Top 3 3D Animation Software

Ever wondered what is the mantra that helps create the magic of 'Madagascar', 'Kung Fu Panda', 'The Adventures of Tintin', and such computer generated graphics (CGI) supported movies? The answer - 3D Animation Software. 3D animation software is like any other software, with an interface and programming, which gives the mind-blowing final effects that we see on the large screen. If you want to create something mind-blowing like the above movies, here are the 3 best 3D animation software you can buy. However, before buying any 3D animation software, there are some factors one should consider.

Before You Buy 3D Animation Software

3D animation software is a powerful software with many features and options. Unfortunately, such a powerful software requires a powerful computer to run it efficiently. A normal, every-day-use desktop computer will not be able to tap into the full potential these software have to offer. Each of the 3 software listed below has its own minimum requirements, but these are the common requirements. For one, people running 3D animation software should have a colossal machine, with at least 2 GB of RAM being the minimum to run any good 3D animation software, and 4GB of RAM recommended. The computer should also have a good enough and competent graphics card, or Graphics Processing Unit, (GPU). On-board graphics will simply not do to run these software, and a dedicated graphics is a must. Last but not the least, of course, all processes of a computer depend on the speed of the central processing unit, the CPU. To put it more simply, one should have a higher-end graphics oriented machine, to make a full usage of 3D animation software. The minimum in this category is an Intel® Pentium® 4 1.4 GHz or equivalent AMD® processor with SSE2 technology. Processors lower than these may have problems in 'rendering' and other processes in 3D animation software.

There are quite a few 3D animation software available in the market today, both commercial and free. Of course, every animation software comes with its own price tag, feature lists and spec ops. Here is a briefer on the top three 3D animation software available in the market today.

Top 3D Animation Software

Maya
This is the software that actually uncrowned 3ds Max from the throne of being the best 3D software around. Ever since Maya was released, it was preferred over 3ds Max by professionals around the world. Maya had an easy interface and had as many, if not more, features as compared to 3D Max 5. Today, Maya can be used for linear as well as non-linear animation, character building and character animation. One feature that it beat all its competitors with was the extensive shading and lighting effects and options. Graphics and animation professionals for various media like television and movies use Maya extensively. In 2003, it won an Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement, and in 2008 won another Academy Award for Technical Achievement for the design and implementation of the Maya Fluid Effects system.

Originally developed by Alias Systems Corporation, Maya has now been bought over by AutoDesk, with the current version priced at $4,995 (The Autodesk® Maya® Entertainment Creation Suite 2012).

3ds Max
Unlike Maya which was developed by Alias Systems Corporation, 3ds Max, or 3D Studio Max as it was formerly called, is owned and developed by Autodesk. One of the first massively used 3D animation software. Even today, it is used extensively for budget video games, movies and television serials. However, 3ds Max has, as of today, lost out to Maya as far as the most popular 3D animation software war is concerned. 3ds Max allows the user to form characters, animations and character animation.

While Maya was head and shoulders about 3ds Max when it was released (Maya was released during 3ds Max 5 version), 3ds Max did give it a good competition with the release of 3ds Max 6. The current version is priced at $4,995 for the Autodesk® 3ds Max® Entertainment Creation Suite 2012.

IllusionMage
IllusionMage has emerged as one of the top 3D Animation software of recent times. The reason for this success is that it is an affordable and easy to use software with tons of tutorials included. Its features easily rival those of MAYA and 3DS MAX, both of which are considered the best 3D animation software by experts. In addition to this it is also cheaper than MAYA and 3ds Max, making it the perfect software for beginners. To top it all, IllusionMage also offers a 60-day money back guarantee, something which is not seen or matched by other 3D animation software.

IllusionMage is currently priced at $47 for the Basic Package, $76.99 for the Upgraded Package, and $489.95 for the VIP Deluxe Package.

There are many many more options available when you are searching for 3D animation software. If you are a beginner and are just starting to make 3D animations, it would be advisable for you to download a trial version of these software first, before paying the huge amounts to buy them. In that case, IllusionMage comes across as the best bet, as you can get a full refund even after 60 days of trying the full product, if you are not satisfied. However, if you are looking for professional industry standard 3D animation software, Maya and 3ds Max are still your best bet.