3D Software Packages: Free vs Paid
Students often ask what the difference is between high level production software like Maya or ZBrush in comparison to a free open source software like Blender or 3D Coat.
No disrespect intended, but one major issue is that free software often lacks the foundational structure and/or a tools pipeline to integrate into other software.
What that means to a video game studio is that in a real-time production pipeline, modeling packages like Maya and Blender can talk to game engines like Unreal and Unity to properly transfer one asset to another. Free software often lacks the full capability to do so.
If a studio attempts to utilize a free open source modeling package, they may lose valuable time and assets making custom scripts, functions, and tools to integrate it into their other software and their pipeline. If it takes a studio seven months to develop an auto rigging pipeline from Blender to Unity that accurately integrates and exports the animation, model, materials, and rig seamlessly because one artist decided to rig a character in Blender, then there is going to be cause for concern.
For the artist with a pre-existing workflow utilizing free software there is hope!
Studios will, on occasion, allow artists to use what they need to get the job done as long as it fits within the studio’s bounds. At the end of the day, a 3D model can be generated in a handful of software; integration into a Game Engine is of higher importance than in what package the model was created.
