benefit
UI engine
Allows the development of user-friendly and intuitive interfaces.
Scene streaming system
Enables smoother transitions, enhancing user experience significantly.
Particle editor and sprite editor
Offer a granular level of customization.
The limitations of Stride
Originally under dual-license, it has seen variations in terms of licensing, which might cause confusion.
After Silicon Studio relinquished support in August 2018, it may lag behind in terms of development and updates.
Stride Pricing
Fellow innovators, rejoice in knowing that Stride is proudly open-source, signifying free usage and contributions from a worldwide community of developers to the continuous development and improvement of the engine.
Stride Use Cases
Use case 1: Game Development
Stride shines in the domain of video game development, with its PBR material editor and scene creation toolkit enabling the delivery of highly immersive and visually spectacular games on various platforms.
Use case 2: Virtual Reality
Stride’s prowess in creating engaging virtual reality experiences is also commendable. Its versatility and suite of powerful tools make it a go-to choice for VR developers.
Use case 3: Visual Programming
With its compatibility with vvvv gamma, Stride is often used as a 3D rendering engine for the visual programming environment, thus proving its worth beyond traditional gaming arenas.
Raylib
Born from the creative mind of Ramon Santamaria and a dedicated team of contributors, Raylib is a powerful, cross-platform graphics library. First introduced to the public on November 18, 2013, Raylib draws inspiration from the Borland BGI graphics library and the XNA framework. It’s a versatile tool designed to cater to a diverse range of applications, from prototyping and tooling to educational purposes.
Raylib Top Features
Written in C99 with bindings for over 50 programming languages.
Complete cross-platform compatibility with native support for multiple platforms including Windows, Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Android, Raspberry Pi, and HTML5.
Fully integrated with OpenGL for hardware acceleration, complemented by a unique OpenGL abstraction layer, rlgl.
Comprehensive 3D support for models, shapes, billboards, and heightmaps with flexible materials system including classic and PBR maps.
Inbuilt powerful audio module supporting multiple formats with streaming support.
Feature
Description
Fonts Module
An inclusive fonts module with support for SpriteFonts, BMfonts, TTF, and SDF.
VR Support
Stereo rendering support for VR with configurable parameters for HMD devices.
Raygui
An immediate mode GUI module tailored specifically for Raylib.
Raylib Limitations
The main development language is C, which might not be comfortable for users accustomed to higher-level languages.
As with any open source project, professional customer support may be limited.
Raylib Pricing
Raylib is an open-source project, meaning it’s completely free to use and modify. There are no hidden costs or licensing fees.
Raylib Use Cases
Use Case 1 – Game Development
In the realm of videogame programming, Raylib has proven its mettle. Its powerful graphics capabilities coupled with easy shaders loading and its flexible materials system, it paves the way for developers creating rich and engaging 3D game environments.
Use Case 2 – Educational Purposes
Equipped with a simple and intuitive C API, and with bindings for over 50 programming languages, Raylib has been used globally for teaching videogame programming. Its simplicity is its strength for budding programmers.
Use Case 3 – Prototyping and Tooling
Raylib’s cross-platform compatibility, coupled with its wide range of features, makes it a handy tool for prototyping and creating graphic tools suitable for various platforms.
Panda3D
Born from the virtual reality studios of Disney, Panda3D is a well-accepted C++ and Python-based open-source 3D rendering and game development engine. Established in 2002, it currently stands at version 1.10.13, from December 2022.
Panda3D Top Features
Powerful Graphics: Offers custom shaders, modern per-pixel lighting techniques, gloss map, and normal map.
3D Audio: Utilizes FMOD, OpenAL or Miles Sound System for 3D audio experience.
Engine Flexibility: Supports both Python and C++ scripting.
Enables realistic motion and collisions within the gaming environment.
Keyboard and Mouse Support
For effective control mapping.
Support for AI and Networking
Elevates player interaction possibilities and broadens the game’s scope.
Panda3D Downsides
Non-user-friendly: Requires basic knowledge of Python and APIs. Not a beginner’s tool.
Separate building instructions for Windows, Linux, and MacOS: Can be complex for new users.
Panda3D Pricing
Panda3D is an open-source software, which means it’s free. However, donations are accepted to support its continued development.
Panda3D Use Cases
Use case 1: Large Commercial Games
Panda3D’s robust features cater to large-scale commercial games like the popular ‘Aladdin’s Magic Carpet‘, ‘Toontown Online’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean Online’, among others.
Use case 2: Virtual Reality Research
Incepted for VR research projects, it can again prove vital for state-of-the-art VR research in academic institutions.
Use case 3: Open-source Projects
Due to its open-source nature, Panda3D is ideal for independent developers and startups eyeing on below-budget projects.
Solar2D
An unrivaled and free solution for cross-platform mobile app development, Solar2D is an exquisite blend of efficiency and adaptability. Be it mobile, desktop, or TV devices, Solar2D’s one code base approach facilitates seamless development across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Best Solar2D Features
Instant-update Simulator: Real-time testing of code and asset modifications.
Live Builds: Enabling real-time updates over local network.
Solar2D Native: Integrates with native libraries/APIs.
Scripting in Lua: A leading scripting language for game development.
In-App Plugins: Extensive plugin support for finer customization of your applications.
Open Source
Maintain rights to your source code under the MIT license.
Multiple Modes
Solar2D Simulator for direct builds, and Solar2D Native for integration with Xcode or Android Studio projects.
Vibrant Community
Massive developer network for extensive support and collaboration.
Solar2D Limitations
Based solely on Lua, which may impose a learning curve for someone new to the language.
Requires configuration for optimal performance, which may seem complex for beginners.
Lack of formal, structured training materials for advanced features and integrations.
Solar2D Pricing
In a world where price tags often define the boundaries, Solar2D stands out being 100% free. This software is open source and there are absolutely no hidden fees or royalties.
Solar2D Use Cases
Use case 1 – Indie Game Developers
For independent developers seeking a powerful, yet easy-to-navigate platform, Solar2D’s Lua scripting and instant-update simulator make crafting sophisticated 2D games a breeze.
Use case 2 – Ad Agencies
Agencies looking for efficient ways to design and deploy unique mobile adverts can make impeccable use of Solar2D’s mammoth plugin directory.
Use case 3 – Software Developers Beginner to Advanced
Developers, with varying degrees of experience, will find unparalleled flexibility in Solar2D. Beginners will enjoy the streamlined development process, while advanced developers can dig deep with powerful APIs and an accessible source code.
Tiffany Brise
Content writer @ Aircada, patiently awaiting a consumer AR headset that doesn’t suck.
