Blender

Computer generated graphics are a big part of the media nowadays, because everything from blockbuster Hollywood movies to the local weather report uses some sort of CGI to make the content more appealing. However, as prevalent as it may be, 3D designers still need to put a lot of work into the actual models, because it’s not easy to create entire worlds and objects from practically scratch.

Blender is a powerful tool that has evolved over the years into one of the most well-known and reliable piece of software out there, which is even more astonishing when you realize that it is open source. Not only that, but beside the fact that it allows you to create stunning 3D objects, it also comes bundled with a built-in game engine, character animation features, multiple renderers, as well as texture and material creation panels. All of these make for a pretty solid package, enough to provide you with everything you need to start a career in the domain.

In case you are curious, the application runs on Python, which is amazingly a high-level programming language. However, it certainly doesn’t lack power, because it can easily handle everything you might want to throw at it. Not only that, but Blender even allows you to add bits of code on the fly, without having to recompile the entire application. As such, components and elements can be added in a matter of seconds, as long as you already have the code.

One of the most impressive and highly-anticipated element in Blender is the fact that it can handle N-gons, which are basically polygons with a non-restricted number of edges. As such, you can have N edges and only one face, which is a lot easier to grasp than the usual four/three edged polygons. Naturally, there are still some problems with this approach, especially when you need to subdivide the said face, but it’s good to know that it’s possible for now.

Other than that, the integrated game engine deserves a special mention as well, because it is quite powerful and it can handle impressive projects. Not only that, but it is also very simple to use, while the finalized games can be easily exported and published as well. Obviously, this engine cannot handle as much detail as the vanilla one, but it’s powerful enough for indie productions that need a free and quick tool to get the job done.

In the end, the fact that Blender is open source means that anyone can toy with it and create personalized components to add on top of the original product. Hence, this translates into a large array of modules and extensions you can add to the application, each one of which can significantly improve your workflow.