xNormal vs HandPlane Baker

Struggling to choose between xNormal and HandPlane Baker? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

xNormal is a Development solution with tags like normal-mapping, baking, texturing, 3d-models.

It boasts features such as Baking normal, ambient occlusion, curvature and other maps, Intuitive interface, Advanced auto-mapping tools, Supports high-poly and low-poly models, Can export maps in various formats, Has cage-based baking, Good for hard surface models and pros including Free and open source, Easy to use, Produces high quality maps, Saves time compared to manual mapping, Very customizable settings, Active community support.

On the other hand, HandPlane Baker is a 3D Graphics product tagged with 3d-modeling, digital-sculpting, retopology, baking, texturing.

Its standout features include Sculpting brushes for shaping organic models, Retopology tools for creating clean topology, Texture baking for transferring high-res details to low-res models, Intuitive interface optimized for 3D modeling workflows, Real-time rendering engine for instant feedback, Undo history for non-destructive editing, Poseable primitives for blocking out models, Customizable interface and shortcuts, Supports common 3D file formats like OBJ, FBX, etc., and it shines with pros like Specialized for organic modeling and sculpting, Very intuitive and easy to learn interface, Powerful sculpting and retopology tools, Great performance even on lower-end hardware, Affordable pricing compared to other sculpting apps.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

xNormal

xNormal

xNormal is a free and open-source 3D mapping software used to bake high-quality normal, ambient occlusion, curvature, and other maps for texturing 3D models. It has an intuitive interface and advanced tools for automatically generating optimal maps.

Categories:
normal-mapping baking texturing 3d-models

XNormal Features

  1. Baking normal, ambient occlusion, curvature and other maps
  2. Intuitive interface
  3. Advanced auto-mapping tools
  4. Supports high-poly and low-poly models
  5. Can export maps in various formats
  6. Has cage-based baking
  7. Good for hard surface models

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Easy to use

Produces high quality maps

Saves time compared to manual mapping

Very customizable settings

Active community support

Cons

Limited to baking maps, not a full 3D app

Steep learning curve for advanced features

Can be slow on high-poly models

Lacks some features of paid apps

Occasional bugs/crashes


HandPlane Baker

HandPlane Baker

HandPlane Baker is a cloud-based 3D modeling and sculpting application for creating organic models and characters. It has an intuitive interface and tools for sculpting, retopology, and baking textures.

Categories:
3d-modeling digital-sculpting retopology baking texturing

HandPlane Baker Features

  1. Sculpting brushes for shaping organic models
  2. Retopology tools for creating clean topology
  3. Texture baking for transferring high-res details to low-res models
  4. Intuitive interface optimized for 3D modeling workflows
  5. Real-time rendering engine for instant feedback
  6. Undo history for non-destructive editing
  7. Poseable primitives for blocking out models
  8. Customizable interface and shortcuts
  9. Supports common 3D file formats like OBJ, FBX, etc.

Pricing

  • Freemium
  • Subscription-Based

Pros

Specialized for organic modeling and sculpting

Very intuitive and easy to learn interface

Powerful sculpting and retopology tools

Great performance even on lower-end hardware

Affordable pricing compared to other sculpting apps

Cons

Lacks advanced rendering and animation features

Texture baking could use more options

No ZBrush-style layers for non-destructive sculpting

Limited native CAD and hard surface modeling tools