By a bizarre twist of fate 3DS Max is now owned by the same firm that publishes its age rival, Maya, yet the pair of heavyweight 3D applications remain the two main choices for animators working in the three-dimensional realm. Although Maya’s popularity has increased of late (perhaps largely due to its superior accessibility for newcomers), 3DS still remains a key player within the industry, and this latest incarnation significantly improves upon the wire-frame mapping approach of the past.

Perhaps the biggest innovation within version 8 of the app is the inclusion of a ‘pelt mapping’ feature. For the benefit of those who don’t work for Pixar or Rockstar Games, this is basically a device for ‘unwrapping’ a wireframe model in order to paint its exterior. This can save you a lot of time and unnecessary Photoshop tomfoolery when working with organic objects, such as human faces or characters. However, it isn’t so adept at handling non-organic objects like cars, streets or houses, as the results are typically very liquidy.

As always, 3DS Max allows you to be very precise in terms of the mapping of your creations, perhaps even more so than Maya. Besides the standard mapping tools, the application now contains all manner of alignment features to ensure that you get pinpoint accuracy when modelling. What’s more, 3DS now contains more flexible options for relax, the tool that averages UVs and allows for the automatic relief of texture distortion. If used in conjunction with another function, show edge distortion, then the mapping of your characters becomes all the easier.

There are dozens of other features within the software that will help you produce stunning 3D models without tearing your hair out. We were particularly taken with the render UVW template function, allowing very quick template rendering of your prepared UVs, either in wireframe, filled, mapped or shaded versions. With a raft of skinning and modelling tools, 3DS Max gives you very precise control over your models, without having to code or program every co-ordinate, making it a very user-friendly option.

Naturally, the cost of the full version of the program will put off many 3D hobbyists, but for serious animation professionals it’s an application that is to be ignored at your peril. Although it remains to be seen whether there will be an amalgamation with Maya, 3DX Max remains a world leader in its market and, given enough patience, can be used to transform the outer limits of your imagination into a fantastic reality.

Download Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 in Softonic

Silo 2 is an extremely accomplished and complex 3D modeling application that is able to switch between what the developers call "high-polygon models" to "controlling hard-edged surfaces."

For anyone new to 3D modeling, this won't mean much and working out how to use Silo will be a job in itself. Silo can be used for creating anything from 3D characters for video games and movies to exploring 3D architectural ideas. So it's great for those developing games or those that are involved in interior design or construction.

This is no user-friendly product, though. It's designed for developers and designers who really know what they're doing as Silo is used at top design studios and professional 3D modelers. However, it's not as complex as something like 3D Studio Max because it's a much smaller package and it does come with extensive documentation to get you started.

You can create some stunning 3D graphics and models with Silo but if you're new to the genre, don't expect to learn it in a hurry.

Download Silo 2.1.1 in Softonic

Cartoons and animation are popular the world over and it’s becoming ever easier to create your own moving characters thanks to the wealth of software available. Most of these packages such as 3Ds Max or Maya have a very steep learning curve and subsequently require months or even years of training in order to master. However, It’sMe proves to be the kind of program you can install and start creating cool characters within just a few minutes.

The basic premise of the software is to allow you to produce animated characters by editing preset 3D wireforms through a simple interface. Once you’ve defined the overall shape and features of your character you can begin to flesh it out by dressing it up in clothing, applying skin tones, and even adding your own, or a friend’s face to the creation. After this process is complete, you can move the character around and create an animation.

Although the graphics and range of motion are a little primitive compared with the more high-end applications, it’s great for playing around with and having some fun. Once you’re done, there is a healthy range of different formats you can export the animation to, meaning you can easily save it for use on the web or to simply send as an email attachment. It would have been nice to see some more preset characters and moves within the program, but if you’re looking to make your first foray into the world of computer animation, the application may fit the bill.

Download Reallusion It'sMe 2.06 in Softonic

Autodesk is pure and simply for character animation - not the modeling, animation and texturing you get in other 3D programs. With this tool, even those on a small budget can create impressive character animations. Be warned however that if you're not familiar with 3D modelling applications, this will really take some getting used to.

Autodesk MotionBuilder really is a dream for character animators though. You can perform just about any animation including complex reverse and mirrored effects. The developers say that it was originally developed for biped characters but this version now includes support for inverse-bending knees and elbows (such as those seen in animations of birds and dinosaurs. It's also been specifically designed for those that need extra control over characters that have more than two arms - great for making spectacular animations of four legged friends or monsters.

If you're a serious animator, you shouldn't be without this but amateurs beware - this is a tool strictly for the professionals.

Download Autodesk MotionBuilder 7.5 in Softonic

3D animation is not a realm that the average Joe can pick up and run with. To produce anything that even resembles a few seconds of the latest animated blockbusters, be it Ice Age or Pixar's Cars, you can expect to spend weeks or even months designing, modelling, texturing, animating, and testing before you even get to the rendering process. Anim8or is a freeware 3D design and animation app that tries to introduce anyone interested to the basic concepts of 3D.

