Second Life Wiki - User contributions [en]

Clothing Tutorials

2011-04-06T22:08:29Z

Zee Pixel: /* General */ added link to Avatar Databank for advanced clothing/makup designers.

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This page links to '''tools & tutorials for making clothing and skins''' Please add your fave tuts, remove obviated bits, and improve the usefulness of this resource!

== General ==

* '''[http://static.secondlife.com/downloads/textures/fashion/All_Fashion_Design_Templates.zip Linden body and clothing templates]''', for eyes, head, face, hair, upper and lower body, skirt; templates as TGA with instructions as PDF; 7 MB

* '''[http://static.secondlife.com/templates/CMFF_Template_Set.zip Chip Midnight's improved clothing templates]''', ZIP of 512x512 PDF files for head, upper and lower body, skirt; 10.7 MB

* '''[http://static.secondlife.com/downloads/avatar/avatar_mesh.zip Second Life avatar meshes]''' in .obj format, includes assets to preview the avatar in Poser, SLCP, Photoshop, etc.

* '''[http://www.annotoole.com/CMFF/ Clothing & Skin Templates]''' - By Chip Midnight. These templates are even higher-rez than the official ones. Chip Midnight is an original master of fine fashions in SL. Once you get really serious about detail, you’ll want to get these and have a deep look.

*'''[http://www.ccccybernetics.com/avatar_databank/ Avatar Databank]''' is an extended alternative avatar mesh library that includes all avatar extremes (fat, skinny, etc...). Models are in AC3D and .obj formats with .png format 1024x1024 texture templates. For the very advanced clothing and make-up designers.

* '''[http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Technical/SL-Tuts/SLTutSet.html Second Life tutorials]''' - By [http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/User:Robin_Sojourner Robin Sojourner] AKA Robin Wood. She has a really elegant, organized approach. Check out her fantasy art as proof! She’s mentioned that she’ll be adding more to this site, so keep watching, and check out her posts on the forums too, like her fab [http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=77501 T-Shirt Template] — learn how to make wrinkles without photo-sourcing! Download also her [http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Technical/SL-Tuts/SLPages/AVUVTemplates.html UV templates].

* '''[http://leezu-tutorials.blogspot.com/ Second Life Clothing Tutorials]''' - By LeeZu Baxter. The creator of [LeeZu!] Designs, LeeZu Baxter offers step by step tutorials to assist new builders as they face the challenges of creating their own original designs.

* '''[http://www.secondlife-shirts.com/secondlife_tutorials.htm Second Life Clothing Tutorials]''' - By Minmo Dreadlow. A Simple tutorial on how to create a t-shirt using photoshop, or turn your own clothing into secondife clothes with photoshop. Offers several free shirt fabrics as well.

* '''[http://nicolaescher.com/tutorials.php Tutorials]''' - By Nicola Escher. The presentation of these tuts is aesthetically pleasing. These have been newly updated for ‘07, and are [http://www.nicolaescher.com/journal/article/28/new-translations also available in] [http://www.nicolaescher.com/journal/article/21/all-my-second-life-tutorials-in-deutsch German], Dutch (Nederlands), Chinese, and Norwegian translations. Nicola says: "I’ve got Spanish and Italian on the way." Very easy to follow, effectively illustrated. These elegant episodes include:
** '''[http://nicolaescher.com/tutorials/clothing-in-second-life.php Introduction to Creating Clothing]'''
** '''[http://nicolaescher.com/tutorials/creating-your-first-shirt.php Creating Your First Shirt]'''
** '''[http://nicolaescher.com/tutorials/alpha-channel-primer.php Alpha Channel Primer]'''
** '''[http://nicolaescher.com/tutorials/creating-a-tattoo.php Creating A Tattoo]'''
** '''[http://nicolaescher.com/tutorials/creating-a-mannequin.php Creating A Mannequin]'''

* '''[http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=76703 Tattoo Creation]''' - By Amber Stonecutter. Tattoos may be likened to clothes that are harder to take off, at least offline. The magic unfolds in this thread. Amber had never made a tutorial before, and in response to Flugel inquiring, she spontaneously cooked one up — pictures and all! She even got props from Chosen and Robin.

* '''[http://slnatalia.blogspot.com/2006/11/build.html Natalia's SL Diary]''' - By Natalia Zelmanov. A listing of over 30 tutorials from her blog, including clothing, hair, jewelry, particle, shoes, and techniques. Here are some highlights:
** '''[http://slnatalia.blogspot.com/2007/03/day-181-creating-clothes-with-gimp.html Creating Clothes with GIMP]'''
** '''[http://slnatalia.blogspot.com/2007/04/day-195-creating-clothes-with-photoshop.html Creating Clothes with Photoshop]'''
** '''[http://slnatalia.blogspot.com/2006/12/day-97-making-flexi-prim-skirts-with.html Creating Flexi Skirts]'''
** '''[http://slnatalia.blogspot.com/2007/04/day-209-creating-jewelry-part-1.html Creating Jewelry]'''
** '''[http://slnatalia.blogspot.com/2007/03/day-158-creating-attachments-with.html Creating Particle Effects]'''
** '''[http://slnatalia.blogspot.com/2007/01/day-129-creating-prim-hair-part-1.html Creating Prim Hair]'''
** '''[http://slnatalia.blogspot.com/2007/01/day-101-creating-prim-shoes-part-2.html Creating Prim Shoes (Heels)]'''

* '''[http://seshat-czeret.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-make-sl-clothes-in-gimp.html How to make SL clothes in the Gimp]''' - By Seshat Czeret. The first installment of a series of SL clothing tutorials, each linked to the next. The series starts with preparation, and continues with making a simple t-shirt and adding highlights and shadows. It explains why you do each step, as well as how.
:Also see '''[http://seshat-czeret.blogspot.com/2009/04/theory-of-second-life-skin-and-clothing.html The Theory of Second Life Skin and Clothing]'''. This is useful regardless of which image program you use.

* '''[http://metavirtual.us/template Cassie Clowes Clothing Videos]''' - By Cassie Clowes. Read the FAQ regarding information. Video tutorials that are high quality and with clothing templates (socks, tshirts, pants, etc)

* '''[http://mistressofdesign.wordpress.com/ Random Rambling, Tips & Tricks]''' - By Claire Hartford. Sporadically updated blog with tutorials for clothing (and skin) creation. Of particular note is the [http://mistressofdesign.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/multi-chan-hax-its-all-kinds-of-awesome-2/ video tutorial on the use of Multi Chan Hax].

* '''[http://www.avatars-3d.com/gimp Make clothes with gimp]''' - By Surfaqua Oh Several tutorials to learn to make clothes with the Gimp. The tutorials are in French, easy to follow and well illustrated and download free template.

== See also ==

* '''[[Texture Tools]]'''
* '''[[Clothes design starter tips]]'''

[[Category:Tutorials]] [[Category:Creation]]

Texture Tools

2008-07-25T03:27:28Z

Zee Pixel: /* Misc. */ info about the Avatar Databank

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'''The purpose of this page is to increase awareness of resources that'll help you texture better in Second Life.''' Texturing is a fundamental part of a building skillset, as evidenced when you put [http://www.flickr.com/photos/torley/405541024/ that dang plywood texture] on everything.

This list includes but isn't limited to: programs, tutorials, and packs of textures themselves. I ([[User:Torley Linden|Torley Linden]]) am starting with what I know and have actually experienced — please share what you've found useful!

== Texture-making programs ==
* '''[http://www.gimp.org/ Gimp] (Free Software/Open Source)''' - The Gimp, or GNU Image Manipulation Program, is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It works on many operating systems, in many languages and is available for Linux, Mac OSX, Unix and Windows. Powerful, with many tutorials on the web - great links for the main site. Best bang for the buck.

* '''[http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/ Genetica] (free Viewer available, 30-day demo of full texture editor, [http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/buygen.htm edition pricing here], Windows only)''' - Genetica is a node-based seamless texture generator that contains user-friendly labs. Genetica 3 (currently in beta) offers animation (Studio edition only) and vector drawing tools with preset styles. Hundreds of professional presets are included with Genetica. Textures offered with the free Genetica Viewer can be found [http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/packs/index.htm here].

* '''[http://www.filterforge.com/ Filter Forge] (90-day trial, [http://www.filterforge.com/buy/ pricing info here], with the [http://www.filterforge.com/more/freecopy.html possibility to get it for free], Windows only)''' - It's the very spicy (because it's so diverse), no-holds-barred plugin which allows ''you'' to ''make your own Photoshop filters!'' This isn't some crummy, unintuitive rubbish either: it's top-drawer, with a wealth of presets, [http://www.filterforge.com/filters/ many free filters] already created by the [http://www.filterforge.com/forum/ FF community] to download. I'm particularly hoping to see builds inworld use some wall and tile sets made from this. Have you done such a thing? LET ME KNOW OK? :o)

* '''[http://www.mediachance.com/pseam/ PhotoSEAM] (30-day demo, US$35, Windows only)''' - Helps you make textures seamless like a superstar! Often, after sketching raw 768x768 chunks in ArtRage 2, I'll bring 'em into PhotoSEAM to master as 512x512s, with some buffer 'round the edges so I can cross borders smoothly. What's more, you can apply touch-up effects to come up with some radical variants of your source material. Caveats: it hasn't been updated in 6+ years and it's prone to crashing, but it's the best I've found thus far!

* '''[http://www.artrage.com/artrage.html ArtRage 2] (free edition available, US$19.95 for full version, Windows and Mac)''' - Simple, superb, sexy. It's a painting program with a snazzy user interface and minimal controls. Nope, it doesn't even have Copy OR Paste, but the brush tones are lush. Did I mention the glitter tool adds ''so'' much amazing depth? I can almost feel the grains get layered down when working with it. On 2007-02-04, I created some [http://www2.ambientdesign.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4492 free ArtRage canvases]; they're based on some of my textures.

* '''[http://www.contextfreeart.org/download.html Context Free] (free, Windows and Mac and *nix)''' - An elegant, refreshing program to mathematically generate art — see the [http://www.contextfreeart.org/gallery/ gallery] for many examples. Starting with the [http://www.contextfreeart.org/download.html 2.1], you can specify tiled rendering. Even if you don't know programming languages, it's very easy to get into Context Free by changing a few numbers around, then [http://www.contextfreeart.org/mediawiki/index.php/CFDG_HOWTO learn more]. I've made textures like [http://www.flickr.com/photos/torley/390740477/ "Context Free Trees"] and [http://www.flickr.com/photos/torley/390740372/ "Context Free Flowers"] using this.

* '''[http://www.getpaint.net Paint.NET] (free, Windows only)''' - Paint.NET is free image editing and photo manipulation software. It supports layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools.

* '''[http://www.i-tex.de/news.php Texture Maker] (Basic version €29.95, Advanced version €64.95, Professional version €99.95, free demo, Windows only)''' - By Reichert Software Engineering. Texture Maker is a seamless texture generator and designer. The application contains everything needed to create seamless textures for use in 3D modeling. It can create procedural and hand painted textures from scratch, remove visible seams from existing images, crop textures from photos by applying a perspective correction, render seamless tiles from structure sample patches and combine existing textures and height maps with realistic illumination. It can create animated textures and seamless animation loops. Texture Maker can be extended with plugins and automates complex operations with its scripting abilities. Nearly all functions take advantage of multiple CPUs in the system. There is also a free plugin to use the program within Photoshop. Not easy to use, unless you have a good understanding on how to work with images. The info provided on the help online is rather skimpy and don't expect to get much help from the support forum. [http://www.texturemaker.com/help/misc/features.htm See the matrix for a list of all the features].

* '''[http://www.slexchange.com/modules.php?ItemID=158462 AvPainter] (L$2495, free demo, Windows only)''' - Like SL Clothes Previewer (below), this utility lets you preview textures on a model avatar; unlike that utility, this one allows you to paint directly onto the avatar model, making it easier to fix seams, among other applications. The free demo has all the functionality of the full version except for the ability to save files.

== Texture utilities ==
Here's some stuff you may never of heard of; I hope it'll make your Second Life texturing easier!

* '''[http://www.purplestatic.com/texCalc.zip Texture calculator] (free, Windows only, 4.9 MB download)''' - By Adrian Eisenberg. If you've ever wanted to map multiple textures onto a single one for greater efficiency, also known as [http://sldevelopers.com/blogs/julianfate/archive/2006/03/29/168.aspx texture zones], give this a spin. It'll save you the headache of working out the offsets. You can [http://detect.vox.com/library/post/texture-mapping-design.html see an actual example] by Detect Surface and [http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=90527 learn more].

* '''[http://www.notabene-sl.com/Backhoe/ Backhoe terrain editor] (free, Mac only, 0.6 MB download)''' - By Zarf Vantongerloo. A simple and elegant terraforming tool for whole regions. It may save you the pain of wrestling with [http://secondlife.com/knowledgebase/article.php?id=288 RAW files] in Photoshop. For more terrain editors, [http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=170687 see this forum thread].

