Art of Illusion

Art of Illusion

Art of Illusion is a free, open source 3D modeling and animation suite. It allows users to create and texture 3D models, animate them, and render high-quality images and video.
Art of Illusion image
3d modeling animation rendering graphics open-source

Art of Illusion: Free 3D Modeling and Animation Suite

A free, open source 3D modeling and animation suite for creating and rendering 3D models, textures, animations, and high-quality images and video.

What is Art of Illusion?

Art of Illusion is a free, open source software for 3D modeling, texturing, and animation. Developed by Peter Eastman, it has been under steady development since 2002.

Key features of Art of Illusion include:

  • Modeling tools like extrude, lathe, polygons, curves, etc. to create detailed 3D models
  • Wide range of texture and material options - color, diffusion, specularity, bump maps, environment maps etc.
  • Skeleton based animation with keyframe and positional animation
  • Raytracing renderer to create photorealistic renderings and support for additional third-party renderers
  • Scripting and plug-in support for customizations and workflow enhancements

Art of Illusion can be used by beginners and professionals alike to create 3D graphics for design visualizations, 3D printing, animation, simulations, and even video game asset creation. The easy to use interface and comprehensive features make it a good open source alternative to commercial tools like Maya or 3ds Max.

Art of Illusion Features

Features

  1. 3D modeling
  2. Texturing
  3. Animation
  4. Rendering
  5. Scripting

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Cross-platform

Powerful features

Active community support

Cons

Steep learning curve

Limited documentation

Not as polished as commercial options


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