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Tutorials and Resources for 3D Artists.
What 3D Animation Software Should You Learn First?
"Start with a tool that will equip you both creatively and professionally."
Introduction
If you're interested in 3D animation, you may be wondering which 3D software to learn first. You don't want to waste time learning a tool that's either outdated or irrelevant. As someone who has worked as a 3D artist for almost a decade, I can tell you that there are some clear winners, but it also depends on the industry. Learning a 3D software is like learning a language; if you plan to travel to the Philippines, you wouldn't learn French. Therefore, I will approach this question by looking at different industries that use 3D animation and see if there are any overlaps.
But just to be clear, this is not a blog post about the easiest 3D software to learn. While there are plenty of more intuitive and less widely used 3D packages out there that you could learn, my recommendation is to start with a tool that will equip you both creatively and professionally.
Autodesk Maya and Maxon Cinema 4D are two popular choices for 3D modeling and animation in the film and television industry. Houdini is the clear winner for simulations in VFX, and Zbrush is the industry standard for sculpting creatures and characters. However, I don't recommend learning Zbrush or Houdini as your first 3D software unless you know you want to become a specialist. Specialists are 3D artists who have chosen to focus on and become masters of a few specific disciplines, such as Character Animators, Hard Surface Modelers, Riggers, Lighters, and so on.
For games, Unity and Unreal Engine are the two clear winners, with the important caveat that 3D assets, characters, props, and even animation are often still done in software like Maya or Blender and imported. Maya is a popular choice for larger game studios, while Blender is an excellent free alternative often used by smaller indie game developers.
For architectural rendering, a lot of architects use a mix of Rhino, Autodesk Revit, and SketchUp. But for architectural visualization where a 3D artist plugs into the equation, people are increasingly using Unreal Engine with Maya as a close second.
So, I've thrown a bunch of industries at you, but you might not yet know which you prefer, and maybe you want to keep your options open.
In that case, two software options really stand out: Maya and Unreal Engine.
Maya is one of the most popular software options in the film and entertainment industry, offering a wide range of tools and features that cater to the needs of both specialists and generalists. Whether you are an animator, modeler, or texture artist, learning Maya will not limit your creativity as you grow as a 3D artist and explore different specialties.
Unreal Engine is the new kid on the block, and it's only going to grow with time. Having knowledge of Unreal Engine on your resume will give you a huge advantage. Check out my free Unreal Engine training as well as my YouTube channel, which has more free training videos on both Unreal Engine and Maya.
The demand for 3D artists is constantly growing as more and more fields incorporate 3D animation and renderings. Whether you're reading this out of pure curiosity or trying to chart your next steps towards becoming a 3D artist yourself, I hope this post has been helpful.
Summery
Maya and Maxon Cinema 4D are popular choices for 3D modeling and animation in film and television, while Houdini is the clear winner for simulations in VFX and ZBrush is the industry standard for sculpting creatures and characters. Unity and Unreal Engine are the clear winners for games, with Maya being popular for larger game studios and Blender for smaller indie game developers. For architectural visualization, people are increasingly using Unreal Engine with Maya as a close second. However, if you're not sure which industry you prefer, Maya and Unreal Engine are two software options that stand out and equip you both creatively and professionally.
Software Links
Here are links to all the software listed above.
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