* '''[http://www.texturemaker.com/download.php Texture Discovery] (free, Windows only, 0.48 MB download)''' - By Reichert Software Engineering. A simple utility to browse texture files on your disk. Display and tiles a texture image on your screen. It has a texture mapping preview to view a texture mapped on ground and on a sphere. Very simple commands but with a dated interface that makes browsing textures in deeply nested folders a bit inconvenient.

* '''[http://www.PeregrineSalon.com/anim/ GIF to SL Animated Texture Creator] (free, web-based)''' - By Peregrine Salon. This utility allows you to convert an animated GIF file into a SL-compliant texture, and even outputs the LSL code you'll need to animate it on an object face. There are some known issues: the number of frames will affect how the SL animated texture is laid out in a grid, and there are issues carrying transparency. However, it works with most animated GIF files.

* '''[http://nivardus.com/sl/slanim.html GIF 2 SL Animated Texture Program] (free, Windows only, 0.40 MB download)''' - By Gonta Maltz. Use the program to convert most animated GIF files into a sequential grid Jpeg image. Handles transparent GIF images and converts them into PNG files. Automatically outputs the number of frames horizontally, vertically and the frames per second on the name of the final image for ease of use with a supplied free script on the site. Upload the image, toss the texture INTO a prim, add the script and it works. The program retains color information and image quality (depending on resolution) of the converted image. You will need the .NET Framework 2.0 with SP1 to run the executable, if it does not initially run.

* '''[http://picasa.google.com/ Picasa] (free, Windows only, 5.2 MB download)''' - By Google. Picasa is a free software download from Google that helps you keep your textures organized in folders. Locate and organise all the photos on your computer, edit and add effects to your photos with a few simple clicks, share your photos with others through email, prints and on the web.

* '''[http://www.tigercolor.com/ ColorImpact] ($49.95 for a limited time, $59.95 regular, free demo, Windows only, 8.90 MB download)''' - By Tiger Color. Need a color scheme for your textures? ColorImpact can help you select matching colors and create color harmonies. Select a color that pleases you and the visual color wheel instantly displays a selection of perfectly matching colors. Play with different color harmonies, add shades and tints and visually fine tune your color scheme to perfection. Large selection of test patterns, test your color schemes on real designs. Export your color schemes to most popular paint programs. Built-in color theory tutorial. Many features help you experiment with color harmonies. Excellent interface. Compatible with Windows Vista. Web site with support, tutorials, forums.

* '''[http://www.colorschemer.com/ Color Schemer Studio] ($49.99, free demo, Windows and Mac)''' - Need a color scheme for your textures? Color Schemer Studio is a professional color matching application for anyone from hobbyists to advanced professionals. Work with a dynamic visual color wheel, instantly explore harmony relationships and even let Color Schemer Studio intelligently suggest color schemes for you!. Use Color Schemer Studio to explore color using a dynamic visual color wheel, actually see harmony relationships, mix colors, create gradient blends, and even analyze contrast and readability. Use the Export Wizard to export your color schemes to a number of popular applications and formats. Use the PhotoSchemer tool to build unique color schemes based on any picture, image or photograph. Windows version compatible with Vista. Web site with support, tutorials, scheme gallery, forums.

* '''[http://www.tigercolor.com/ Transparent Screen Ruler] ($19.95, Windows only)''' - By Tiger Color. With the Transparent Screen Ruler you can measure anything on your monitor — web pages, drawings, images, user interfaces etc. The program features a visual and intuitive user interface, and the screen magnifier window makes it easy to get exact measurements. Unit of measure: pixels, inches, centimeters, picas, custom. Close to tray. Easy to use.

* '''[http://www.colorschemer.com/ ColorPix] (free, Windows only)''' - ColorPix is a neat little application that will let you grab the color values and screen coordinates at any pixel on your screen. ColorPix automatically translates any screen color into RGB, HEX, HSB and CMYK color values, and comes with a zoom-able magnifier built in.

* '''[http://www.colorschemer.com/ Color Schemer Galleria] (free, Mac only)''' - Put a gallery of over 1,000 color schemes on your Dashboard with the free Galleria Dashboard widget. Browse color schemes, find inspiration, and copy your favorite hex color values without ever leaving your Dashboard.

* '''[http://www.colorhunter.com/ Color Hunter]''' - Need to research for a color palette for your next building project? Color Hunter is a place to find and make color palettes created from images. To find color palettes on Color Hunter, enter a search term in the box at the top of the page. You can search by tag or hex color code or image URL. If you have an image, you can upload it and get a color palette based on the colors in the image. This is a free web-based tool.

* '''[http://www.looqz.eu/content/view/19 SL Clothes Previewer] (free beta, Windows and Mac)''' - Want to see what your newly created clothes will look like before you upload them to Second Life? This application is a bit rough around the edges, but it works, letting you add textures for all the standard clothing layers, and zoom and rotate to see the results.

== Texture tutorials ==
[[Image:Texturetutorial.jpg|thumb|Texture tutorial and library]]* '''[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Livingtree/127/99/25 Robin (Sojourner) Wood's Texture Tutorial] (inworld)''' - A step by step presentation on textures within Second Life, for both beginner and expert, by [[user:Robin Sojourner|Robin Sojourner]]. Also features a reading room with advanced information presented in book form. A second set of tutorials are also available on [http://robinwood.com/Catalog/Technical/SL-Tuts/SLTutSet.html her personal website].

* '''[http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/cory/ Texture tutorial series]''' - By Cory Edo. Fun and well-illustrated — more coming!
** '''[http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/cory/?p=27 Making tileable textures, part 1]''' - Answers the often-asked question: "how the hell do I make textures tileable and seamless?"
** '''[http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/cory/?p=26 Quick and dirty depth trick for floors]''' - How to unflat your floor textures.
** '''[http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/cory/?p=22 Ice texture tutorial]'''
** '''[http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/cory/?p=19 Accidental land texture trick]''' - How to use a darker, less saturated texture to add gradiated depth to your terrain.

* '''[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Idea%20City/70/193/40 Idea City's Design Center] (inworld)''' - Follow this [http://slurl.com/ SLURL] to TP into an intermediate-level set of building and texture tutorials by Forseti Svarog. A fine place to go after you've mastered Lumiere Noir's [http://slurl.com/secondlife/Natoma/210/164/27 The Ivory Tower of Primitives] lessons.

* '''[http://www.onona3d.com/tutorials.htm "Texturing for Dummies" and some others] (PDF)''' - Not Second Life-specific, but it's a beautifully-published guide with key principles.

* '''[http://flapjack.modwest.com/twenty-second-photoshop-clothing-texture-tutorial Twenty Second Photoshop Clothing Texture Tutorial]''' - By Sol Columbia. How to quickly make a simple cloth texture.

* '''[http://flapjack.modwest.com/photoshop-tutorial-how-to-make-buttons-for-clothing Photoshop Tutorial: How to make buttons for clothing]''' - By Sol Columbia. Intriguing how you can combine a few basic elements to make a polished button.

* '''[http://taunt.com/ Photoshop video tutorial series] (most in WMV format)''' - Look under the left sidebar under the "PHOTOSHOP VIDEOS" header. By Twiddler "Frisky Pirate" Thereian.

* '''[http://detect.vox.com/library/post/tutorial---texture-mapping-and-application.html/ Texture Mapping Tutorial]'''- Creating texture maps for objects/products/builds in SL. Content-rich designs. Piccies to come soon as well as advanced Photoshop techniques. By Detect Surface aka "The Prim Hog".

* '''[http://slnatalia.blogspot.com/2006/11/build.html Various Tutorials]''' - Many building tutorials which touch on textural aspects of content creation, such as how to make clothes. By Natalia Zelmanov.

* '''[http://secondslog.blogspot.com/2005/09/tutorial-texture-of-our-world.html "Tutorial: the texture of our world"]''' - This is a general guide from '05, but what you learn here will help you in related areas — they're ''all'' interconnected. A tidy, very-easy-to-understand piece o' work explaining the benefits of fine texture control in SL.

* '''[http://slink.mmoportraits.com/?p=119 Creating transparent textures with PNGs in Photoshop]''' - If you've found it tricky and time-consuming to use 32-bit TGAs to make your transparencies, check this out for a more streamlined way to get results.

* '''[http://olilas-secondlife.com/tutorials-by-subject/ Photoshop Hairtexture Tutorial]''' - Hairtexture Tutorial: Use the tools in Photoshop (or a graphicprogram with similar options) to create textures for your prim-hair. Change the colors and make dipped tips. By Olila Oh.

* '''[http://youtube.com/watch?v=ekLIgpRHSq4 Making transparent textures]''' - Learn how to remove the background from an selected image and bring it into Second Life. By Torley Linden, who has [[Video_Tutorials|more video tutorials]].

<videoflash>ekLIgpRHSq4</videoflash>

== Texture books and DVDs ==
Books and DVDs on the art of texturing:

* '''[http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/cory/?p=17 Book learnin']''' - Where Cory Edo announces the texture-related books she's going to read and review.
** '''[http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/cory/?p=18 Book Learnin’ Review #1 - “3D Game Textures” ]'''
** '''[http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/cory/?p=20 Book Learnin’ Review #2 - “The Dark Side of Game Texturing”]'''

* '''[http://www.kurvstudios.com/photoshop/advanced_photoshop_texturing.php "Advanced Photoshop Texturing"]''' - A DVD with more than 9 hours of Photoshop Texturing training designed to show how to make textures and get the most out of Photoshop CS. The tutorials are based on the Windows version of Photoshop. Particurarly well suited to people who are new to Photoshop or have limited experience with it. Priced for a limited time at US$39.95 at '''[http://www.kurvstudios.com/photoshop/advanced_photoshop_texturing.php Kurv Studios' web site]''' or at US$44.95 at '''[http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Photoshop-Texturing-Andrew-Britton/dp/B00095M4Q4/ Amazon.com]''' (prices may vary).

== Texture packs and libraries ==
[[Image:watermelinden-land.jpg|thumb|240px|Watermelinden Land, home of Torley Textures.]]

* '''[http://tinyurl.com/2aujlm Torley Textures] (inworld)''' - Fully-permissive in a variety of surreal, sketchy, painterly, organic, cyberiffic, etc. styles. [http://torley.com/textures/ More info here.] Also take note of the [http://torley.com/torley-textures-love LOVE TEXTURES], a '07 Valentine's Day special! If you make kewl stuff, let me know!

* '''[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lozi/226/110/32 Harbinger's Haven - Builders sandbox] (inworld)''' - "No push, no scripts. All builders welcome. No weapons, vehicles, selling or advertising. Cleared daily.Free Textures" A pleasant place to build. You'll land right in front of free texture kiosks, sorted into a variety of categories.

* '''[http://lemog.fr/lemog_v6/index.php?cat=4 Lemog3d texture collection ]''' - One of my favoritest free texture resources on a well-organized French site. High-quality, seamlessly-tiling, assorted goods. These are at 512x512 resolution, which is just peachy for uploading straight into SL.

* '''[http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/packs/index.htm Genetica Texture Packs]''' – Spiral Graphics offers high-quality royalty-free texture collections with over 100 seamless textures per pack. They are available on their website at 512x512, but can be rendered at higher resolutions with the free Genetica Viewer.

* '''[http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=46&t=77484 CGTalk's Online Texture Libraries links]''' - Also includes links to tutorials. Note that some of the links are broken — it's still worth a look. Note that most of them ''aren't'' seamlessly tiling, so if that's your intention, you'll need to do extra editing.

* '''[http://noctua-graphics.de/english/freetex_e.htm NOCTUA Graphics textures]''' - 459 free textures in the usual categories. Most are 512x512 and seamlessly tileable.

* '''[http://www.imageafter.com/ Image*After textures]''' - Image*After is a large online free photo collection. You can download and use any image or texture from the site and use it in your own work, either personal or commercial. Large image collection, well organized. Forums.

* '''[http://www.mayang.com/textures/ Mayang Free Textures]''' - Very popular site with over 3400 good quality textures to date. You can download a limited number of images per day, or you can order the entire collection on DVD.

* '''[http://blender-archi.tuxfamily.org/Textures Blender for Architecture]''' - A wiki site dedicated to Blender users involved with architectural work. It includes a page with several free images of good quality. Of particular interest is the section on wood with many varities from all over the world. Please note that there are two wood sections on the page, the one with the world varities is at the bottom of the page.

* '''[http://www.sharecg.com shareCG]''' - A web site dedicated to computer games with a vast library of free textures, some of very good quality.

* '''[http://en.margraf.it/ Margraf]''' - This Italian marble company offers a library of 180 high resolution, free marble textures to download. Excellent quality. Requires registration to the site with a valid email address. Web site in Italian, English and French.

* '''[http://texturebits.blogspot.com Texturebits]''' - Royalty free textures. For personal or commercial use.

== Misc. ==
These don't fit under a single category.

* '''[http://www.ccccybernetics.com/avatar_databank/ Avatar Databank]''' - A complete library of all of the texture templates for SL avatars, both male and female. All expressions, body sizes, hair shapes, eyelashes, etc...

* '''[http://forums.secondlife.com/forumdisplay.php?f=109 Second Life Design & Textures forum]''' - Where I started out. Discuss texturing tips & tricks with fellow Residents and look at the top for the helpful tutorials stickied in orange.

