3D Software Comparison Technical Details Supported Extension Price with stated Package Platforms Video Language(s) Functionality Direct X, OpenGL, Windows 32/64 MAXScript, 3ds Max Software $3,495 Bit C++ (SDK) Rendering, Heidi Direct X, Animation Master Windows, OSX $299 OpenGL Software Any OS that Beanshell, Free soft. Art of Illusion Rendering, supports Java Java (GPLv2) $0 OpenGL Windows, OSX, Software Free soft. Blender Linux, FreeBSD, Rendering, C, Python (GPLv2) $0 Irix, Solaris OpenGL Software Carrara Pro Windows, OSX Rendering, $549 OpenGL Software Carrara Std Windows, OSX Rendering, $249 OpenGL Windows 32/64 Software COFFEE, Bit, Intel 32/64 Cinema4D Rendering, Python, C++ $3,695 Bit, Linux 32/64 OpenGL (API) Bit Software HScript, VEX, Windows, Linux, from 100$ up to Houdini Rendering, Python C++ OSX, 32/64 bit $7,995 OpenGL (HDK) Windows, LightWave 3D v9 Windows 64-bit, OpenGL LScript $795 OSX Direct X, Windows, OSX, Software MEL, Python, Maya $3,499 Linux Rendering, C++ (API) OpenGL OpenGL, Python,PERL, Modo Windows, OSX Software $895 LUA Rendering Silo Windows, OSX ? ? $109 Cheetah 3D OSX OpenGL JavaScript $149 OpenGL, Direct Python, Truespace Windows X, Software VBScript, Free soft. $0 Rendering JavaScript, C Windows, OSX, Free soft. (BSD) Wings3D OpenGL Linux $0 VB Script, C#, Windows 32/64 Direct X, XSI JScript, $6,995 Bit, Linux OpenGL Python, Perl Windows, OSX, $285(30 day 3D Coat DirectX,OpenGL Linux discount: $235) Software ZBrush Windows, OSX ZScript $489 Rendering [edit] Modeling Tools Smooths Smooths Package NURBS Patch SubD Polygon 3gons ngons 3ds Max Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Via Art of Illusion No No Yes Via Plugin Yes Plugin Blender Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Carrara Pro No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Carrara Std No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Cinema4D Yes Via Plugin Yes Yes Yes Yes Houdini Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes LightWave 3D No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Maya Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Modo No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Silo No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Cheetah 3D No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Wings3D No No Yes Yes Yes Yes XSI Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes 3D Coat No Yes Yes Yes No Yes ZBrush No No Yes Yes No No [edit] Workable Polygon Limit (3GHZ p4 (or equivalent), Average 1gb ram, quad polys) Package 10,000 50,000 100,000 500,000 1,000,000 3ds Max Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Art of Illusion Yes Yes Yes No No Blender Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Carrara Pro Yes Yes Yes ? ? Carrara Std Yes Yes Yes ? ? Cinema4D Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Houdini Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes LightWave 3D Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Maya Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Modo Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Silo Yes Yes Yes Yes ? Cheetah 3D Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Wings3D Yes Yes Yes No No XSI Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 3D Coat Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ZBrush Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes [edit] UV Unwrapping multi uv subsurfe Package Basic Pelt LSCM ABF++ sets d uv 3ds Max Yes Yes Via Plugin No Yes Yes Art of Illusion Yes No No Via Plugin Yes Yes Blender Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Carrara Std Yes Yes No No Yes ? Carrara Std Yes Yes No No Yes ? Cinema4D Yes ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Houdini Yes Yes No No Yes Yes LightWave 3D Yes Via Plugin No No Yes Yes Maya Yes Via Plugin Via Plugin No Yes ? Modo Yes ? Yes No Yes Yes Cheetah 3D Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Wings3D Yes ? No No ? ? XSI Yes Via Plugin No No Yes Yes 3D Coat Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes ZBrush Yes No No No No No [edit] Texturing and Painting Paint Paint Layer Simultan Node Based Simultaneously Vertex Package 2d paint 3d paint Based eously Texturing Across Multiple Paint Painting Multiple Objects Materials 3ds Max Via Plugin Via Plugin Via Plugin ? ? No Yes Art of Illusion Yes No No No No No No Blender Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Carrara Pro Yes No Yes No No No No Carrara Std Yes No No No No No No Cinema4D Via Plugin Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Houdini Yes Via Plugin Via Plugin No Yes No Yes Lightwave Yes No No ? ? No Yes Maya Yes Yes Yes ? No ? Yes Modo No ? Yes ? ? No Yes Cheetah 3D Yes Yes No No No No No Wings3D No No No No No No ? XSI Yes Yes No ? ? ? Yes 3D Coat No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ZBrush No Yes Yes No No No No [edit] Animation and Simulation Package Simple Character Particle Physics Softbody Cloth Hair Fluid Smoke Flame Crowd Via Via 3ds Max Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Plugin Plugin Art of Illusion Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No Via Blender Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Plugin Via Carrara Pro Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No Plugin Via Carrara Std Yes Yes Yes Yes No ? No Yes Yes No Plugin Via Via Via Via Cinema4D Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Plugin Plugin Plugin Plugin Houdini Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Via Via Via