Procreate is a cloud-based solution for digital sketches and illustrations, offering customizable brushes, animation tools, and text style modifications. With a platform exclusive to iOS devices, it requires an Apple Pencil for optimal usage and integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud for additional features.
To explore options beyond Procreate, alternatives include Nomad Sculpt, Sculptura 3D, ZBrush, Sculpt, Putty 3D, Blender, and Shapr3D.
Nomad Sculpt
Discover the realm of 3D modeling, texturing, and rendering with Nomad Sculpt, an intuitive mobile app that equips you with a range of sculpting tools and the capacity to create and render professional 3D designs.
Nomad Sculpt Top Features
Multi-tool functionality: Clay, flatten, smooth, and mask for detailed modeling.
Vertex painting with the capacity for color, roughness, and metalness, augmented by material preset management.
PBR rendering, screen space reflection, depth of field, ambient occlusion, and tone mapping for high-quality item rendering.
Support for multiple file formats: glTF, OBJ, STL.
Dynamic topology maintains layers during auto updates, providing automatic level of detail.
Features
Details
Scalability
Capable of professional-level modeling, well-regarded by industry professionals for its quality and customization.
Mobile Compatibility
Smooth functionality with a high number of faces on iPad Pro.
Education & Support
Coursework available for $47 USD teaching core 3D sculpting basics. Supports Family Sharing for up to 6 family members.
Nomad Sculpt Limitations
Limited to iOS devices and requires a steep learning curve for beginners.
Lacks features for detailed objects like hair, fabric, fur.
Does not support easy posing of models and not suitable for game asset development.
Users have requested enhanced autosave feature, more customization options in materials & UVs.
Nomad Sculpt Pricing
Nomad Sculpt is free on Android and prices at $14.99 in the Apple store as of Aug. 10, 2020.
Nomad Sculpt Use Cases
Use Case 1: Professional 3D Model Creation
From detailed model creation to high-quality rendering, Nomad Sculpt’s advanced sculpting tools and intuitive interface make it ideal for professionals in the 3D modeling sector.
Use Case 2: Augmented Reality Development
With features like vertex painting and dynamic topology, Nomad Sculpt is a reliable tool for AR developers seeking to create immersive experiences.
Use Case 3: Education & Peer Collaboration
Nomad Sculpt supports Family Sharing, making it perfect for educational institutions or groups wanting to learn and collaborate on 3D modeling projects.
Sculptura 3D
Welcome to Sculptura 3D, an impressive iPad app capable of intuitive and powerful 3D sculpting. With a dynamic, high-resolution clay engine, this tool is often utilized by digital artists for creating characters, abstract art, and even monsters.
Sculptura 3D Top Features
Advanced clay engine that negates the need to worry about meshes or triangles.
Artist-tested tools such as Carve, Deform, Smooth, Cut, Cylinder, Sphere, and more.
Full GPU acceleration to speed up the sculpting process.
iCloud integration and iOS 11 Files App support to centrally manage your creations.
Generates small files, making storage easy and manageable.
Real-time rendering for visually aesthetic sculpting process.
Has undo feature?
Yes, a long undo history for worry-free sculpting.
App size
165.5 MB
Age Rating
4+
Sculptura 3D Limitations
Alteration at coarse details may destroy finer ones – a limitation of voxel-based geometry.
Sculptura 3D Pricing
Sculptura 3D is priced at $9.99, as of June 21, 2023.
Sculptura 3D Use Cases
Use Case 1: Digital Artists
For digital artists, Sculptura 3D provides an intuitive platform for detailed 3D sculpting. With ready-made templates for inspiration, artists can unleash their creativity unfettered by technical constraints.
Use Case 2: Game Developers
Game developers can use Sculptura 3D to enhance the appearance of game meshes towards photorealism. With the ability to import/export various file formats, it seamlessly integrates with other 3D modelling software.
Use Case 3: Auto Manufacturers
Auto manufacturers can use Sculptura 3D for designing new car models. Its voxel-based geometry mimics clay sculpting, enabling fluid alterations to object volumes.
ZBrush
A revolutionary tool in the realm of digital art, ZBrush is a game-changing sculpting software popular among professionals in game development, filmography, and animation. This feature-rich software takes 3D modeling, texturing, and painting to staggering new heights, enabling artists to shape intricate art pieces and lifelike characters.
