Without a doubt this company is the leading force in the 3D world.

​While Adobe has 2D all wrapped up Autodesk has the 3D world in the same nice little bundle. The Program used most exclusively in Hollywood in the movie industry for Animation and CG is Maya. The Video Game world takes a slight departure that realm and Utilizes 3DStudio Max. While Engineers and designers utilize AutoCAD. All of these software packages are owned by Autodesk.

All of the programs listed below are available for free download with the provided link on the home page under Maya. 

Maya

This is the #1 3D Animation program in the world. It is used all throughout Hollywood and in Motion pictures houses around the globe. Absolutely one of my favorite programs anywhere. This program allows you to build 3D objects, Texture them, Rig them with bones, Animate them, and then Export movie sequences out of the program to edit together and then show the world. I am desperately doing everything within my powers to not overgush here in the description of this software package. I love this program!!!! The only thing that will ever limit you in this program is your knowledge of its inner workings and your creativity!!! This program is AMAZING!!!!

3D Studio Max

The name of this program says it all!!! We are going to do 3D in my Studio to the MAX!!! This software package is the darling of every Video Game design company that I know of. In 3D Studio Max you can create 3D objects, Texture them, Rig them with Bones, Animate them, and produce files specifically designed for whatever Video Game Engine that you are working with. The interface of program is different from that of Maya and that suits Video game guys just fine. Both programs basically do the same thing as each other, they just do it in slightly different ways with differently named commands.

AutoCAD

This is the program that put Autodesk on the map, and helped them launch their empire. AutoCAD is the tool that revolutionized Drafting, Machining, and Architecture. It allowed designer to be able to produce new designs faster more efficiently and to be able to see their end product in 3D before it was ever realized in real life.

Motion Builder

I am a seriously late comer to jump on the Motion Builder bandwagon. Nevertheless that was not a luxury that I was afforded to keep for very long. I got to teach a college class at Richland College in the Dallas/Ft Worth area for a while and was basically forced into Motion Builder. Motion Builder is at its heart a way that animators can refine and fine tune animated sequences. We used it in class to edit cycles that we had created using our Motion Capture lab. I look forward into learning a lot more about it in times to come. But for now my knowledge level in this program is really pretty basic.