Those dipping into the world of 3D graphics for the first time will be glad to hear that this program doesn't need to be installed, meaning that it is an easily portable and equally disposable option. Open it up and you're faced with a violet screen and a couple of toolbars that contain basic icons. These are likely not to make much sense to anyone starting out and if you have a look towards where the help file should be, it comes somewhat as a disappointment that there is none. Moving on from here, the user experience is all about trial and error, which doesn’t habitually result in stunning 3D creations.

Having experience with other software, namely Cinema 4D and 3D Studio Max, we can see a gaping discrepancy in both the limitations and usability of Anim8or. There are several vital areas in which it doesn’t perform and as such cannot be considered as a viable alternative to any “professional” 3D app. To begin, the navigation in the object window is clumsy and time consuming. It is imperative to have short-cuts that let you easily pan, zoom, or rotate, just as it is crucial to be able to have a split-screen view, letting you judge position of objects with far greater accuracy and efficiency.

However our greatest criticism comes from the fact that you cannot add light sources. Admittedly, light sources add immensely to the complicity of the software, with such a huge variety available adding elements like hard and soft shadows, visible light, and mixed light sources of multiple colours. Nonetheless, a good grasp on lighting is key to creating impressive and realistic 3D graphics, and is therefore essential in all graphics apps.

At the end of the day, Anim8or is still a work in progress but will take an awfully long time to reach a stage at which it may be of use for something more than simple 3D logos. If you do happen to spend enough time using this program to go beyond that however, you will find yourself needing to switch to a larger 3D suite and learn its interface from scratch. We would recommend that you save yourself the trouble and start using the complete package from day one. On the other hand, if you don’t have high ambitions then this may prove to be a free solution for all your 3D needs.

Download Anim8or 0.95 b in Softonic

Texporter is a small but a handy utility to unwrap any mesh in texture coordinate space. This process results a "flat" wire frame representation of your model so that you can use your favorite painting software to paint color, bump, shininess etc maps being sure that it'll perfectly fit to the geometry when applied on it.

It's not a big or complex tool but over the years its become very popular according to the developer and a standard tool for any 3ds max graphic designer.

Download Texporter 3.4.7.9 beta 2 in Softonic

Alteros3D is a 3D/2D graphic viewer with a customizable interface. The program allows you to view any 3D files (3DS, MAX, VRML, TrueSpace, LightWave and many other formats), as well as 2D graphical files (PSD, TIFF, PNG, JPEG, BMP, GIF and many others). Built-in text editor allows viewing and editing TXT and RTF files.

Alteros 3D can also display HTML files and other documents via OLE interface (requires installed Internet Explorer). Built-in mediaplayer plays DVD-video disks, Video and Audio files. Alteros 3D allows you to open any number of documents simultaneously. Convenient file manager is used in order to switch between the documents designed in Windows Taskbar style.

Program interface can be easily set up with the help of the skins. Besides, Alteros 3D has its own desktop files format- ADESK. Using ADESK files you can create graphical interfaces with the program start up commands, files and directories display. ADESK files can be used as Alteros3D start up interface.

Download Alteros 3D 2.8 in Softonic

Axialis AX-Cursors allows you to create all kind of static cursors (extension CUR - sizes from 16x16 to 72x72, custom sizes, black & white to 16,8 Million colors). When done, you'll be able to customize the Windows default mouse pointers with your own cursors (Arrow, Wait, Move, Resize...). If you're a developper, what a nice touch to add your own cursors in your applications!

Use the advanced editor to create animated cursors (extension ANI). Many features permits to make smooth animated pointers. You can edit each frame in a powerful editor (see features of the static editor above). You can also specify the display delay of each frame and see a live preview of your pointer.

Axialis AX-Cursors features a powerful feature that permits you to create an animated ANI cursor from an Autodesk® FLI/FLC file. Autodesk® FLI is the standard animation format used by 3D modeler applications like 3DS Max® or Cinema 4D®. Just create your 3D object, animate it and save it as FLI. Creating your ANI file will be a child's play with Axialis AX-Cursors.

Download Axialis AX Cursors 4.5 in Softonic

3D Kit Builder is a fully interactive 3D graphics program which introduces 3D modelling and Computer Aided Design (CAD) concepts to all ages.

Each model kit has around 80 to 120 parts and the job takes about as long as would a plastic model kit. Yet, this is a virtual version and it indirectly teaches how to become a 3D game artist. So kids can get a taste for something stronger such as 3D Studio Max.

Interactive 3D CAD modelling (e.g: 3D Studio Max) usually requires a powerful computer but 3D Kit Builder is lightweight enough to run on your average PC. This allows a wide audience to experience the fun of 3D. This design constraint limits the 3D model and texture image complexity but ensures the program is fully interactive on any PC. Yet, even with these limitations, you can still do some nice things such as add reflective surfaces to the 3D models.

When the kit has been constructed, up to 9 visual effects are "unlocked" depending on the difficulty level. These effects include: turning off texture images, lighting or showing the triangle surfaces in wireframe. Each visual effect helps to demonstrate the anatomy of a typical 3D model. Supporting documentation teaches how and why each element is used. For example, "normals" are used to calculate lighting effects.

Download 3D Kit Builder (Police Helicopter) 2.2 in Softonic