ZBrush Top Features
Sculptris Pro: A dynamic tool for creating high-end digital sculpting
Dynamesh: Ensures seamless mesh generation and interactive geometry
ZRemesher: Assists in automatic retopology, simplifying complex mesh
PolyPaint: Allows painting directly onto a model’s surface sans a texture map
PolyGroupIt: Helps in clean and precise grouping of polygons
Gizmo 3D: Constitutes an intuitive interface for smooth 3D manipulations
ZBrush Courses
Available on multiple platforms, such as Udemy and Skillshare, these courses cater to diverse learning styles and levels, offering a comprehensive guide to various ZBrush tools and techniques, including Sculpting, Texturing, Modeling, and more.
Endorsement by Professionals
ZBrush courses carry the endorsement of seasoned artists with years of field experience, barraging wisdom from actual on-ground exposure.
Support Tools
Software like Photoshop can be paired with ZBrush for enhanced results, offering an optimized and efficient workflow.
ZBrush Downsides
While useful and packed with features, ZBrush does have a steep learning curve and may be daunting for beginners. Solutions, however, exist in the form of the myriad online courses available.
Higher-end hardware may be required for smoothly running ZBrush, especially when working on complex models or sculpting tasks.
ZBrush Pricing
Please refer to the official ZBrush website or authorized vendors for the most up-to-date and accurate pricing details.
ZBrush Use Cases
Use case 1 – Game Development
ZBrush is heavily employed in game development for the formation of detailed and ultra-realistic characters, including breathtakingly lifelike dinosaurs and other animals.
Use case 2 – Film and Animation
In film and animation industries, professionals count on ZBrush for devising meticulous character models, hard surface sculpting, and vivid animation features.
Use case 3 – Jewelry Design
ZBrush breathes life into intricate jewelry design concepts, aiding in the formation of complex shapes and uniquely textured surfaces.
Sculpt
Enter the world of 3D modelling with Sculpt; recreate objects with precise detail, mimicking the real-life flexibility of clay manipulation. Offering two main forms, mesh-based and voxel-based geometry, it unveils a new age of design diversity.
Sculpt Top Features
Mesh-based geometry, for fine annotation to details, fit for various levels.
Voxel-based geometry, to give clay-sculpting effects with easy addition and removal of material.
Integration with Displacement and Normal mapping for enhanced realness in texture.
Feature
Benefit
Utilities for organic modelling
Design realistic cars, video games, digital sculptures.
3D modelling suites
Infuse flexibility in the design sphere by seamlessly transitioning between different apps.
Sculpt Limitations
May require a steep learning curve for novice users due to its expansive toolset.
Inclusion of detailed features might overwhelm users seeking basic sculpting functions.
Sculpt Use Cases
Use case 1: Car Designing
Ride the wave of real-world visualization; Sculpt allows professionals to create realistic prototypes of cars before actual manufacturing.
Use case 2: Video Game Industry
An ideal tool for game developers; from characters to environments, create 3 dimensional digital replications seamlessly.
Use case 3: Education
Unlock a comprehensive learning experience. Teachers can solidify complex theories in biology or chemistry using Sculpt’s highly accurate 3D models.
Putty 3D
An iOS digital sculpting application that marries entertainment with productivity, Putty 3D is known for its smooth, intuitive sculpting capabilities. Rated 4.0 by 586 reviewers, it is optimized for the latest iPhone and iPad models.
Putty 3D: Top Features
Compatible with Apple Pencil for precision.
Exports creations in OBJ and STL formats for 3D printing.
Offers 3D Touch and Wide Color support, optimized for iPad Pro and iPhone 7.
Support for various materials like Plastic, Ceramic or Gold for realistic rendering.
Allows video recording of work, high resolution screenshots and sharing on social platforms.
Probable crashes during export and performance issues.
Unclear iconography and lack of labels on buttons and switches.
Lacks features for rendering animations.
Compatibility issues with some iOS versions and all Android devices.
Putty 3D Pricing
The app’s free version offers limited features, with a premium iteration available for more robust functionality. It is designed primarily for cost-sensitive users seeking an efficient supplemental 3D program.
Putty 3D Use Cases
Use Case 1: Sculpting On The Go
With robust graphics processing capabilities, Putty 3D provides a smooth, intuitive sculpting experience for mobile artists. Equipped with Apple Pencil compatibility, artists can easily sculpt intricate designs on their iOS devices.
Use Case 2: 3D Printing
Putty 3D supports exporting creations in OBJ and STL formats making it beneficial for those interested in 3D printing. Its integration with the 3D printing process can help amateurs and professionals alike to bring their imaginative designs to life.
Use Case 3: Social Media Sharing
Putty 3D lets users capture high-resolution screenshots and record their work, facilitating the sharing of creations on social platforms. It’s an appealing choice for creative individuals wanting to showcase their designs and modeling skills to a broader audience.
Blender
Step into the revolutionized world of 3D sculpting with Blender, a free and open-source 3D computer graphics software tool set. Developed by Dutch animation studio NeoGeo, Blender now holds a crucial place in creating animated films, art, and VR applications.
Top Features of Blender
3D Modelling: Discover infinite possibilities for creating 3D designs.
UV Mapping and Texturing: Breathe life into your models using these features which offer high realism.
Sculpting: A tool that lets you carve out your best creations in the 3D space.
Animation and Motion Graphics: Make your models move and engage with these fantastic features.
Digital Drawing:
Perfect for artists looking to shift towards digital art.
FLuid & Smoke Simulation:
Immerse your audience with hyper-realistic simulations.
Video Editing & Compositing:
An all-in-one package for your video post-production needs.
Blender Disadvantages
The Blender Game Engine has been depreciated from the 2.8 release.
Blender Internal was replaced by Eevee renderer since the 2.80 release.
Blender Pricing
Embrace the magic of open source! Blender is free software, making it more than just an alternative – it’s a gift to the 3D sculpting community.
Blender Use Cases
Use case 1: Animated Films
Gear up to create mesmerizing animated films. With features for 3D modeling to rendering, Blender has everything an animator needs.
Use case 2: Virtual Reality
Create immersive, interactive 3D applications for VR. Sculpt, animate, simulate and render your vision into reality.
Use case 3: Graphic Design
Leverage Blender’s tools for texturing and digital drawing to create stunning graphic designs.
Shapr3D
If you are looking to jump into the world of 3D sculpting and design, consider Shapr3D. This versatile 3D CAD Modeling app is known for its adaptive UI and the ability to turn sketches into models within a matter of hours.
Shapr3D Top Features
Adaptive UI: Shapr3D provides an intuitive and adaptive user interface that fosters easy creation of accurate models.
Sync Anytime, Anywhere: Its sync feature lets you design at your convenience and runs natively on Apple Pro Products, opening up possibilities for a swift and smooth design experience.
Import and Export Flexibility: It supports a wide range of import and export formats, frequently improving interoperability.
Highly Rated: Backing its performance is the strong rating of 4.8 out of 5 derived from 2,4k users on the Apple Store, asserting its reliability and user satisfaction.
Supports Siemens Geometric Parasolid
Enables comprehensive 3D modeling capabilities, fostering precision and detailing in designs.
D-Cubed Sketch Engine Integration
Makes sketching intuitive and accurate, laying out an enriching design journey for the users.
Support for a Wide Range of File Formats
Facilitates easy sharing and printing of designs, enhancing user flexibility.
Shapr3D Downsides
Limited primarily to Apple Pro products, it may not suit all users. Further, for those who prefer cost-free software, the requirement of an annual subscription can be a downside.
Shapr3D Pricing
Shapr3D offers various subscription options. The price for the annual subscription is $239, but for those on a budget, a free version is also available.
Shapr3D Use Cases
Use Case 1 – Professional 3D Designers
Beneficial for professional 3D designers, Shapr3D lends efficient designing with rich detailing, supplemented by a wide range of exporting options. It’s capabilities support complex design needs, ensuring professional-grade output.
Use Case 2 – Mechanical Engineers
For mechanical engineers, the adaptive UI and high-precision sketching capabilities make design conceptualization an easy process, facilitating innovation and practicality.
Use Case 3 – Industrial Designers
With flexible importing and exporting options, industrial designers can leverage Shapr3D to seamlessly integrate different elements into their work process and share designs.
Hannah Stewart
Content writer @ Aircada, tech enthusiast, metaverse explorer, and coffee addict. Weaving stories in digital realms.
