Google SketchUp bucks the trend of expensive 3D modeling software such as 3DSMax and Cinema4D and presents a free, easy to use alternative with which you can even post your creations onto Google Earth for the world to see. The latest version has been integrated with Google Maps too so that geo-tagging your creations is easier than ever.

There's a refreshing lack of technical jargon in Google SketchUp and unfamiliar terms to beginners such as the 'Extrude' tool have been renamed to the more obvious 'Push/Pull' for example. There are plenty of helpful hints and guides throughout too helping you get to grips with 'snapping' when you draw rectangles, circles and other shapes. Google Sketchup intelligently predicts where you want endpoints to meet and snaps them shut for you, saving lots of time messing around.

Google SketchUp doesn't lack in functionality though despite its ease of use and includes all the usual collection of drawing and filling tools you'd expect, neatly accessible in the toolbar across the top of the screen. Instructor hints pop out on the right of the screen when it thinks you need them. Other options can be accessed via the menu system, or you can choose to place extra palettes on the workspace to save wading through menus. Of particular note is the 'Materials' palette, which contains over 100 different preset swatches, such as vegetation, metal and glass. The Shadow Settings palette is also worth keeping to hand, as it allows you to apply realistic shadows via simple sliders.

The real fun however is when you export your Google SketchUp drawings into Google Earth. You can send images of your 3D designs via email or upload them for free storage at Google's 3D Web Warehouse. Alternatively, you can geo-tag them in one-step using Google Maps which has now been integrated into Google Sketchup. You receive a snapshot when you add a geo-location to your model which now includes 3D terrain data plus color aerial imagery.

There are some problems with Google SketchUp however. Most annoying is when trying to create domed surfaces because of the cumbersome nature of the Extrude tool, although pushing and pulling straight lines is considerably easier. Being free, it also obviously lacks some of the advanced features of many of its heavyweight rivals.

Google SketchUp provides a refreshingly simple approach to 3D graphic design and modeling and is ideal for non experts in CAD technology.

Download Google SketchUp 8.0.4811 in Softonic

CINEMA 4D provides all you need to create high-end 3D pictures and animations. It consists of different modules according to your design needs. There are 8 different ones in total although each has to be purchased separately in addition to the main package.

It should be noted from the start that CINEMA 4D is a highly technical and professional package that isn't suitable for those new to 3D animation or modeling. It's designed for professionals in film making, TV, advertising, science, architecture and other fields that require professional results.

The speed that CINEMA 4D can manipulate and render animations is one of its strongest points. Certainly those used to working with Maya may notice significant speed improvements although this is obviously also dependent on your working on a 64-bit Mac. The customization modules are also one of the strongest aspects of CINEMA 4D allowing you to customize the package according to whether you are animating for film, architecture, 3D modeling etc.

For all those that aren't impressed with Maya and need a professional 3D animation suite, CINEMA 4D is the complete package..

Download CINEMA 4D R14 in Softonic

Firstly, note that the download provided here is the Akamai Client Installer for AutoCAD which automatically installs the software for you. You'll need a whopping 2.5GB of free hard drive space to ensure you can download and install AutoCAD for Mac properly.

Those that have used AutoCAD on Windows will instantly recognize the familiar AutoCAD interface and layout. The commands and tools are exactly the same. For those that haven’t used AutoCAD before, you're in for a very steep learning curve although the intuitive interface, extensive documentation and context-sensitive help functions in AutoCAD for Mac make life a lot easier.

AutoCAD for Mac looks much slicker than the Windows version and takes full advantage of OS X, including use of Cover Flow, Multi-Touch gestures, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad. You can of course create and edit DWG files natively and you can collaborate on projects across platforms with customers, clients, colleagues etc.

It's impossible to avoid the fact that AutoCAD is one of the most expensive packages there is for Mac but the developers AutoDesk have made a superb offer to students and educators. They can get a three year license absolutely free which means you can use AutoCAD completely for free for three years although a watermark is added to designs. Alternatively, students and educators in the US and Canada can purchase an unlimited license with no watermark for a 90% discount on the full price.

AutoCAD for Mac has been a long time in coming but CAD professionals will agree it was definitely worth the wait.

Download AutoCAD 2012 2013 in Softonic

Sweet Home 3D allows your imagination to run wild without you having to lift a finger or costing you a cent. Apart from being a very useful interior design application, it's also a hell of a lot of fun, allowing you to mix and match furniture with ease, take virtual walks around your creations, and indulge yourself in designs you'd probably never be able to do in real life.

Sweet Home 3D offers more than 50 different pieces of furniture, ranging from beds to lamps and desks tables, but you can import even more from the developer's website. To create your rooms, all you need to do is drag and drop elements into the grid view and you'll see them building up 3D in the viewing screen below. Once you've done this, use the virtual visit tool to get a 3D preview of what it looks like and talk a walk around.

The latest version adds a new level of realism to Sweet Home 3D. This includes a new ability to handle rounded walls, the possibility to store points of view, a new compass and even light and sun management to accurately show how your designs react under different conditions. They've also added a much needed auto recovery function if Sweet Home 3D crashes.

These are the basics and Sweet Home 3D is extremely easy to get to grips with. Unfortunately, the graphics are not great - many pieces of furniture look blocky, but its designed to give an idea of what an arrangement will look like rather than a perfect picture. You can take a photo of your finished design, which you can then send on to friends to view who won't need Sweet Home 3D to view it. The fact that it's based on Java shouldn't put you off either - it works very smoothly with virtually no delays in placing furniture or creating previews.

Sweet Home 3D is an excellent solution for all those that daydream about redesigning their home, or even for professionals that need a basic mock-up.

Download Sweet Home 3D 3.7 in Softonic

Google SketchUp Pro bucks the trend of expensive 3D modeling software such as 3DSMax and Cinema4D and presents a free, easy to use alternative with which you can even post your creations onto Google Earth for the world to see. The latest version has been integrated with Google Maps too so that geo-tagging your creations is easier than ever.

This professional version of Google Sketchup is aimed at professionals who need CAD software that's high on power and features, and low on learning curves. It features some useful advantages over the basic version including ability to Export to CAD, add text and graphics to layouts and more advanced features.

There's a refreshing lack of technical jargon in Google SketchUp Pro and unfamiliar terms to beginners such as the 'Extrude' tool have been renamed to the more obvious 'Push/Pull' for example. There are plenty of helpful hints and guides throughout too helping you get to grips with 'snapping' when you draw rectangles, circles and other shapes. Google Sketchup Pro intelligently predicts where you want endpoints to meet and snaps them shut for you, saving lots of time messing around.

Google SketchUp Pro doesn't lack in functionality though despite its ease of use and includes all the usual collection of drawing and filling tools you'd expect, neatly accessible in the toolbar across the top of the screen. Instructor hints pop out on the right of the screen when it thinks you need them. Other options can be accessed via the menu system, or you can choose to place extra palettes on the workspace to save wading through menus. Of particular note is the 'Materials' palette, which contains over 100 different preset swatches, such as vegetation, metal and glass. The Shadow Settings palette is also worth keeping to hand, as it allows you to apply realistic shadows via simple sliders.

The real fun however is when you export your Google SketchUp Pro drawings into Google Earth. You can send images of your 3D designs via email or upload them for free storage at Google's 3D Web Warehouse. Alternatively, you can geo-tag them in one-step using Google Maps which has now been integrated into Google Sketchup Pro. You receive a snapshot when you add a geo-location to your model which now includes 3D terrain data plus color aerial imagery.

There are some problems with Google SketchUp Pro however. Most annoying is when trying to create domed surfaces because of the cumbersome nature of the Extrude tool, although pushing and pulling straight lines is considerably easier. However, the ability to export to CAD format means that anything you find tricky or difficult in Google Sketchup Pro, you can finish off in another application.

Google SketchUp Pro provides a refreshingly simple approach to 3D graphic design while providing the power and CAD format export features that professionals need.

Download Google SketchUp Pro 8.0.3161 in Softonic

Note that AutoCAD WS is not the full AutoCAD package for Mac but AutoCAD WS offers all the basics in order view, edit and collaborate with other CAD professionals on your designs. With it you can open your files, upload them to your online account and even sync them with your AutoCAD WS mobile app.

You can perform basic editing such as plotting your DWG files as a PDF or DWFx with control over plot styles, paper sizes, layouts etc. You can also download AutoCAD drawings in AutoCAD WS in order to work offline. Note that you have to be a bit careful with the size of your AutoCAD files as AutoCAD WS imposes an upload limit on how big your files can be.

AutoCAD WS is a powerful tool for sharing and basic editing of AutoCAD files on Mac.

Download AutoCAD WS 1.6 in Softonic

The Blender project is based in the Netherlands and encompasses modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, interactive creation and playback. With it, you can create high quality 3D graphics, movies and replay real-time interactive 3D content. Such is it's renown that it's become a popular tool with professional animation studios across Europe involved in the production of high quality 3D content.

Before you even attempt to use it therefore, you're going to need a grounding in 3D modeling or at least know where to start with one. The documentation accompanying Blender is highly extensive however and if you've used other 3D modeling packages, it won't take you long to pick up the basics. There's also a dedicated support office on hand and thriving community forum in case of problems. Unfortunately, the latest version still does not support sound on Intel Macs although this will surely be resolved shortly.

It's amazing that Blender is entirely free considering it's depth and power. If you're a 3D animator working on a budget then you should definitely give it a go.

Download Blender 2.66 in Softonic

It makes the creating of a new interior or remodeling your existing home fun, and could save you valuable time and money before you get the builders in! Live Interior 3D is not a small application, which means that it's not the easiest application to get to grips with but it's not as complex as most design apps of this size.

The Pro Edition of Live Interior 3D caters to architects and professional interior designers by providing extensive tools suitable for creating preliminary floor plans and comprehensively manipulating the interior. The export options provide a wide range of formats for presenting the end result to clients.

When you open Live Interior 3D you're presented with the Main Window. From here, you can view and edit in either 2D or 3D, perform realistic virtual walkthroughs, make video recordings, take screenshots and generate panoramic views of your interiors and share them with others. Fortunately, help is at hand in the form of the Live Interior 3D Assistant which allows you to choose what type of project to open. You can use this in two modes - one to teach you how to use the program and one to help you develop your own project.

In learning Live Interior 3D, you can open and change different templates to see how the program works. If you choose to create a new projects. You can modify a pre-designed project to meet your needs, or create a custom template and then use it to make several variations of the furniture arrangement, decoration and so on. Like all the best design applications on the Mac such as iMovie and iDVD, Live Interior 3D templates do a lot of the hard work for you so you can produce results that look so professional, you'll amaze even yourself and definitely want to try and build some of your creations. You can choose the type of home you want to redesign or create, how many bedrooms, the layout. Afterwards, it's up to you how you want to design your home including adding appliances, walls, fireplaces and more. It does take some getting used to, as Live Interior 3D is a big design application, but if you're serious about home design it's worth it.

Before you even start to redesign your home, take a look at what Live Interior 3D can do for you. Even if you don't build any of your creations, it's fun just fantasizing.

Download Live Interior 3D Pro 2.8.1 in Softonic

VectorDesigner offers a simple, multi-windowed interface from which you can use all sorts of tools and shapes like rectangles, stars, polygons or bezier creations. Boolean tools offered by the program are easy to work with and let you combine your different shapes in all sorts of ways. Vector drawing is perfect for creating posters, stickers, t-shirts...anything onto which you can apply a design. VectorDesigner takes this into account and lets you constrain text to any shape.

The program includes many filters and compositions, however some effects will only work if you're running Mac OS X 10.5. One element we did enjoy was the Flickr browser tool, by which you can find images in the photo sharing site.

VectorDesigner gives anybody the chance to work with vector drawings and create great looking designs thanks to powerful tools and effects.

Download VectorDesigner 1.4.12 in Softonic

MacDraft offers a wide range of drawing tools including both ANSI and international standard dimensioning features. MacDraft supports both imperial and metric dimensions and is an ideal choice for those working in mechanical, architectural, engineering and technical illustration fields.

Most importantly for those that have worked with AutoCAD in Windows, MacDraft can import AutoCAD files as well as other programs that export to DWG and DXF. MacDraft can automatically readjust layouts for you or you can choose to manually configure them yourself.

The interface of MacDraft will come as a tonic to anyone that's only used CAD software in Windows. It's been tailored specifically for Macs with an elegant OS X look and feel. Even though this is a Pro version, it's designed so that beginners won't have a problem learning how to use it although for a slightly cheaper price tag without the professional features, a Personal Edition is also available for download here.

MacDraft is a powerful 2D CAD program for Macs that is suitable for all abilities.

Download MacDraft Pro 6.0 in Softonic

DAZ Studio is aimed at beginners with no modeling experience who want something that takes you by the hand but doesn't lack in features. In addition to modeling, it will be of interest to animators as it features a lip-sync feature to add audio, a smoothing angle to smooth surfaces and morphing effects. It has to be said that these are some of DAZ's more advanced features and the easy to use principle soon fades when you try to morph 3D models - indeed knowing where to start is a task in itself.

DAZ Studio also allows you to perfect your models by offering different camera angles, lighting and a collection of plugins that can expand it for users looking for more power. There are a few basic preferences and options regarding how you wish to view your modeling environment although it's trial and error to find out what each one does.

The best thing about DAZ Studio is that even novices can produce some pretty impressive 3D models in 6 steps that don't require any experience whatsoever. Advanced animators and modelers will find it extremely limited though.

Download DAZ Studio 4.0 in Softonic

One of the biggest complaints about the previous version, modo 501, was that character animation was noticeably absent. Luxology has addressed this complaint and have included character animations in modo 601. You can make static 3D models and flatten them for images or you can give life to your creations with the new character animation feature.

The features that made modo great are still here. The rendering engine is faster than ever, physics controls and fluid dynamics make your animations realistic, and the amazing Pixar subdivision surface modeling is still here, making your models much more efficient by reducing polygon count. If you are modeling people or animals, there is a new skin and hair shading and texture tool to make your characters photo-realistic.

modo also has a great community behind it that continues to develop kits for modo to expand its functionality and ease of use. Luxology also has a section on their site that allows uses to preview and purchase new kits.

Overall, its easy to see why modo 601 is the de facto 3D modeling application for professionals. Its ease of use and powerful feature set make it one of the best tools for artist and animators.

Download modo 601 in Softonic

There's no risk of that happening with Lego Digital Designer, a game that lets your imagination run wild in a 3D world of Lego pieces. The 3D working area allows you to place pieces by dragging and dropping them onto the building board and allowing you to pan, zoom and move in any direction you choose. Some of the movements can be a bit sluggish and jerky but generally it works pretty well.

The pieces you want to use are selected from a floating menu which are well organized by category and size. The difference between real life and Lego Digital Designer however is that there is literally no limit to how many block you can use or the designs you can come up with. And if you want to show off, you can upload your design to an online gallery like a big kid - or even more amazing, order your design as the real thing.

If you loved Lego and have a boundless imagination, then Lego Digital Designer will keep you or at least your kids occupied for hours.

Download LEGO Digital Designer 4.1.7 in Softonic

The first thing that strikes you about Cheetah3D is that it's a relatively small download for such an app and the interface is cleaner, better presented and simpler than many similar efforts such as Carrara or AC3D. It does, however, still take some getting to grips with, which is why there is both a full user manual and a convenient quick start guide to teach you the basics. However, this Quick Start guide still doesn't go far enough to produce anything impressive and there is a general lack of basic tutorials associated with Cheetah3D.

However, if you do invest the time and effort, most users find that you can produce amazing results that would be infinitely more complex in other packages. Some compare it favorably with 3DStudio Max, although there is no way that the all-important rendering will be quite as good as that. Bear in mind that you'll need a lot of processing power to use Cheetah 3D due to this rendering process. The Cocoa interface looks great though, meaning this is a program that has been specifically designed for Mac users in mind.

If you're taking your first steps into 3D modeling or can't afford the major packages out there, Cheetah3D is remarkably effective and generally, very user friendly.

Download Cheetah3D 5.3 in Softonic

There are 4 Build Techniques to 123D Make:

• Stacked - Create objects by cutting out cross sections and stacking them on top of each other.
• Interlocked - Create slotted assemblies that go together even without adhesive.
• Curve - Define the sweep of your interlocked slices with an editable spline for curvy shapes.
• Radial - Define an axis of rotation around which interlocked slices are assembled, ideal for rounded shapes like bowls.

You can choose also choose Custom Materials, Object Size, Interactive Slice Direction and Modify Form to your needs. Most importantly, it includes animates Assembly Instructions that guide you step-by-step how to put together your creations. It's also integrated with Autodesk so that you can export your 2D build plans as EPS or PDF files. Finally, there's an extensive 123D Community from where you can download models and projects from users all around the world.

123D Make is aimed at serious 3D modelling professionals so it can be a bit overwhelming for beginners but for a free application, it's a very impressive package.

Download 123D Make for Mac 1.0.1 in Softonic