* '''[http://secondlifegrid.net/resources/matrix#textures Developers Resource Matrix]''' - It's kinda hard to find on our website, but it's got lots of helpful links I refer to regularly. If you're a content creator or looking to Do-It-Yourself, bookmark it and keep it close. Some additional resources are listed which I'm not going to overlap here.

* '''[http://browse.deviantart.com/resources/ Deviantart.com Resources]''' - Ready-to-use textures, as well as application-specific brushes, patterns, and other tools for making textures. Click on the "Categories" button to get a list of the different sections. Be sure you read about crediting requirements before using a resource! (Most artists just want to know what you did with their work.)

* '''[http://morris-photographics.com/photoshop/shortcuts/downloads/PSCS2_Keyboard_Shortcuts_PC.pdf Photoshop CS2 Keyboard shortcuts]''' - A "cheat sheet" with all the keyboard shortcuts for the Windows version of Photoshop CS2. PDF file, Adobe Reader is required.

[[Category:Tutorials]]

[[Category:Creation]]

Sculpted Prims: FAQ

2007-10-05T05:59:55Z

Zee Pixel: Added another tutorial link.

== Sculpted Prims: Frequently Asked Questions ==

 
;Q. What is a Sculpted Prim?

:*A '''Sculpted Prim''' is a prim whose shape is determined by a texture. These textures are called '''[[#SculptTextures|Sculpt Textures]]'''. You can use sculpted prims to create more complex, organic shapes that are not currently possible with Second Life's prim system.


;Q. What is a Sculpt Texture?

:* A '''Sculpt Texture''' or '''Sculpt Map''' is a standard RGB [[Textures|texture]] where the R (red), G (green) and B (blue) channels are mapped onto X, Y, and Z space. Sculpt Textures are similar to so-called "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping normal maps]", but instead of encoding surface normals we encode surface positions.
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:* They are also similar to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Displacement_mapping displacement maps], but instead of a single scalar distance we have three values — one each for the X, Y, and Z coordinates. Sculpt Textures are also very similar to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parametric_surface parametric] (e.g. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NURBS NURBS]) surfaces. See [[Sculpted_Prim_Explanation|Sculpted Prims: Under the Hood]] for details.

;Q. Why use textures (images) to encode shapes?

:* An image is just an array of numeric triples, which is what you need for a sculpty, so why not? Also, using image formats to encode shapes comes in very handy because there are many existing tools for handling them. Image compression, streaming, progressive loading, and animation are all well-explored problems. For example, we could create a Quicktime stream which fades from one sculpt texture (sculpt map) to another. When attached to a sculpted prim, the prim would "morph" from one shape to the other. Another example: it would be easy to have a flash animation generate a sculpted prim — when a resident touches a spot on its surface, the shape could wiggle and ripple appropriately. This is the direction we are headed.

;Q. Where can I go to obtain or share Sculpt Maps and Textures?

:* [[Sculpted Prims: Sculpt Maps and Textures|Sculpt Maps and Textures]]

;Q. How can I make a Sculpt Texture?

One way is to create a 3D model in an [[Sculpted_Prims:_3d_Software_Guide|external 3D software package]], and then export a [[Sculpt Map]] for uploading to Second Life.

Members of the SL community have written [http://amandalevitsky.googlepages.com/sculptedprims several] [http://bentha.net/sculpted-tuto/Blender-export-template-tut.html tutorials] for [[Sculpted_Prims:_3d_Software_Guide#Blender|Blender]], an open-source 3D modeling platform.
Qarl Linden has written an exporter for the [[Sculpted_Prims:_3d_Software_Guide#Maya_.28Autodesk.2FWavefront.29|Maya]] modeling program ([[LlSculpt_mel|code available here]], [[#MayaExporter|installation instructions below]]).
There is a [http://www.independentdeveloper.com/archive/2007/09/27/sculpted_prims_from_existing_3 tutorial] for using [[Sculpted_Prims:_3d_Software_Guide#AC3D_(invis)|AC3D]] to export any pre-existing 3D model. Exporters for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Studio_Max 3D Studio Max] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixologic ZBrush] will be available soon. There is also import/export for [[Wings 3D]].

Linden Lab has plans to provide a sculpt editor within the Second Life viewer. Check the [[Sculpted_Prims:_3d_Software_Guide|Sculpted Prims: 3D Software Guide]] wiki page for more the latest developments; there's an ongoing discussion [[Talk:Sculpted_Prims#3D_Programs_for_the_Rich_and...the_not_so_Rich.|Sculpted Prims:Talk]] page.

A second way is to calculate the texture directly using a programming language and the mathematics of the shape. For examples, see [http://www.kanae.net/secondlife/ Rokuro] or nand Nerd's [http://www.nandnerd.info/sculpty.php | Sculpt Texture Generator].

;Q. How do I create a Sculpted Prim from a texture?

:* First create a regular prim (any type). Then edit it, and in the object tab change the prim type to ''sculpted''. You'll then be able to select the sculpt texture on that tab. The "Texture" tab will allow you to change the surface texture.


;Q. How do i use the Maya exporter?

:* Go to [[llSculpt_mel|this page]] and copy the contents of the script. Paste it into your Maya script editor and save it. (Optionally, drag it into a button on your tool bar.) When you run the exporter script, it will pop up a dialog box with exporting options. Select which shapes you wish to export and press the "Export" button. The ideal candidate for export is a [[Sculpted Prims Creators Guide#NURBS|NURBS surface]] with no more than 16 isoparms per direction. You may also export [[Sculpted Prims Creators Guide#PolygonMesh|polygon meshes]] — but you must first ensure that the poly-mesh has a ''perfect UV space'' (it must cover the entire surface and the space must have no holes).

;Q. Can Polygon Models be exported as Sculpt Textures (Sculpt Maps)?

:* Yes, with care and with some restrictions. See the [[Talk:Sculpted_Prims|Sculpted Prims Talk page for details]].

;Q. Can '''my''' 3D program do [[Sculpted Prims Creators Guide#NURBS|NURBS]] models?

:* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NURBS NURBS] used to be the feature that separated professional-quality 3D modeling software from the rest, but the gap is narrowing.
3D Studio Max, Maya, and Blender offer both NURBS and polygon modeling.
Many other "free"/low cost programs like [http://sketchup.google.com/ Google Sketchup],
[http://www.milkshape3d.com/ Milkshape],
[http://www.wings3d.com/ Wings3D], and gMax do not.
[http://www.rhino3d.com/ Rhino3d] is a commercial program (though considerably cheaper than 3D Studio Max or Maya) that specializes in NURBS modeling. See the [[Sculpted_Prims:_3d_Software_Guide|Sculpted Prims: 3D Software Guide]] page for an in-depth discussion of applicable 3D modeling software.

;Q. How detailed can a Sculpted Prim be?

:* The current implementation samples the '''Sculpt Texture''' (or '''Sculpt Map''') by different amounts depending on the "Level of Detail" or [[Sculpted Prims Creators Guide#LOD|LOD]]. Prims which are close to the viewer camera have a 32 by 32 grid of vertices, which drops to 16 by 16 as the prim moves away from camera.

;Q. How big should my Sculpt Textures/Sculpt Maps be?

:* The recommended size is [[Sculpted_Prim_Explanation#Sampling|64 by 64 pixels]]. More data is really unnecessary — lower resolutions can result in bad sampling when the [[Sculpted Prims Creators Guide#LOD|Level of Detail (LOD)]] changes.

;Q. Are there any size or distance restrictions on Sculpted Prims?

:* Sculpted Prims use the same position, rotation, and size parameters that a normal prim has. For example, this means that the maximum distance from the center of a sculpted prim is 5m as prims can be no more than 10m from side to side.

;Q. Can "huge prims" be used to make "huge sculpties"?

:* Yes, have a look at [http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Image:Megapple.jpg this snapshot].

;Q. The [http://youtube.com/watch?v=LlfpACg_lww demonstration video] shows a lot of smooth shapes. Can I use Sculpted Prims to make sharp corners and angles? What if I want to create more complex shapes?

:* One issue here is the 8 bit precision on images, and the other issue is the jpeg compression applied to the data (all textures are converted into jpeg2000 format). The name "sculpted prim" was chosen to convey the idea of "approximate" shapes — but as you can see from the plate in the image above, "approximate" is pretty close to "exact". Furthermore, it wouldn't be hard to support 16bit images and higher precision/lossless compression in Second Life — but let's first see whether we need it. With respect to sharp corners and angles, sculpted prims are quite similar to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NURBS NURBS surfaces]: A sculpted prim can have a more defined edge by dedicating more control points (vertices) to that area. At maximum resolution, a 32x32 pixel Sculpt Map would describe up to 1024 vertices (with each pixel representing a single vertex). The recommended sculpt map resolution is 64x64 pixels but in practice the highest level of detail for sculpted prims in Second Life is a grid of 32x32 vertices (larger images are downsampled), and the lower level of detail uses 16x16 vertices. If you need more vertices, split your model up into multiple prims. For reference, a torus-shaped prim in SL has about 1000 vertices.

;Q. With image pixels defining the position of the prim's vertices, will jpeg compression artifacts not skew the vertex positions?

:* You're right, jpeg compression may lead to undesirable behavior in this area. LL is taking a wait and see position here — once people have built many sculpted prims and if there's a need, compression levels may be tweaked and support for 16bit textures might be added as well.

;Q. After making a Sculpt Texture (Sculpt Map), it seems to be 'inside out', when applied on a prim. What can I do to fix that?

:* This means the 'U' of the UV map needs to be reversed. Open the Sculpt Texture in any image editor and 'flip' it horizontally.

;Q. Can I make flexi sculpted prims?

:* Not at present but it is planned for a future revision.

;Q. Can I make Sculpt Textures (Sculpt Maps) in Photoshop or other paint programs?

:* Not easily, but with a technical understanding of sculpt textures it is possible to manipulate them. Check out the ongoing talk page discussions:
:** [[Talk:Sculpted_Prims#Sculpt_Texture|Sculpt texture]]
:** [[Talk:Sculpted_Prims#.22Annoying.22_Questions | "Annoying" questions]]
:** [[Sculpted_Prims:Clarification_Page | Clarification]]

:* Also see [[Sculpt Textures in Paint Programs]]

;Q. Can I preview Sculpt Maps in the Texture Upload window?

:* Yes, the texture upload preview has a "sculpted prim" mode.

;Q. Can I texture a Sculpted Prim just like a regular one?

:* Yes. Each sculpted prim has one texture face. The texture space of a sculpted prim is defined by the sculpt texture.

;Q. What about the UV mapping of the Sculpted Prim's single texture?

:* You can use the texture scale/rotate/offset controls to position the texture on the sculpted prim. In terms of UV mapping, the sculpt map defines the texture space — the sculpted prim will have the same UV space as the object in your modeling program.
Users are discovering various ways to create UV-maps to aid in the creation of image textures.

;Q. What happens if I use a normal texture instead of a sculpt map as the sculpt texture?

:* The result is affectionately called "vertex vomit" — ... and no, it's not pretty.

;Q. What will be the associated LSL functions and PrimitiveParams arguments?

:* Sculpted prims can be defined via LSL using [[LlSetPrimitiveParams|llSetPrimitiveParams()]]:

:: <tt>llSetPrimitiveParams([PRIM_TYPE, PRIM_TYPE_SCULPT, "uuid", PRIM_SCULPT_TYPE_SPHERE]);</tt>

The following parameter combinations will be supported in a future version of the viewer:

:: <tt>llSetPrimitiveParams([PRIM_TYPE, PRIM_TYPE_SCULPT, "uuid", PRIM_SCULPT_TYPE_TORUS]);</tt>
:: <tt>llSetPrimitiveParams([PRIM_TYPE, PRIM_TYPE_SCULPT, "uuid", PRIM_SCULPT_TYPE_PLANE]);</tt>
:: <tt>llSetPrimitiveParams([PRIM_TYPE, PRIM_TYPE_SCULPT, "uuid", PRIM_SCULPT_TYPE_CYLINDER]);</tt>

;Q. How do sculpted prims work in the physics engine?

:* At present, sculpted prims are approximated by a lopsided sphere that is roughly the same size as the sculpted prim.
If you stand or sit on one, you might sink in, or you might levitate.
In the future, a more exact representation to the physics engine may be provided, thereby offering more realistic movement/collisions for sculpted prims.

;Q. This sounds like it might take some extra processing power — will there be limits or can I have 15,000 sculpted prims per sim?

:* At a maximum of approximately 1000 vertices, sculpted prims have about the same "rendering weight" as a hollow torus prim. So no, they aren't more "expensive" to render, and you'll be able to fill your sim if you like.

;Q. When I edit a sculpted prim, the sculpt map is perfectly visible in the editor window. Someone can easily steal it with a screen capture.

:* Just like regular prims, when you have ''modify'' permission to a sculpted prim, you may view/edit all of the shape parameters of that prim. So if you do not wish for others to see the sculpt map, you'll want to set the permissions of the prim to ''no modify''.

:* BUT - there is a cute trick which can be used to prevent others from seeing your sculpt map even when they have full permissions to the prim: use the alpha channel of the sculpt map to obscure it from view.

;Q. Sculpted prims are limited to 32x32 vertices at their highest resolution. If I've uploaded a 256x256 sculpt map, how can I get the sculpted prim to show that detail?

:* You cannot. Currently in Second Life, we use the "prim economy" to prevent builders from "stealing" rendering resources from each other. Each region is allowed 15,000 prims, each of which may have 1024 vertices. These resources are divided proportionally amongst the region's landowners. This balance works well with the current state of rendering hardware. There are no plans to increase these numbers in the near future.
== See also ==

* [[Sculpted Prims]]
* [[Sculpted Prims: Technical Explanation]]
* [[Sculpted_Prims:_3d_Software_Guide|Sculpted Prims: 3D Software Guide]]
* [[Sculpted_Prims_Textures|Sculpted Prims: Textures]]
* [[Sharing sculpt maps and textures|Sharing Sculpt Maps and textures]]
* [[Sculpted Prims Creators Guide]]

== External Links ==

* [http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/04/27/the-advent-of-an-illustrious-age-of-sculpted-prims/ Sculpted Prims Announcement] on the SL blog

[[Category:Sculpted Prims]]

Sculpted Prims: 3d Software Guide

2007-10-04T20:38:54Z

Zee Pixel: /* AC3D (invis) */ added new AC3D -> sculpty turorial

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''(Want to help out with this page? Check out the [[Talk:Sculpted_Prims:_3d_Software_Guide#ToDo | To-do list]].)''
= About 3D Modeling Software =

This page offers a list of 3D modeling software for use with Sculpt Maps for [[Sculpted Prims]], along with a short explanation of popular 3D file formats. Each entry lists the software package's web site, operating system support, cost and trial versions if applicable, and the license.

Note: Resident-made sculpt map tools and offline previewers [[Sculpted Prims: Resident-made Tools|now have their own page]].

;What Features are important for making Sculpted Prims?

Each software entry includes a rundown of features that are particularly useful for creating sculpt maps. Although support for these features isn't necessary in order to create sculpt maps, it can make the process a whole lot easier.

*'''User Scripting:''' A script interface is one of the easiest and fastest ways to add functionality to a program or to automate tasks the program is already capable of. Plugins and SDKs can do the same thing but may not be available.
*'''Built-in texture baking/generation:''' This term describes the ability to create/"render" textures and export them to image files. If this functionality is built into the software, it is available to user-generated scripts. For example, it allows manual export of sculpt maps with [[#Blender|Blender]] and [[#Lightwave_.28Newtek.29|Lightwave]]. It can also make it easier to create regular textures for your model; you can apply colors, patterns or just a template guide to your model and bake it out for upload or further detailing in a paint program.
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Over the years a variety of different 3d modeling techniques have emerged, each having various strengths and weaknesses. They include:
** Polygon modeling: The most mature method and the choice output for most games and realtime rendering in which you directly manipulate the faces, edges and vertices of an object.
** NURBS: NURBS modeling uses series of curved splines to define the shape of an object and are excellent for smooth organic shapes. The methodology behind sculpted prims are very largely based on them.
** Subdivision Surface: Subdivision modeling shares some of the advantages of both NURBS and polygon modeling: the shape is manipulated using sets of control points that allow for both smooth surfaces and precise details.
** Brush Sculpting: With this method, you use your mouse or pen tablet and a series of adjustable brushes to literally sculpt on the 3d surface like clay. Many programs such as Blender and 3ds Max offer this function in a limited sense to help with precision detailing but not to the extent of programs built with this method as their focus, such as zBrush.

Which you use will ultimately come down to personal preference and what your exporter will handle best.

;Do I need a really powerful computer to run this stuff?

For most Second Life users, this shouldn't be a major issue. If your computer is capable of running the Second Life client, you should have no trouble running most of these programs. Some programs will run fine on something as old as a Pentium III. A few professional programs (like Maya) say they'll only support high-end workstation graphics cards but it will still run ok on a regular setup. Check the system requirements on the software vendor's webpage for specific details.

;What program(s) are the best for making sculpties?

There's no easy answer to that question. It will depend on a number of factors:
* '''How much money are you willing to spend?''' The cost of 3d software ranges from "free" to thousands of dollars. Programs like Maya and 3ds Max are powerful but if you're not already seriously into 3d modeling, they're probably overkill. Lightwave, zBrush and programs in their price range are powerful professional tools while still being within reach of a reasonably well-to-do person who's dedicated to their SL design work, but these are probably still overkill as most of the features you pay for gone beyond the general tools to create sculpt maps for Second Life. Programs like Amorphium, trueSpace and Milkshape are aimed at professionals and casual hobbyists but not all of them are going to have the full 3D studio capabilities of some more expensive programs. Free programs run the gamut between the pro and hobby levels and you'll have to consider other factors when choosing between them.

* '''How much time are you willing to invest?''' If you want to just make a few sculpted objects, a simple standalone utility like Rokuro might suit you best. If you're a serious content creator though, you'll want to put the time and effort into learning a more complex program.

* '''How much prior experience do you have?''' If you've been working with 3d software for a while already, you probably already know what you like or will have an easier time picking up a new and/or more complicated program. If you're a brand newbie to modeling, it's probably a mistake to jump right into a program like Blender or Maya with their steep learning curves. The availability of general modeling tutorials and other resources (not just SL-related ones) will probably affect your choice as well.
 

;I'm a newbie to all this. What should I start with?
Probably not with anything expensive...''unless'' you're a university student at a school with a good computer art program where you can take advantage of their resources. If you're very serious about learning the tools the pros use you might also seek out such a program, either online or in a classroom.

If you just want to dive in to making sculpties then there are a couple front runners for your attention. (Please note that these are opinions and may not reflect everyone's.) If you have to go the free route, Wings 3d is probably your best bet: the exporter has some hard limitations and the interface isn't necessarily friendly but it's loads easier than the other main free option, Blender. Once you get the hang of it you can make sculpties fairly quickly.

If you want free and simple, try out the Rokuro and Tokoroten sculpt making tools. You'll be limited in the shapes you can produce but they require no 3d experience and you can turn out some good sculpties in a little as ten minutes. The Wings plugin can also import these sculpt maps where you can tweak them further.

If you're willing to spend some money (under $100), AC3D is a good place to start. The interface is nicer than that of Wings and Zora Spoonhamer's exporter allows you to take good advantage of program features that the Wings exporter doesn't; full subdivision capabilities, cutting and extrusion of faces, etc.

That said, the best way to decide what program you should use is to start downloading their demos and trying them to find what you like.

= Adding Programs to This List =
The hobby market for 3d software is currently growing rapidly: as a result there are dozens of software packages in the wild, many undiscovered or not well known. If a new program is discovered and proven by means of it being listed here, great, but it's not within the scope of this list to name them all, else the most usefull ones would get burried and the page would become a confusing mess.

A couple things to consider:
* Popularity: This may seem contrary to the "discovering new programs" bit above, but it's impossible to ignore the impact popularity has on a program: it means there's a community of users that can offer support to newbies and it increases the liklyhood that someone will develop sculpt map support for it.
* Features: If it doesn't allready have sculpt map support, does it have the features that will make it likely able to support sculpt maps? Certian well known programs like Sketchup and Milkshape have been put in the "Other" category because people will ask about them but the chance of sculpt map support being developed for them seems slim because of their feature sets. If that turns out to be an incorrect assumption then they'll certianly be moved up. A file converter like 3dm2sculpt or one of various object to sculpty programs is better than nothing but as such programs are in varrying stages of being beta and/or experimental (and often may not work), being able to save to a convertable file format shouldn't be the only thing to consider. Other things to keep in mind: is the interface useable? Does the program run without frequently crashing?

With those in mind, if you're adding a program, follow the format used in the rest of the entries (they differ slightly between the free and commercial packages) and be sure to fill in as much information as you can; this will usualy take a little research. If you've used the program, you're encouraged to include your insights and experiences in the short decription blurb (you don't need more than a short paragraph). Tutorials, documentation and the like should be linked seperately under the Resources section.

= Special Purpose Sculpted Prim Tools =

The resident-made sculpt tools such as Rokuro, SnurbO'Matic and the preview tools now have their own page: [[Sculpted Prims: Resident-made Tools]].

= Free 3D Modeling Software =

=== Art of Illusion ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.artofillusion.org artofillusion.org]
*'''License:''' [http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html GPL]
*'''Operating Systems:''' Any OS that will run Java (requires Java Runtime Environment 1.4 or later)
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes, Java via [http://www.beanshell.org/ Beanshell]
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygon, NURBS
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' ???
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' No, although it is possible to save as a .obj file and than convert it to a sculpt image

A number of Residents have recommended this program; If you're familiar with it, please give the rest of us a summary!

*'''Warning:''' I have a reported '''Malware/Virus''' that came from Art Of Illusion. It infected a few of my files! ''-Caboose Enfield''
[NOTE: chances are it was either downloaded from a shady site or was a false positive. More details are needed]

'''Resources'''

*[http://www.artofillusion.org/documentation AoI Documentation]
 

=== Blender ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.blender.org blender.org]
*'''License:''' [http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html GPL]
*'''Operating Systems''': Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux, Irix, Solaris, FreeBSD and others)
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes, Python
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygon, NURBS, Subdivision, Basic Brush Sculpting
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes. Documented [http://amandalevitsky.googlepages.com/sculptedprims here], and [http://www.bentha.net/sculpted2/Blender-to-sculpted.html here]

Formerly a company's in-house tool, Blender is the current king of the open source modeling programs. With all the features of the expensive programs, an active development community and even some existing SL-based tools made by Residents, this is going to be the default choice for many people. Downsides: Blender's interface is not newbie-friendly. That combined with spotty documentation can make for a slow learning curve.

'''Resources'''

* [http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=203571 Blender Sculptie Import & Export scripts]
* [http://www.blender.org/tutorials-help/ Blender.org Documentation and Tutorials]
* [http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro Blender 3D: Noob to Pro] - on [http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page Wikibooks], It's a great step-by-step tutorial that contains substantial content, is well-formatted, and has screen shots.
* [http://amandalevitsky.googlepages.com/sculptedprims How to Make Sculpted Prims with Blender]
*[http://www.bentha.net/sculpted-tuto/Blender-export-template-tut.html A template file to start with and export easy]
*[http://blendernewbies.blogspot.com/2007/04/video-oven-baked-pretzels-in-blender-3d.html Oven Baked Pretzels @ BlenderNewbies.com] - A video tutorial that covers the basics of Blender's new sculpt mode, useful if you're creating sculpties using the above manual method.
*[http://www.bentha.net/sculpted2/Blender-to-sculpted.html An almost complete method] to export almost anything from blender
*[http://iramblesorry.blogspot.com/2007/05/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love_28.html Another great tutorial] on using blender for sculpts
*[http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=110607 Offline Prim Builder] for standard prims (restricted access)
 

=== Moment of Inspiration ===

*'''Website:''' [http://moi3d.com/ Moment of Inspiration]
*'''License:''' Open beta testing/freeware
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows 2000/XP/Vista
*'''User Scripting?''' ?
*'''Modeling Methods:''' NURBS, Polygon (Import/Export Only)
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' ?
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes, try [[3dm2sculpt]]

This program has some cool things going for it. It's the work of a former [[#Rhino_3D | Rhino]] developer and has an interface that pretty much lets you draw shapes with the mouse or a pen tablet. Documentation on the website is sparse however and being in beta means there will be kinks.

It should be noted that MoI will become a commercial product when it leaves beta testing (expected later this summer), but it will still be comparatively inexpensive; the estimated cost is between US$200-$100.

'''Resources'''

* [http://moi3d.com/forum/ Moment of Inspiration Forums]
* [http://mefeedia.com/tags/momentofinspiration/ Video Tutorials]
 

===Plopp===
[[Image:Plopp example.jpg|thumb|250 px| A SLork sculpted in Plopp]]

*'''Website:''' [http://www.secondplopp.com/ Plopp Second Life]
*'''License:''' Donationware/Commercial
*'''Operating Systems:'''Windows, Mac, Linux
*'''User Scripting?''' No (N/A)
*'''Modeling Methods:''' 2d painting
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes

''Plopp'' is a cute 3D modeling tool designed for little kids. The makers of Plopp have now put out a free version for SL users (the full program can be bought for US$19.50).

Imagine one of those new mylar balloons. You paint the one side with an image, and then paint the other side with an image represetning the other side. Plopp then blows up the balloon and shades it. You can also import graphics from other tools (Photoshop, a scanned drawing, etc.), make a "cutout" with the eraser and inflate that. You can play a little with the lighting and with rotations. The Plopp drawing tools are very basic but keep in mind, this is for little children. Then it bakes the texture and exports the texture and the sculpt map (128x128).

Even if you don't use this for Second Life, you might like to get it for your kids...or inner child. It just looks like a lot of fun.

'''Resources'''
*[http://www.planet-plopp.com/biggerkids/tips.html Plopp Tips] - Video tutorials and neat tricks from the Plopp website

=== Wings 3D ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.wings3d.com Wings 3D]
*'''License:'''[http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.html BSD license]
*'''Get Started:'''[[Wings 3D|Second Life Wings 3D guide]]
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows, Mac OS X, Linux (binaries), other Unixes (source only)
*'''User Scripting?''' Plugin interface using a language called Erlang
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygon, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' Not sure
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes.