Lightwave Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Plugin Plugin Plugin Via Maya Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Plugin Modo No No No No No No No No No No No Cheetah 3D Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No Wings3D No No No No No No No No No No No XSI Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes 3D Coat No No No No No No No No No No No ZBrush No No No No No No No No No No No [edit] Rendering Primary Other # Net Package RIB Support Net Render Renderer Renderers Nodes Arion Render, Brazil r/s, Scanline, Mental finalRender, Ray, Light finalToon, Tracer, Fryrender, Unlimite 3ds Max Via Plugin Yes Quicksilver, Gelato, d Radiosity Engine Illustrate!, (Lightscape) Krakatoa, MaxwellRend erer, VRay Raster, Raytracer, Vector Art of Illusion No No No None Renderer, Advanced Renderer YafaRay, Mental Ray, Sunflow, Kerkythea, Unlimite Blender Blender Via Plugin Via Plugin Indigo, d luxrender, Vray, P.O.V- Ray Raytrace, ToonPro, Carrara Pro Hybrid, NPR, No Yes 5 WireframePro Toon II Raytrace, ToonPro, Carrara Std Hybrid, NPR, No No None WireframePro Toon II Arion Render, finalRender, Advanced Fryrender, Unlimite Cinema4D Renderer, Yes MaxwellRend Yes d Sketch and toon erer, Renderman, VRay Air, MaxwellRend Yes Unlimite Houdini Mantra erer, Mental Yes Import/Export d Ray, Renderman Arion Render, FPrime, FryRender, LightWave LightWave Via Plugin Kray, Yes 999 MaxwellRend erer, Renderman, Arion Render, FinalRender, Internal, Mental FryRender, Ray, Vector Gelato, Renderer, Maya Via Plugin MaxwellRend Yes 8 Hardware erer, Renderer Renderman, (OpenGL) Turtle, VRayBeta Arion Render, Internal + FryRender, Modo External script Yes 50 OpenGL MaxwellRend erer Some scripted Internal Ray support for Cheetah 3D No Yes None Tracer Luxrender and Indigo Wings3D ? ? YafRay ? ? Mental Arion Render, Ray,OpengGL, FryRender, XSI Hardware Via Plugin Indigo, Yes 8 Render (OpenGL Maxwell, / DirectX) Renderman OpenGL, DirectX+AO, AA,&a 3D Coat mp;amp;lt;br&a No No No No mp;amp;amp;a mp;gt;DOF, Soft Shadows ZBrush ZBrush No No No No [edit] Interface and Customization Mouse Custom Package Screen Layout Key Bindings Menus Buttons Shelves Toolbars Bindings Views 3ds Max Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Art of Illusion Yes No No No No ? ? ? Blender Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? Yes Yes Carrara Pro Yes Yes No No No ? ? ? Carrara Std Yes Yes No No No ? ? ? Cinema4D Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Houdini Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes ? LightWave 3D Yes Yes No Yes Yes ? ? ? Maya Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Modo Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? ? ? Cheetah 3D Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Wings3D ? Yes ? ? ? ? ? ? XSI Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 3D Coat Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ZBrush Yes Via Plugin No Yes Yes ? ? ? Silo Yes Yes ? Yes Yes ? ? ? [edit] Supported File Formats [edit] Import Collada Point Package OBJ 3DS DXF FBX LWO Q3D VRML MB MA x JPEG TIFF PSD AEP BMP GIF PNG EXR HDR .XSI AI PLY STL 1.4 Oven Via Via 3ds Max Yes Yes Yes Yes ? ? Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Plugin Plugin Via Art of Illusion Yes Via Plugin Via Plugin No No No No No No No Yes Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes No ? ? Plugin Blender Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes ? Carrara Pro Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No ? ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No ? ? Via Via Carrara Std Yes Yes Via Plugin No No No No ? ? Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No ? ? Plugin Plugin Via Cinema4D Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No ? ? Plugin Via Houdini Yes No Yes Yes No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No ? Plugin Via Via Via Via LightWave 3D Yes Yes Yes Via Plugin Yes Yes Yes No ? Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No ? ? Plugin Plugin Plugin Plugin Via Via Maya Yes Via Plugin Yes Yes No No ? Yes Yes ? Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? Plugin Plugin Modo Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? ? No Yes ? ? Yes Yes ? ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No ? ? PDF or Cheetah 3D Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Yes No No SVG Wings3D Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No No No ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? No ? ? Via Via XSI Yes Yes Via Plugin Yes No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Plugin Plugin 3D Coat Yes No No Yes Yes No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No No No No No Yes Yes ZBrush Yes No Yes No No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No No ? [edit] Export Collada Point Package OBJ 3DS DXF FBX LWO Q3D VRML MB MA x JPEG TIFF PSD AEP BMP GIF PNG EXR HDR .XSI AI PLY 1.4 Oven Via Via Via Via 3ds Max Yes Yes Yes Yes ? Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Plugin Plugin Plugin Plugin Art of Illusion Yes No No No No No Yes No No No No Yes Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes No ? ? Via Blender Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? Plugin Carrara Pro Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No ? ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No ? ? Via Via Carrara Std Yes Yes Via Plugin No No No No ? ? Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No No No ? ? Plugin Plugin Via Via Cinema4D Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes