When choosing a 3D drawing program, consider the output needed and the program’s modeling and rendering features. The complexity of the modeling interface, mesh editing, and compatibility with external programs are also important. Evaluate the program’s internal renderer and any restrictions on scene size.
Ultimately, the best three-dimensional (3D) drawing program is one that will produce the kind of output needed for a specific purpose. In general, the features of a given 3D design program can be divided into those related to modeling and those related to rendering. For basic 3D drawing, programs that work only with geometric primitives like cubes, spheres, and text can be useful, because they don’t have a huge bank of tools that might be more confusing than helpful. Alternatively, for applications such as character modeling and terrain generation, a 3D drawing program that includes advanced mesh manipulation tools and features such as turning non-uniform relational B-splines (NURBS) can make finished models look smoother. and dynamic. When a model is finished, consideration should be given to the ability of the 3D design program to render the model, either as a static image or as an animation, because functionality in this area from one program to another can vary greatly.
One of the most important aspects in choosing a 3D design program is the complexity of the modeling interface. Most programs provide basic modeling tools and pre-generated primitives, fonts, and materials. For more complex shapes that may need to be built polygon by polygon with individual triangles, a modeling program that supports mesh editing is crucial. Also, for animation, some more advanced 3D programs allow vertex and skeleton weighting systems so that models can be maneuvered and animated in a consistent and realistic way. The file formats supported in your paint program should be compatible with any external program you use, because it can be frustrating trying to convert a 3D scene or model between the many formats available.
Once a model is complete, it may need to be rendered to create a final image or animation. Some programs provide a built-in renderer, while others have specific methods for using an external renderer or exporting files to a separate render file format. If a 3D paint program uses an internal rendering engine and does not provide a way to specify an external renderer, the quality of the internal renderer must be evaluated carefully to ensure that it can create usable images and that it handles textures well.
Depending on the scope of the project to be created in the 3D drawing program, the restrictions of the program should be examined. For various reasons, some 3D drawing programs have limits on how many vertices, polygons, or even objects a scene can contain. In a small scene, this may not be a problem. With a larger scene, however, this could lead to a reduction in quality or the inability to create a scene as it is imagined.
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