Wings3D is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subdivision_surface subdivision modeler] that is easy to learn and is well suited to making sculpted prims. The sculpt import and export for Wings is easy to use. Detailed documentation is sparse, but there are several Second Life tutorials in this Wiki and on the Web.

'''Resources'''
* See the [[Wings 3D|Second Life Wings 3D guide]].
* Get the [[Omei Turnbull]] [http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=183764 import/export plugin here.]
* Get the [[user:Strife Onizuka|Strife Onizuka]] [http://forums.secondlife.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=25721 import/export plugin here].
*Get the [http://sourceforge.net/project/downloading.php?groupname=wings&filename=wings3d_manual1.6.1.pdf&use_mirror=internap Wings 3D User Manual] here. (Sourceforge, pdf)

 

=== POV-Ray ===

*'''Website:''' http://povray.org
*'''Cost:''' FREE
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows/Linux/Mac
*'''Trial version available?'''
*'''User Scripting?'''
*'''Modeling Methods:''' N/A
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support:''' Yes. Instructions are here: http://johannahyacinth.blogspot.com/2007/05/sculpted-prims-with-pov-ray.html

POV-Ray is a renderer - you have to do all your modeling in another application, or by describing in plain text the mathematical shapes which make up the model. It may seem an odd inclusion in this part of the list but merits mentioning up here instead of burried at the bottom with the "Other" section because it actualy can produce sculpt maps. Some other programs like AC3D (below) can also call on POV-Ray for texture baking.
 

= Commercial 3D Suites =

It has to be said: most professional 3D software is (understandably) expensive, anywhere from hundreds to many thousands of dollars for a single copy. They're marketed at big professional studios with thousands or millions of dollars to budget for this stuff. There are ways to [[3D software cost savings|reduce this expense]] so that it's within the reach of an average person: some legal, some not.

== Under $200 ==

=== Amorphium (Electric Image)===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.eitechnologygroup.com/products/amorphium Electric Image Amorphium]
*'''Cost:''' US$79 ("Standard")
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows, Mac (UB) - trial is Mac OS X 10.0 - 10.3 only
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Brush Sculpting, NURBS, Polygon
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' Yes (paint on, further controllable with sensitive pen-tablet)
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' No (export to a format Blender knows, or to OBJ, and use a converter, can start with the 64x63 sphere made by Wings3D)

Sculpting is what Amorphium is all about. If you have a pen tablet (even a tablet PC), the pressure sensitivity will control the pressure applied to the current brush to morph the sculpture. It gives a very natural feel to being able to sculpt 3d models easily and intuitively. Amorphium has won 14 awards including "Best Graphics Software" from magazines like Computer Graphics World, PC World, and Macworld for its breakthrough real-time approach to creating 3D graphics.

'''Resources'''

* [http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=186218 Sculpted Prim Modeler: Amorphium] on sl forums (restricted access)
 

=== AC3D (invis) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.inivis.com/ www.invis.com - AC3D]
*'''Cost:''' US$75
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows, Mac OSX 10.4 or later, Linux (x86 only)
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes - 14 day trial
*'''User Scripting?''' Plugin Interface available, plus TCL-based scripting
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygon, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' No (But can be accomplished via 3rd party plug-ins or POV-Ray)
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes: [http://www.inivis.com/secondlife.html Export plug-in for Windows, Mac and Linux], [http://www.ccccybernetics.com/ developed by Zora Spoonhammer]

AC3D is an inexpensive polygon modeler with SubD support designed to be easy for novice users. The sculpt map plug-in will export any model that has a perfect uv space. Several pre-mapped starter shapes are included with the plug-in, including a cube that can be used as basis for complex objects by artists familiar with the popular box modeling method using sub-division surfaces. Invis recently gave their official blessing (as well as hosting) to the plugin, making them the first vendor of this kind of software to put their backing into sculpy development.

''' Resources '''

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8RC5aJuWks 5-minute video tutorial on creating a pear]
*[http://www.independentdeveloper.com/archive/2007/09/27/sculpted_prims_from_existing_3 Sculpted Prims from Existing 3D Models] in AC3D. A step-by-step guide using an existing 3-D model of a fish.
*[http://www.supercoldmilk.com/ac3dplug/index.html AC3D Plugins @ Super Cold Milk] - several invaluable free plugins can be found here, including the knife tool used in the pear tutorial
 

=== Silo (Nevercenter) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.nevercenter.com/ Nevercenter - Silo]
*'''Cost:''' US$159, US$59 (upgrade), edu licensing on request
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows 2000 or later, Mac OSX 10.3 or later
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes - 30 day trial
*'''User Scripting?''' -?-
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygon, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' -?-
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' -?-

'''Resources'''
* [http://www.nevercenter.com/about/features/ Silo Features] and [http://www.nevercenter.com/about/videos/ how-to videos]

 

== $200 - $999 ==

=== Zbrush (Pixologic) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.pixologic.com/zbrush/products/products.php Pixologic :: Zbrush]
*'''Cost:''' US$489
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows 98/2000/ZP, Mac OS X
*'''Trial version available?:''' No
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes, Zscripting
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Brush Sculpting, "ZSphere" modeling, Polygon (Import/Export)
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' No, future support is planned by Linden Lab (but note to resident developers: this one is in high demand).

Zbrush pretty new and a bit unique. It's a 3d painting and sculpting tool; instead of manipulating polys or curves, you select a brush and literally ''paint'' and chisel and mold...the best way to grasp it is to download the demo and play with it. It's pretty sweet: a ton of studios such as [http://www.epicgames.com/ Epic Games] use it to create the details for their normal maps and some SL designers are already using it for the 3d painting capabilities.

'''Resources'''

* [http://www.pixologic.com/zbrush/education/documentation/guides.php Zbrush Documentation]
* [http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/index.php ZbrushCentral - Official Forums and Online Community]
 

=== Lightwave (Newtek)===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.newtek.com/lightwave/ Lightwave]
*'''Cost:''' US$895, US$495 as a companion upgrade for Photoshop
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows XP, Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes, 30 day time limit, currently only available with a couple books
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes, LScript
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygon, NURBS with LWCAD 2.1 add-on (costs extra)
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes, manual method instructions here: [[User:Patchouli_Woollahra/Lightwave_Sculptie_Rendering]] (works with any version of Lightwave of at least version 6) or use the DStorm plugin provided [[http://www.dstorm.co.jp/english/plugin/secondlife.htm]] at DStorm (LW9+ only)

Some high-profile Second Life designers have been using Lightwave for quite a while to burn realistic highlights and shadows onto their skins and clothing textures. Therefore it's not a big surprise that after Blender, this was the second program that community members figured out a sculpt export method for.

'''Resources'''
*[http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Technical/LightwaveTuts/LWTutSet.html Lightwave Tutorials] by Robin Wood, a.k.a. SL's [https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/User:Robin_Sojourner Robin Sojourner].

 

=== Rhinoceros (McNeel) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.rhino3d.com Rhino 3D]
*'''Cost:''' US$995
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows 2000/XP/Vista (Vista not recommended due to OpenGL issues)
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes, save count limited
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes, VBScript
*'''Modeling Methods:''' NURBS, Polygon (limited)
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' No
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' please try [[3dm2sculpt]] (not tested with Rhino yet)

Rhino is built from the ground up for NURBS modeling; thus if you intend to use NURBS, this isn't such a bad option. From this author's brief trial with it, it handles certain operations (like joining 2 or more objects) somewhat more intelligently than 3ds Max. A couple UI tricks make it easier to learn than the sea of buttons you're initially presented with: a help window to one side explains each operation as you select it and the command line at the top effectively lets you search for a function by typing in its name, without having to know where the button or menu option is.

'''Resources'''
 

=== trueSpace (Caligari) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.caligari.com Caligari]
*'''Cost:''' US$595 for latest version (7), but legacy versions are sold for lower prices ($199 for TrueSpace 5)
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows XP/Vista
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes, prior version of the program
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygon, NURBS, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' No

trueSpace and its companion products appear to be aimed more at the independent developer and hobby market, resulting in a fully featured program at a much more affordable price. Of interest to Second Life users: trueSpace 7 and up offers a collaborative work environment; the benefit of working together like in SL but without the guy shooting off guns at you in the sandbox.

'''Resources'''

* [http://forms.caligari.com/forms/ts3all_free.html trueSpace3.2 Full Version (very old) for Free]
 

=== Softimage XSI (Avid) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.softimage.com/products/xsi/ Softimage XSI]
*'''Cost:''' US$495 ("Foundation") - US$6995 ("Advanced")
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows XP SP2/64 bit
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes, 30 day trial with full features, free "Mod Tool" supported by [http://www.valvesoftware.com/ Valve] with limited features (watermarks images).
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes, Python, COLLADA and C#
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygon, NURBS, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' No

Billing itself as "the most advanced 3D animation and character creation software for next generation games & film", it does that, modeling, baking, film compositing, ''and'' it makes toast! All kidding aside, they seem to be going after the largest slice of the market they can and their client list includes everything from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-Life_2 Half-Life] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howl's_Moving_Castle_(film) Howl's Moving Castle]. Pluses? It's one of the few commercial programs that uses non-proprietary languages for their scripting...yes, I said languages, because apparently you have a choice between several. However it's unlikely that it has a significant user base within the SL community at the moment.

'''Resources'''
 

=== Modo 203 (Luxology)===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.luxology.com/ Luxology Home]
*'''Cost:''' US$895 professional, $149 Educational, $99 "Good Student" price. Download a trial version then wait 1-2 weeks and you'll receive a voucher dropping professional price to US$695.
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows, Mac
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygon, Subdivsion, Brush Sculpting
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes, via texture baking

Luxology Modo is a premier modeling and UV system built to maximize the workflow of professional modelers. It has both a rich modeling and painting toolset, ideal for creating models for Second Life.

'''Resources'''

* Lovecraft Forest Testbed [http://www.rabbitroo.com/SL/SLtest4.lxo SLtest4.lxo]
* Lovecraft Forest Usage Instructions: [http://www.lovecraftforest.com/blog/2007/05/17/sculpted-prims-in-modo-part-ii/ Blog Post]
 

=== Mudbox (Skymatter) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.mudbox3d.com/ Mudbox]
*'''Cost:''' US$299 ("Basic") - US$649 ("Professional")
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows XP SP2, Atm untested on x64 or Vista
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes, 15 days trial fully functional.
*'''User Scripting?''' No
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Brush Sculpting, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' No

With ZBrush one of the most powerful organic modelers out there, really easy to use and artist friendly. Its modeling is based on brushes like ZBrush but aims more to 3D like Maya or 3D Studio Max. It contains a high quality texture renderer for baking normal maps and is used be many 3D professionals and studios like WETA Digital and some artists at Raven Software and id Software.

'''Resources'''
 

=== Carrara (Daz) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.daz3d.com/ Daz]
*'''Cost:''' US$249 ("Standard") - US$549 ("Professional")
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows, Mac (UB)
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes (plugin development, no scripting)
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygon
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' No (Yes with third party plug from [http://www.inagoni.com/content.php?content.3/ Inagoni]
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes - via texture baking with third party plugins - tutorial [[User:Hypatia_Callisto/Carrara_Sculpt_Baking]]

Like Hexagon, Carrara was an Eovia product that is now owned by Daz. Carrara is full-featured 3D application, supporting polygon modeling, spline modeling, "metaballs", and terrain modeling (it is sometimes compared to Vue). This app seems fly under the radar consistently, but Daz does seem to be serious about maintaining it as they have recently released a Mac Universal Binary version, free to registered users. Carrara also provides animation and particles.

'''Resources'''
 

=== Cinema 4D ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.maxon.net Maxon]
*'''Cost:''' CINEMA 4D R10 Win PC £586.33, additional modules available.
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows XP/Vista, Mac
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes, Demo
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes, COFFEE
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygon, NURBS, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes, via Shader.

One of the more affordable 3D applications, excellent learning curve. Uses COFFEE script for plugins.

'''Resources'''
 
Nice [http://www.ks-3d.de/KS-3D_SCULPTIES_(SCULPTED_PRIMS).htm tutorial] to create a Shader and modeling (by KS-3D Klaus Strifler - german only)

 

== $1000 and Up ==

=== Maya (Autodesk/Wavefront) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.autodesk.com/maya Autodesk Maya]
*'''Cost:''' US$3000 ("Complete") - US$7000 ("Unlimited"). ("Complete" version sufficient for creating sculpted prims.) Educational license: US$300
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows XP SP2, Mac OS X 10.4, Linux (SUSE, RedHat and Fedora supported)
*'''Trial version available?:''' "Personal Learning Edition", no time limit but not usable for creating sculpted prims (sculpt textures ruined by watermark)
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes, MEL Script
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygon, NURBS, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes, script by Qarl Linden available on their wiki [[LlSculpt mel|here]], instructions [[Sculpted_Prims:_FAQ#MayaExporter|here]].
** Qarl has released a new export script that can handle assemblies of prims and can also bake the surface textures for you. [[Advanced_Sculptie_Exporter_From_Maya | Available Here]]

*'''Plugins:''' [http://www.sim-image.co.jp/sltk/en/index.php SIM Image SLTK (Second Life Toolkit)] (￥94,000/126,000, $800/1,100, €600/800) is a plugin for Maya that allows users to create and export objects for Second Life. See [http://www.sim-image.co.jp/sltk/en/function.php this page] for the complete feature set.

Why was Maya the first to receive sculpted prim support from Linden Lab? Because it was what [http://www.qarl.com/ Qarl Linden], the main developer on the project, learned to use while creating kick-ass movie SFX like [http://www.qarl.com/menu/resume/matrix-demo.mov these] and the tech for sculpted prims was adapted from tricks he learned in the process. Maya has been a growing force in the movie industry for some years and a strong presence in the video game industry as well.

'''Resources'''

* [http://webpages.charter.net/talilal/Balloon%20Tutorial/ Maya Sculpt Tutorial] by Talila Liu
* [http://www.sim-image.co.jp/sltk/en/index.php SIM Tools - Second Life ToolKit plugin]
 

=== 3d Studio Max (Autodesk) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.autodesk.com/3dsmax Autodesk 3ds Max]
*'''Cost:''' US$3495. Educational License: ~US$200. Subscription: ~US$500/year.
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows 2000/XP, Windows Vista (with version 9.1)
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes, 30-day demo, full features
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes, MAX Script/plugins
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygons, NURBS, Subdivsion, Basic Brush Sculpting
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' Yes (some functions only in version 8 and higher)
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' 3 methods in development:
** [http://www.joe-brown.net/SecondLife/SculptTut/SculptTut.html Method 1] by Gearsawe Stonecutter, uses a premade template file.
** [http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=182461 Method 2] by Abu Nasu, uses a shader. [http://forums.secondlife.com/showpost.php?p=1505984&postcount=46 Download the Materials file here]. [http://tech-slop.serveit.org/wiki/index.php?title=Sculptie_Egg Read the tutorial here].
*** A varient of Abu's methood by Chip Midnight uses a projection modifier and can handle arbitrary shapes but requires Max version 8 or higher. [http://home.comcast.net/~pixelforgeltd/Tutorial.htm The tutorial is here.]
** Method 3 ([http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=185426 thread]) ([http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/SculptGenMax wiki]) by Shack Dougall, is a vertex-based method using MAXScript and preset geometry as a starting point. Tested on 3dsMax 9.

Formerly Maya's main competitor, especially in the game industry. Then Autodesk (the makers of Max) bought out Alias (the makers of Maya) a couple years ago. So far the company is developing both products separately, marketing Maya at the movie industry and Max at the game developers, but they have long had comparable feature sets, and in the future it's likely that there will be tighter integration between the two. A choice between Maya and Max generally comes down to user preference and (particularly in our case) plugin support. Some users have said that Max is easier for a newbie to learn than Maya and certain basic controls share similarities with SL's build tools (such as shift-drag to copy).

'''Resources'''

 

=== AutoCAD (Autodesk) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.autodesk.com/autocad Autodesk AutoCAD]
*'''Cost:''' US$4,000 Educational License: US$400 AutoCAD LT: US$900
*'''Operating Systems:''' -
*'''Trial version available?:''' -
*'''User Scripting?''' -
*'''Modeling Methods:''' -
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' -
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:'''
** '''[http://ai-designstudio.net/ Henshin III]''' by AI Design Studio is a tool that allows the export of AutoCAD files into Second Life.

'''Resources'''

* [http://ai-designstudio.net/ AI Design Studio]

 

= Other 3d Programs =

These programs may be free or cheap, but they won't have nearly as expansive feature sets as those above.

=== MilkShape 3D ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.milkshape3d.com/ www.milkshape3d.com]
*'''Cost:''' US$25 / €25
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows
*'''Trial version available?''' 30-day unrestricted trial, save disabled thereafter until registered
*'''User Scripting?''' Plug-in SDK available (Does that count?)
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygons
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?''' No
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support:''' Import/Export plugin under development

'''Resources''' 

* See the '''Tutorials''' and '''Links''' sections on the [http://www.milkshape3d.com/ MilkShape website]
 

=== Hexagon 2 (DAZ Productions) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/software/hexagon/-/? Hexagon product page]
*'''Cost:''' Full version: $149, "Crossgrade" from other DAZ software: $79, Upgrade: $49
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows 2000/XP, Mac OS X 10.2 or higher
*'''Trial version available?''' Yes, it's buried: go [http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/support/downloads/-/ here] and select Hexagon from the list.
*'''User Scripting?''' No
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygon
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?''' No
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support:''' No

SL animators may have heard about (and perhaps been disappointed with) [http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/software/studio/-/? DAZ Studio], a competitor to Poser. Others may be familiar with [http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/software/bryce/-/? Bryce], a landscape creation tool with a much better reputation. Hexagon was originally developed by eovia until purchased by DAZ and while it appears to be a perfectly capable 3d program by itself with polygon modeling subdivision modeling, sculpting tools, and is that 3d painting I see?, the absence in their feature list of either texture baking or any sort of user scripting or plugin interface could be a deal-breaker until something like a reliable .OBJ converter comes along.
 

=== Google SketchUp ===

*'''Website:''' [http://sketchup.google.com/ Google SketchUp]
*'''Cost:''' Free (Google SketchUp 6); $495 (Google SketchUp 6 Pro)/$45 (full-feature academic license for Google SketchUp 6 Pro)
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows XP/2000, Windows Vista (with OpenGL 1.5 or higher), Mac OS X (10.3.9 or higher)
*'''Trial version available?:''' 8 hour trial available for Sketchup Pro
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes, Ruby
*'''Modeling Methods:''' Polygon
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' No
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Indirectly (through OBJ export; Pro version only)

SketchUp is a 3D drafting program popular among architects for its conceptual similarity to manual drafting and physical model-building. It has a very low learning curve, but is rather foreign to most established suites other than AutoCAD.

Hypothetically, SketchUp could be used to reduce the number of prims used in structures already possible with Second Life's built-in tools, as its use of edges and faces allows the creation of efficient compound geometric forms.

On the other hand, SketchUp's "bring your own geometry" approach makes it not particularly suited to the creation of mesh-based organic shapes.

Sketchup's surface modeling paradigm currently makes it difficult to translate SketchUp models into Sculpted Prims. The paid "Pro" version of SketchUp does, however, allow export to OBJ which, via [[Sculpted_Prims:_3d_Software_Guide#obj2sculpt|obj2sculpt]] (or, of course, Maya), may allow sculpt-map export. It also exports to 3DS, Collada, XSI and VRML, ''et cetera'', but these formats may well require software more expensive than SketchUp.

SketchUp uses image textures about as basic as those found in the Second Life build tools. Its texture capabilities would therefore likely not be useful to Second Life designers other than for previewing existing textures.

 
=== Ayam ===

*'''Website:''' [http://ayam.sourceforge.net/ Ayam]
*'''License:''' [http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.html BSD license]
*'''Operating Systems:''' Unix/Linux (native), Windows 98, 2000 and XP, Mac OS X (with X11)
*'''User Scripting?''' Yes, tcl
*'''Modeling Methods:''' NURBS, Polygon (Import/Export Only)
*'''Built-in Texture Baking?''' No
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' No

'''Resources'''

* [http://ayam.sourceforge.net/docs.html Ayam Documentation page]
 

= 3D File Formats =

If you're using software that cannot export to sculpt directly, you might still be able to succeed. You can always give the file to someone with access to the appropriate software, or you could export your model into another 3D modeler. To do that, you'll need to export the model into a format the other program can handle. Here's a brief rundown of the file formats that SL developers will generally find the most useful.

:*'''.OBJ''': Probably the most common cross-platform export format for polygon models; it's fairly open and any 3D program worth its bits supports it. It's also well-documented and easily hackable.

:*'''.3DS''': The default polygon export format supported by [[#3d_Studio_Max_.28Autodesk.29|3D Studio Max]]. Because of this, it is widely supported. However, it doesn't have as many export options as OBJ.

:*'''.FBX''': Another Autodesk format that is good if you need to export whole scenes: objects, animation, lights, cameras, etc. More importantly for our purposes, it preserves [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NURBS NURBS] objects in some programs. Especially useful if you're trading files between 3DS Max and [[#Maya_.28Autodesk.2FWavefront.29|Maya]]; it's also supported in some other programs but [[#Blender|Blender]] isn't among them ...yet.

:*'''.3DM''': a.k.a [http://www.opennurbs.com OpenNURBS]. This is the native format of [[#Rhinoceros_Rhino_3D|Rhino3D]] and [[#Moment_of_Inspiration|MoI]] and, as the name suggests, is a [[Sculpted_Prims:_3d_Modeling_Glossary#NURBS_Modeling | NURBS]] export format. It's gaining some popularity; unfortunately, it's not currently supported by the big three (Maya, Max and Blender). However the format documentation and code libraries are open-source, tempting those brave enough to try and write tools for it, such as [[#3dm2sculpt | 3dm2sculpt]].
 

= Other Resources =

Useful places for anyone interested in 3d modeling:

* [http://www.3dbuzz.com 3d Buzz] — Forums, video tutorials and even classes covering everything from 3d programs to 3d programing and even Photoshop.
* [http://ibiblio.org/e-notes/Splines/Intro.htm An Interactive Introduction to Splines] — a technical introduction to NURBs.
 

== See also ==

* [[Sculpted Prims|Sculpted Prims]]
* [[Sculpted Prims: FAQ|Sculpted Prims: FAQ]]
* [[Sculpt Textures in Paint Programs]]
* [[Sculpted Prims: Technical Explanation|Sculpted Prims: Under the Hood]]
* [[Sharing_sculpt_maps_and_textures|Sculpted Prims: Sharing Sculpt Maps and Textures]]
* [[Sculpted Prims Beta Discussion|Sculpted Prims Beta Discussion]]

 

[[Category:Sculpted Prims]]

Sculpted Prims: 3d Software Guide

2007-07-05T16:52:49Z

Zee Pixel: /* AC3D (invis) */ Zora left her credit note off when revising the link to the plug-in.

{| align="right"
| __TOC__
|}

''(Want to help out with this page? Check out the [[Talk:Sculpted_Prims:_3d_Software_Guide#ToDo | To-do list]].)''
= About 3D Modeling Software =

A list of 3D modeling software for use with Sculpt Maps for [[Sculpted Prims]], along with a short explanation of popular 3D file formats and off line previewers. Each entry lists the software package's web site, operating system support, cost and trial versions if applicable, and the license.

;What Features are important for making Sculpted Prims?

Each software entry includes a rundown of features that are particularly useful for creating Sculpt Maps. Although support for these features isn't necessary in order to create Sculpt Maps, it can make the process a whole lot easier.

*'''User Scripting:''' A script interface is one of the easiest and fastest ways to add functionality to a program or to automate tasks the program is already capable of. Plugins and SDKs can do the same thing but may not be available.
*'''Built-in texture baking/generation:''' This term describes the ability to create/"render" textures and export them to image files. If this functionality is built into the software, it is available to user-generated scripts. For example, it allows manual export of Sculpt Maps with [[#Blender|Blender]] and [[#Lightwave_.28Newtek.29|Lightwave]]. It can also make it easier to create regular textures for your model; you can apply colors, patterns or just a template guide to your model and bake it out for upload or further detailing in a paint program.
*'''Modeling Methoods:''' Over the years a variety of different 3d modeling techniques have emerged, each having various strengths and weeknesses. They include:
** Polygon modeling: The most mature methood and the choice output for most games and realtime rendering in which you directly manipulate the faces, edges and verticies in an object.
** NURBS: NURBS modeling uses series of cruved splines to define the shape of an object and are excelent for many organic shapes. The methoodology behind sculpted prims are very largely based on them.
** Subdivision Surface: Sub-D modeling shares some of the advantages of both NURBS and polygons: the shape is manipulated using sets of controll points that allow for both smooth organic surfaces and precice details.
** Brush Sculpting: With this methood, you use your mouse or pen tablet and a series of adjustable brushes (not too unlike Photoshop brushes) to litteraly sculpt on the 3d surface like clay. Many programs such as Blender and 3ds Max offer this function in a limited sense to help with precision detailing but not to the extent of programs built with this methood as their focus, such as zBrush.

Which you use will untimately come down to personal preference and what your exporter will handle best.

;Do I need a really powerful computer to run this stuff?

For most Second Life users, this shouldn't be a major issue. If your computer is capable of running the Second Life client, you should have no trouble running most of these programs. Some programs will run fine on something as old as a Pentium III. A few professional programs (like Maya) say they'll only support high-end workstation graphics cards but it will still run ok on a regular setup. Check the system requirements on the software vendor's webpage for specific details.

;What program(s) are the best for making sculpties?

There's no easy answer to that question. It will depend on a number of factors:
* '''How much money are you willing to spend?''' The cost of 3d software ranges from "free" to thousands of dollars. Programs like Maya and 3ds Max are powerful but if you're not allready seriously into 3d modeling, they're probably overkill. Lightwave, zBrush and programs in their price range are powerful profesional tools while still being within reach of a reasonably well-to-do person who's dedicated to their SL design work, but these are probably still overkill as most of the features you pay for gone beyond the general tools to create sculpt maps for Second Life. Programs like Amorphium, trueSpace and Milkshape are aimed at professionals and casual hobbyists but not all of them are going to have the full 3D studio capabilities of some more expensive programs. Free programs run the gammut between the pro and hobby levels and you'll have to consider other factors when choosing between them.

* '''How much time are you willing to invest?''' If you want to just make a few sculpted objects, a simple standalone utility like Rokuro might suit you best. If you're a serious content creator though, you'll want to put the time and effort into learning a more complex program.

* '''How much prior experience do you have?''' If you've been working with 3d software for a while already, you probably already know what you like or will have an easier time picking up a new and/or more complicated program. If you're a brand newbie to modeling, it's probably a mistake to jump right into a program like Blender or Maya with their steep learning curves. The availability of general modeling tutorials and other resources (not just SL-related ones) will probably affect your choice as well.
 

;I'm a newbie to all this. What should I start with?
Probably not with anying expensive...''unless'' you're a university student at a school with a good computer art program where you can take advantage of their resources. If you're very serious about learning the tools the pros use you might also seek out such a program, either online or in a classroom.

If you just want to dive in to making sculpties then there are a coupple front runners for your attention. (Please note that these are opinions and may not reflect everyone's.) If you have to go the free route, Wings 3d is probably your best bet: the exporter has some hard limitations and the interface isn't necesicarly friendly but it's loads easier than the other main free option, Blender. Once you get the hang of it you can make sculpties fairly quickly.

If you want free and simple, try out the Rokuro and Tokoroten sculpt making tools. You'll be limited in the shapes you can produce but they require no 3d experience and you can turn out some good sculpties in a little as ten minutes. The Wings plugin can also import these sculpt maps where you can tweak them further.

If you're willing to spend some money (under $100), AC3D is a good place to start. The interface is nicer than that of Wings and Zora Spoonhamer's exporter allows you to take good advantage program features that the Wings exporter doesn't; full subdivsion capabilities, cutting and extrusion of faces, etc.

That said, the best way to decide what program you should use is to start downloading their demos and trying them to find what you like.

= Special Purpose Sculpted Prim Tools =
The resident-made sculpt tools such as Rokuro, SculptO Magic and the preview tools now have their own page: [[Sculpted Prims: Resident-made Tools]].

= Free 3D Modeling Software =

=== Blender ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.blender.org blender.org]
*'''License:''' [http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html GPL]
*'''Operating Systems''': Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux, Irix, Solaris, FreeBSD and others)
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes, Python
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygon, NURBS, Subdivision, Basic Brush Sculpting
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes. Documented [http://amandalevitsky.googlepages.com/sculptedprims here], and [http://www.bentha.net/sculpted2/Blender-to-sculpted.html here]

Formerly a company's in-house tool, Blender is the current king of the open source modeling programs. With all the features of the expensive programs, an active development community and even some existing SL-based tools made by Residents, this is going to be the default choice for many people. Downsides: Blender's interface is not newbie-friendly. That combined with spotty documentation can make for a slow learning curve.

'''Resources'''

* [http://www.blender.org/tutorials-help/ Blender.org Documentation and Tutorials]
* [http://amandalevitsky.googlepages.com/sculptedprims How to Make Sculpted Prims with Blender]
* [http://www.bentha.net/sculpted-tuto/Blender-export-template-tut.html A template file to start with and export easy]
* [http://blendernewbies.blogspot.com/2007/04/video-oven-baked-pretzels-in-blender-3d.html Oven Baked Pretzels @ BlenderNewbies.com] - A video tutorial that covers the basics of Blender's new sculpt mode, useful if you're creating sculpties using the above manual method.
* [http://www.bentha.net/sculpted2/Blender-to-sculpted.html An almost complete method] to export almost anything from blender
* [http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=110607 Offline Prim Builder] for standard prims (restricted access)
 
* [http://iramblesorry.blogspot.com/2007/05/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love_28.html] - great tutorial on using blender for sculpts.

=== Wings 3D ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.wings3d.com Wings 3D]
*'''License:'''[http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.html BSD license]
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows, Mac OS X, Linux (binaries), other Unixes (source only)
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Plugin interface using a language called Erlang
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygon, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' Not sure
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes.

Wings3D is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subdivision_surface subdivision modeler] that is easy to learn and is well suited to making sculpted prims. The sculpt import and export for Wings is easy to use. Detailed documentation is sparse, but there are several Second Life tutorials in this Wiki and on the Web.

'''Resources'''
* [[Wings 3D|Second Life Wings 3D guide]].
* Get the [[Omei Turnbull]] [http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=183764 import/export plugin here.]
* Get the [[user:Strife Onizuka|Strife Onizuka]] [http://forums.secondlife.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=25721 import/export plugin here].
*Get the [http://sourceforge.net/project/downloading.php?groupname=wings&filename=wings3d_manual1.6.1.pdf&use_mirror=internap Wings 3D User Manual] here. (Sourceforge, pdf)

 

=== Art of Illusion ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.artofillusion.org artofillusion.org]
*'''License:''' [http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html GPL]
*'''Operating Systems:''' Any OS that will run Java (requires Java Runtime Environment 1.4 or later)
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes, Java via [http://www.beanshell.org/ Beanshell]
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygon, NURBS
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' ???
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' No

A number of Residents have recommended this program; If you're familiar with it, please give the rest of us a summary!

'''Resources'''

*[http://www.artofillusion.org/documentation AoI Documentation]
 
*'''Warning:''' I have a reported '''Malware/Virus''' that came from Art Of Illusion. It infected a few of my files! ''-Caboose Enfield''

=== Moment of Inspiration ===

*'''Website:''' [http://moi3d.com/ Moment of Inspiration]
*'''License:''' Open beta testing/freeware
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows 2000/XP/Vista
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' ?
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' NURBS, Polygon (Import/Export Only)
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' ?
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes, try [[3dm2sculpt]]

This program has some cool things going for it. It's the work of a former [[#Rhino_3D | Rhino]] developer and has an interface that pretty much lets you draw shapes with the mouse or a pen tablet. Documentation on the website is sparse however and being in beta means there will be kinks.

It should be noted that MoI will become a commercial product when it leaves beta testing (expected later this summer), but it will still be comparatively inexpensive; the estimated cost is between US$200-$100.

'''Resources'''

* [http://moi3d.com/forum/ Moment of Inspiration Forums]
* [http://mefeedia.com/tags/momentofinspiration/ Video Tutorials]
 

=== Ayam ===

*'''Website:''' [http://ayam.sourceforge.net/ Ayam]
*'''License:''' [http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.html BSD license]
*'''Operating Systems:''' Unix/Linux (native), Windows 98, 2000 and XP, Mac OS X (with X11)
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes, tcl
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' NURBS, Polygon (Import/Export Only)
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' No
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' No

'''Resources'''

* [http://ayam.sourceforge.net/docs.html Ayam Documentation page]
 

= Commercial 3D Suites =

It has to be said: most professional 3D software is (incredibly) expensive, anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars for a single copy. They're marketed at big professional studios with thousands or millions of dollars to budget for this stuff. There are ways to [[3D software cost savings|reduce this expense]] so that it's witin the reach of an average person: some legal, some not.

== Under $200 ==

=== Amorphium (Electric Image)===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.eitechnologygroup.com/products/amorphium Electric Image Amorphium]
*'''Cost:''' US$79 ("Standard")
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows, Mac (UB) - trial is Mac OS X 10.0 - 10.3 only
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Brush Sculpting, NURBS, Polygon
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' Yes (paint on, further controllable with sensitive pen-tablet)
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' No (export to a format Blender knows, or to OBJ, and use a converter, can start with the 64x63 sphere made by Wings3D)

Sculpting is what Amorphium is all about. If you have a pen tablet (even a tablet PC), the pressure sensitivity will control the pressure applied to the current brush to morph the sculpture. It gives a very natural feel to being able to sculpt 3d models easily and intuitively. Amorphium has won 14 awards including "Best Graphics Software" from magazines like Computer Graphics World, PC World, and Macworld for its breakthrough real-time approach to creating 3D graphics.

'''Resources'''

* [http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=186218 Sculpted Prim Modeler: Amorphium] on sl forums (restricted access)
 

=== AC3D (invis) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.inivis.com/ www.invis.com - AC3D]
*'''Cost:''' US$75
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows, Mac OSX 10.4 or later, Linux (x86 only)
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes - 14 day trial
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Plugin Interface available, plus TCL-based scripting
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygon, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' No (But can be accomplished via 3rd party plug-ins or POV-Ray)
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes: [http://www.inivis.com/secondlife.html Export plug-in for Windows, Mac and Linux], [http://www.ccccybernetics.com/ developed by Zora Spoonhammer]

AC3D is an inexpensive polygon modeler with SubD support designed to be easy for novice users. The sculpt map plug-in will export any model that has a perfect uv space. Several pre-mapped starter shapes are included with the plug-in, including a cube that can be used as basis for complex objects by artists familiar with the popular box modeling method using sub-division surfaces.

''' Resources '''
 
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8RC5aJuWks 5-minute video tutorial on creating a pear]

== $200 - $999 ==
=== Zbrush (Pixologic) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.pixologic.com/zbrush/products/products.php Pixologic :: Zbrush]
*'''Cost:''' US$489
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows 98/2000/ZP, Mac OS X
*'''Trial version available?:''' No
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes, Zscripting
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Brush Sculpting, "ZSphere" modeling, Polygon (Import/Export)
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' No, future support is planned by Linden Lab (but note to resident developers: this one is in high demand).

Zbrush pretty new and a bit unique. It's a 3d painting and sculpting tool; instead of manipulating polys or curves, you select a brush and literally ''paint'' and chisel and mold...the best way to grasp it is to download the demo and play with it. It's pretty sweet: a ton of studios such as [http://www.epicgames.com/ Epic Games] use it to create the details for their normal maps and some SL designers are already using it for the 3d painting capabilities.

'''Resources'''

* [http://www.pixologic.com/zbrush/education/documentation/guides.php Zbrush Documentation]
* [http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/index.php ZbrushCentral - Official Forums and Online Community]
 

=== Lightwave (Newtek)===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.newtek.com/lightwave/ Lightwave]
*'''Cost:''' US$795
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows XP, Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes, 30 day time limit
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes, LScript
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygon, NURBS with LWCAD 2.1 add-on (costs extra)
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes, manual method instructions here: [[User:Patchouli_Woollahra/Lightwave_Sculptie_Rendering]]

Some high-profile Second Life designers have been using Lightwave for quite a while to burn realistic highlights and shadows onto their skins and clothing textures. Therefore it's not a big surprise that after Blender, this was the second program that community members figured out a sculpt export method for.

'''Resources'''
*[http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Technical/LightwaveTuts/LWTutSet.html Lightwave Tutorials] by Robin Wood, a.k.a. SL's Robin Sojourner

 

=== Rhinoceros (McNeel) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.rhino3d.com Rhino 3D]
*'''Cost:''' US$995
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows 2000/XP/Vista (Vista not recommended due to OpenGL issues)
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes, save count limited
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes, VBScript
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' NURBS, Polygon (limited)
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' No
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' please try [[3dm2sculpt]] (not tested with Rhino yet)

Rhino is built from the ground up for NURBS modeling; thus if you intend to use NURBS, this isn't such a bad option. From this author's brief trial with it, it handles certain operations (like joining 2 or more objects) somewhat more intelligently than 3ds Max. A couple UI tricks make it easier to learn than the sea of buttons you're initially presented with: a help window to one side explains each operation as you select it and the command line at the top effectively lets you search for a function by typing in its name, without having to know where the button or menu option is.

'''Resources'''
 

=== trueSpace (Caligari) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.caligari.com Caligari]
*'''Cost:''' US$595 for latest version (7), but legacy versions are sold for lower prices ($199 for TrueSpace 5)
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows XP/Vista
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes, prior version of the program
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygon, NURBS, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' No

trueSpace and its companion products appear to be aimed more at the independent developer and hobby market, resulting in a fully featured program at a much more affordable price. Of interest to Second Life users: trueSpace 7 and up offers a collaborative work environment; the benefit of working together like in SL but without the guy shooting off guns at you in the sandbox.

'''Resources'''

* [http://forms.caligari.com/forms/ts3all_free.html trueSpace3.2 Full Version (very old) for Free]
 

=== Softimage XSI (Avid) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.softimage.com/products/xsi/ Softimage XSI]
*'''Cost:''' US$495 ("Foundation") - US$6995 ("Advanced")
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows XP SP2/64 bit
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes, 30 day trial with full features, free "Mod Tool" supported by [http://www.valvesoftware.com/ Valve] with limited features (watermarks images).
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes, Python, COLLADA and C#
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygon, NURBS, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' No

Billing itself as "the most advanced 3D animation and character creation software for next generation games & film", it does that, modeling, baking, film compositing, ''and'' it makes toast! All kidding aside, they seem to be going after the largest slice of the market they can and their client list includes everything from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-Life_2 Half-Life] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howl's_Moving_Castle_(film) Howl's Moving Castle]. Pluses? It's one of the few commercial programs that uses non-proprietary languages for their scripting...yes, I said languages, because apparently you have a choice between several. However it's unlikely that it has a significant user base within the SL community at the moment.

'''Resources'''
 

=== Modo 203 (Luxology)===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.luxology.com/ Luxology Home]
*'''Cost:''' US$895 professional, $149 Educational, $99 "Good Student" price. Download a trial version then wait 1-2 weeks and you'll receive a voucher dropping professional price to US$695.
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows, Mac
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygon, Subdivsion, Brush Sculpting
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes, via texture baking

Luxology Modo is a premier modeling and UV system built to maximize the workflow of professional modelers. It has both a rich modeling and painting toolset, ideal for creating models for Second Life.

'''Resources'''

* Lovecraft Forest Testbed [http://www.rabbitroo.com/SL/SLtest4.lxo SLtest4.lxo]
* Lovecraft Forest Usage Instructions: [http://www.lovecraftforest.com/blog/2007/05/17/sculpted-prims-in-modo-part-ii/ Blog Post]
 

=== Mudbox (Skymatter) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.mudbox3d.com/ Mudbox]
*'''Cost:''' US$299 ("Basic") - US$649 ("Professional")
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows XP SP2, Atm untested on x64 or Vista
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes, 15 days trial fully functional.
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' No
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Brush Sculpting, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' No

With ZBrush one of the most powerful organic modelers out there, really easy to use and artist friendly. Its modeling is based on brushes like ZBrush but aims more to 3D like Maya or 3D Studio Max. It contains a high quality texture renderer for baking normal maps and is used be many 3D professionals and studios like WETA Digital and some artists at Raven Software and id Software.

'''Resources'''
 

=== Carrara (Daz) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.daz3d.com/ Daz]
*'''Cost:''' US$249 ("Standard") - US$549 ("Professional")
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows, Mac (UB)
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes (plugin development, no scripting)
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygon
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' No (Yes with third party plug from [http://www.inagoni.com/content.php?content.3/ Inagoni]
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes - via texture baking with third party plugins - tutorial [[User:Hypatia_Callisto/Carrara_Sculpt_Baking]]

Like Hexagon, Carrara was an Eovia product that is now owned by Daz. Carrara is full-featured 3D application, supporting polygon modeling, spline modeling, "metaballs", and terrain modeling (it is sometimes compared to Vue). This app seems fly under the radar consistently, but Daz does seem to be serious about maintaining it as they have recently released a Mac Universal Binary version, free to registered users. Carrara also provides animation and particles.

'''Resources'''
 

=== Cinema 4D ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.maxon.net Maxon]
*'''Cost:''' CINEMA 4D R10 Win PC £586.33, additional modules available.
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows XP/Vista, Mac
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes, Demo
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes, COFFEE
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygon, NURBS, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Under development - send me an IM inworld (Peter Stindberg)

One of the more affordable 3D applications, excellent learning curve. Uses COFFEE script for plugins. Please, please someone write a sculptie script for it, please? ;;-)

'''Resources'''
 

== $1000 and Up ==

=== Maya (Autodesk/Wavefront) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.autodesk.com/maya Autodesk Maya]
*'''Cost:''' US$3000 ("Complete") - US$7000 ("Unlimited"). ("Complete" version sufficient for creating sculpted prims.) Educational license: US$300
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows XP SP2, Mac OS X 10.4, Linux (SUSE, RedHat and Fedora supported)
*'''Trial version available?:''' "Personal Learning Edition", no time limit but not usable for creating sculpted prims (sculpt textures ruined by watermark)
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes, MEL Script
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygon, NURBS, Subdivision
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Yes, script by Qarl Linden available on their wiki [[LlSculpt mel|here]], instructions [[Sculpted_Prims:_FAQ#MayaExporter|here]].
** Qarl has released a new export script that can handle assemblies of prims and can also bake the surface textures for you. [[Advanced_Sculptie_Exporter_From_Maya | Avalible Here]]

Why was Maya the first to receive sculpted prim support from Linden Lab? Because it was what [http://www.qarl.com/ Qarl Linden], the main developer on the project, learned to use while creating kick-ass movie SFX like [http://www.qarl.com/menu/resume/matrix-demo.mov these] and the tech for sculpted prims was adapted from tricks he learned in the process. Maya has been a growing force in the movie industry for some years and a strong presence in the video game industry as well.

'''Resources'''

* [http://webpages.charter.net/talilal/Balloon%20Tutorial/ Maya Sculpt Tutorial] by Talila Liu
 

=== 3d Studio Max (Autodesk) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.autodesk.com/3dsmax Autodesk 3ds Max]
*'''Cost:''' US$3495. Educational License: ~US$200. Subscription: ~US$500/year.
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows 2000/XP, Windows Vista (with version 9.1)
*'''Trial version available?:''' Yes, 30-day demo, full features
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes, MAX Script/plugins
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygons, NURBS, Subdivsion, Basic Brush Sculpting
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' Yes (some functions only in version 8 and higher)
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' 3 methods in development:
** [http://www.joe-brown.net/SecondLife/SculptTut/SculptTut.html Method 1] by Gearsawe Stonecutter, uses a premade template file.
** [http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=182461 Method 2] by Abu Nasu, uses a shader. [http://forums.secondlife.com/showpost.php?p=1505984&postcount=46 Download the Materials file here]. [http://tech-slop.serveit.org/wiki/index.php?title=Sculptie_Egg Read the tutorial here].
*** A varient of Abu's methood by Chip Midnight uses a projection modifier and can handle arbitrary shapes but requires Max version 8 or higher. [http://home.comcast.net/~pixelforgeltd/Tutorial.htm The tutorial is here.]
** Method 3 ([http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=185426 thread]) ([http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/SculptGenMax wiki]) by Shack Dougall, is a vertex-based method using MAXScript and preset geometry as a starting point. Tested on 3dsMax 9.

Formerly Maya's main competitor, especially in the game industry. Then Autodesk (the makers of Max) bought out Alias (the makers of Maya) a couple years ago. So far the company is developing both products separately, marketing Maya at the movie industry and Max at the game developers, but they have long had comparable feature sets, and in the future it's likely that there will be tighter integration between the two. A choice between Maya and Max generally comes down to user preference and (particularly in our case) plugin support. Some users have said that Max is easier for a newbie to learn than Maya and certain basic controls share similarities with SL's build tools (such as shift-drag to copy).

'''Resources'''
 

'''Resources'''
 

= Other 3d Programs =

These programs may be free or cheap, but they won't have nearly as expansive feature sets as those above.

=== MilkShape 3D ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.milkshape3d.com/ www.milkshape3d.com]
*'''Cost:''' US$25 / €25
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows
*'''Trial version available?''' 30-day unrestricted trial, save disabled thereafter until registered
*'''Supports user scripting?''' Plug-in SDK available (Does that count?)
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygons
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?''' No
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support:''' Import/Export plugin under development

'''Resources''' 

* See the '''Tutorials''' and '''Links''' sections on the [http://www.milkshape3d.com/ MilkShape website]
 

=== POV-Ray ===

*'''Website:''' http://povray.org
*'''Cost:''' FREE
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows/Linux/Mac
*'''Trial version available?'''
*'''Supports user scripting?'''
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' N/A
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?''' Yes
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support:''' Yes. Instructions are here: http://johannahyacinth.blogspot.com/2007/05/sculpted-prims-with-pov-ray.html

POV-Ray is a renderer - you have to do all your modeling in another application, or by describing in plain text the mathematical shapes which make up the model.
 

=== Hexagon 2 (DAZ Productions) ===

*'''Website:''' [http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/software/hexagon/-/? Hexagon product page]
*'''Cost:''' Full version: $149, "Crossgrade" from other DAZ software: $79, Upgrade: $49
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows 2000/XP, Mac OS X 10.2 or higher
*'''Trial version available?''' Yes, it's buried: go [http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/support/downloads/-/ here] and select Hexagon from the list.
*'''Supports user scripting?''' No
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygon
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?''' No
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support:''' No

SL animators may have heard about (and perhaps been disappointed with) [http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/software/studio/-/? DAZ Studio], a competitor to Poser. Others may be familiar with [http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/software/bryce/-/? Bryce], a landscape creation tool with a much better reputation. Hexagon was originally developed by eovia until purchased by DAZ and while it appears to be a perfectly capable 3d program by itself with polygon modeling subdivision modeling, sculpting tools, and is that 3d painting I see?, the absence in their feature list of either texture baking or any sort of user scripting or plugin interface could be a deal-breaker until something like a reliable .OBJ converter comes along.
 

=== Google SketchUp ===

*'''Website:''' [http://sketchup.google.com/ Google SketchUp]
*'''Cost:''' Free (Google SketchUp 6); $495 (Google SketchUp 6 Pro)/$45 (full-feature academic license for Google SketchUp 6 Pro)
*'''Operating Systems:''' Windows XP/2000, Windows Vista (with OpenGL 1.5 or higher), Mac OS X (10.3.9 or higher)
*'''Trial version available?:''' 8 hour trial available for Sketchup Pro
*'''Supports user scripting?:''' Yes, Ruby
*'''Modeling mehoods supported:''' Polygon
*'''Built-in Texture Baking/generation?:''' No
*'''Current Sculpt Map Support?:''' Indirectly (through OBJ export; Pro version only)

SketchUp is a 3D drafting program popular among architects for its conceptual similarity to manual drafting and physical model-building. It has a very low learning curve, but is rather foreign to most established suites other than AutoCAD.

Hypothetically, SketchUp could be used to reduce the number of prims used in structures already possible with Second Life's built-in tools, as its use of edges and faces allows the creation of efficient compound geometric forms.

On the other hand, SketchUp's "bring your own geometry" approach makes it not particularly suited to the creation of mesh-based organic shapes.

Sketchup's surface modeling paradigm currently makes it difficult to translate SketchUp models into Sculpted Prims. The paid "Pro" version of SketchUp does, however, allow export to OBJ which, via [[Sculpted_Prims:_3d_Software_Guide#obj2sculpt|obj2sculpt]] (or, of course, Maya), may allow sculpt-map export. It also exports to 3DS, Collada, XSI and VRML, ''et cetera'', but these formats may well require software more expensive than SketchUp.

SketchUp uses image textures about as basic as those found in the Second Life build tools. Its texture capabilities would therefore likely not be useful to Second Life designers other than for previewing existing textures.

= 3D File Formats =

If you're using software that cannot export to sculpt directly, you might still be able to succeed. You can always give the file to someone with access to the appropriate software, or you could export your model into another 3D modeler. To do that, you'll need to export the model into a format the other program can handle. Here's a brief rundown of the file formats that SL developers will generally find the most useful.

:*'''.OBJ''': Probably the most common cross-platform export format for polygon models; it's fairly open and any 3D program worth its bits supports it. It's also well-documented and easily hackable.

:*'''.3DS''': The default polygon export format supported by [[#3d_Studio_Max_.28Autodesk.29|3D Studio Max]]. Because of this, it is widely supported. However, it doesn't have as many export options as OBJ.

:*'''.FBX''': Another Autodesk format that is good if you need to export whole scenes: objects, animation, lights, cameras, etc. More importantly for our purposes, it preserves [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NURBS NURBS] objects in some programs. Especially useful if you're trading files between 3DS Max and [[#Maya_.28Autodesk.2FWavefront.29|Maya]]; it's also supported in some other programs but [[#Blender|Blender]] isn't among them ...yet.

:*'''.3DM''': a.k.a [http://www.opennurbs.com OpenNURBS]. This is the native format of [[#Rhinoceros_Rhino_3D|Rhino3D]] and [[#Moment_of_Inspiration|MoI]] and, as the name suggests, is a [[Sculpted_Prims:_3d_Modeling_Glossary#NURBS_Modeling | NURBS]] export format. It's gaining some popularity; unfortunately, it's not currently supported by the big three (Maya, Max and Blender). However the format documentation and code libraries are open-source, tempting those brave enough to try and write tools for it, such as [[#3dm2sculpt | 3dm2sculpt]].
 

= Other Resources =

Useful places for anyone interested in 3d modeling:

* [http://www.3dbuzz.com 3d Buzz] — Forums, video tutorials and even classes covering everything from 3d programs to 3d programing and even Photoshop.
* [http://ibiblio.org/e-notes/Splines/Intro.htm An Interactive Introduction to Splines] — a technical introduction to NURBs.
 

== See also ==

* [[Sculpted Prims|Sculpted Prims]]
* [[Sculpted Prims: FAQ|Sculpted Prims: FAQ]]
* [[Sculpt Textures in Paint Programs]]
* [[Sculpted Prims: Technical Explanation|Sculpted Prims: Under the Hood]]
* [[Sharing_sculpt_maps_and_textures|Sculpted Prims: Sharing Sculpt Maps and Textures]]
* [[Sculpted Prims Beta Discussion|Sculpted Prims Beta Discussion]]

 

[[Category:Sculpted Prims]]