Graphics Tools and Resources
Posted: 2002-12-11 11:39pm
For the benefit of everyone out there, here is a brief list of graphics tools and resources online. This list is so far oriented towards image creation but I'm interested in adding gallery sites and wallpaper sources as well.
Basic image viewing and manipulation
IrfanView http://www.irfanview.com
[Free][Windows]
Views virtually all image file formats and will resample, color-reduce, recompress and convert images. Free for non-commercial use
Heavyweight 2D image editing
Adobe Photoshop http://www.adobe.com/photoshop
[$$$][Windows][Mac]
Premier image editing tool currently on the market. Extremely expensive and extremely powerful.
The Gimp http://www.gimp.org
[Free-GPL][Linux][Windows]
Primier image editing tool for Linux/Unix. Slightly less powerful than Photoshop but much cheaper and more difficult to use.
Paint Shop Pro http://www.jasc.com
[$$$][Windows]
Cut down image editor most useful for light-duty web image creation. Less capable than the GIMP but easier to use.
2D Illustration/drawing
(vector graphics)
Adobe Illustrator http://www.adobe.com/illustrator
[$$$][Windows][Mac]
Premier vector graphics and illustration package on the market. Expensive and difficult to use but widely used professionally.
Macromedia Designer http://www.macromedia.com
[$$$][Windows][?]
Illustration tool created by Macromedia
OpenOffice drawing tool
[Free-open source][Windows][Linux][Unix][Mac OSX]
Basic drawing tool included with OpenOffice. Rudamentary functionality.
Kontour
[Free-open source][Linux][Unix?]
Drawing tool component of the KDE office suite. Formerly Killustrator until Adobe sued for trademark infringement.
2D Scifi Images
TBD - suggestions?
3D Rendering
POV-Ray http://www.povray.org
[Free-source available but restricted][Windows][Mac][Linux][Unix]
Probably the most widely used free renderer on the planet. Script based and very flexable but difficult to master. Creation of complex shapes generally requires the use of a 3rd party modeler.
Wings3D http://www.wings3d.com
[Free-open source][Windows][Mac OS X][Linux]
Extrusion box modeler most useful in conjunction with POV-Ray. Easy to use. No rendering support; strictly a modeler.
Blender http://www.blender.org
[Free-open source][Windows][Linux][Mac OS X][Unix]
Full modeling, animation and rendering package. Hard to learn but reasonably powerful. Reciently open-sourced.
Lightwave 3D http://www.newtek.com
[$,$$$][Windows][Mac][?]
Professional broadcast-quality 3D modeling, animation and rendering tool. Extensively used for TV and movie VFX. Expensive but very powerful and fairly easy to use. Fast renderer. Poor character animation support. Substantial student discounts available. Free restricted-use 'learning edition'-demo available.
3DStudio MAX http://www.discreet.com/
[$,$$$][Windows][?]
Professional-quality 3D modeling, animation and rendering tool. Extensively used in the games industry. Not regarded as good enough for broadcast or movie VFX use without an add-on rendering plugin. Resource hog. Slow. File formats not portable to other tools. Unstable. Expensive and difficult to use.
Maya http://www.aliaswavefront.com
[$$,$$$][Windows][Linux][Mac?]
Premier 3D modeling, animation and rendering package. Used for movie VFX. Full version sells for $17,000USD (no typo). Cheaper versions available for substantially less (<$2000, $0) but have smaller feature sets. The state of the art for 3D tools.
SF-related 3D meshes
The Imperial 3D Archives http://imperial.star-fleet.org
[Trek][Wars][B5][Other]
Various file formats used. This site is now the only(?) remaining source for SWMA meshes.
Star Trek Australia http://www.startrekaustralia.com/
[Trek]
Good source of targets.
Eon 3D http://www.eon3d.com/index.htm
[B5]
High-quality B5 meshes in Lightwave format
Additional suggestions?
Basic image viewing and manipulation
IrfanView http://www.irfanview.com
[Free][Windows]
Views virtually all image file formats and will resample, color-reduce, recompress and convert images. Free for non-commercial use
Heavyweight 2D image editing
Adobe Photoshop http://www.adobe.com/photoshop
[$$$][Windows][Mac]
Premier image editing tool currently on the market. Extremely expensive and extremely powerful.
The Gimp http://www.gimp.org
[Free-GPL][Linux][Windows]
Primier image editing tool for Linux/Unix. Slightly less powerful than Photoshop but much cheaper and more difficult to use.
Paint Shop Pro http://www.jasc.com
[$$$][Windows]
Cut down image editor most useful for light-duty web image creation. Less capable than the GIMP but easier to use.
2D Illustration/drawing
(vector graphics)
Adobe Illustrator http://www.adobe.com/illustrator
[$$$][Windows][Mac]
Premier vector graphics and illustration package on the market. Expensive and difficult to use but widely used professionally.
Macromedia Designer http://www.macromedia.com
[$$$][Windows][?]
Illustration tool created by Macromedia
OpenOffice drawing tool
[Free-open source][Windows][Linux][Unix][Mac OSX]
Basic drawing tool included with OpenOffice. Rudamentary functionality.
Kontour
[Free-open source][Linux][Unix?]
Drawing tool component of the KDE office suite. Formerly Killustrator until Adobe sued for trademark infringement.
2D Scifi Images
TBD - suggestions?
3D Rendering
POV-Ray http://www.povray.org
[Free-source available but restricted][Windows][Mac][Linux][Unix]
Probably the most widely used free renderer on the planet. Script based and very flexable but difficult to master. Creation of complex shapes generally requires the use of a 3rd party modeler.
Wings3D http://www.wings3d.com
[Free-open source][Windows][Mac OS X][Linux]
Extrusion box modeler most useful in conjunction with POV-Ray. Easy to use. No rendering support; strictly a modeler.
Blender http://www.blender.org
[Free-open source][Windows][Linux][Mac OS X][Unix]
Full modeling, animation and rendering package. Hard to learn but reasonably powerful. Reciently open-sourced.
Lightwave 3D http://www.newtek.com
[$,$$$][Windows][Mac][?]
Professional broadcast-quality 3D modeling, animation and rendering tool. Extensively used for TV and movie VFX. Expensive but very powerful and fairly easy to use. Fast renderer. Poor character animation support. Substantial student discounts available. Free restricted-use 'learning edition'-demo available.
3DStudio MAX http://www.discreet.com/
[$,$$$][Windows][?]
Professional-quality 3D modeling, animation and rendering tool. Extensively used in the games industry. Not regarded as good enough for broadcast or movie VFX use without an add-on rendering plugin. Resource hog. Slow. File formats not portable to other tools. Unstable. Expensive and difficult to use.
Maya http://www.aliaswavefront.com
[$$,$$$][Windows][Linux][Mac?]
Premier 3D modeling, animation and rendering package. Used for movie VFX. Full version sells for $17,000USD (no typo). Cheaper versions available for substantially less (<$2000, $0) but have smaller feature sets. The state of the art for 3D tools.
SF-related 3D meshes
The Imperial 3D Archives http://imperial.star-fleet.org
[Trek][Wars][B5][Other]
Various file formats used. This site is now the only(?) remaining source for SWMA meshes.
Star Trek Australia http://www.startrekaustralia.com/
[Trek]
Good source of targets.
Eon 3D http://www.eon3d.com/index.htm
[B5]
High-quality B5 meshes in Lightwave format
Additional suggestions?