Its licenses allow committed enthusiasts to get on board as well. It is one of the best CAD software suites but it is strongly tied to 3D printing. 3D printer professionals should try its cousin - Autodesk Fusion 360.įusion 3D is for anyone that produces advanced 3D parts and needs equally advanced software to model it. However, you should only purchase it if you need those features. Maya is one of the best 3D modeling programs and an extremely versatile and professional animation suite that just happens to have the ability to export for 3D printing. Some of its latest features include prebuilt graphs from fire to snowstorms, more natural-looking hair, adaptive liquid simulation, realistic deformable materials (cloth/clothing), an improved motion library, and much more. Of course, this is just a tiny fraction of what Maya can accomplish. Exporting is as easy as exporting your selection as STL. A few handy features include measuring scales so you can print within your printer’s volume and automatic hollowing (think table legs slotting into the tabletop). Their simple interface for modeling is great.

In that sense, if all you want to do is do a few 3D prints of some items you have found online this definitely isn’t for you. Individuals and small teams can create mockup presentations, video game ideas, or entire previsualizations of films before studios get on board. This ranges from modeling for 3D printing, simulations for prototyping, and it’s most sought-after feature – animation. It’s a top-tier software for a wide variety of 3D modeling tasks.

The price of an annual Maya subscription is $1,620 but it is definitely worth it.

3d design software free easy to use