Before anything else, are you familiar with
3d modeling and animation? 3D models are created by manipulating polygon meshes and molding them into objects,characters and scenes. Even if you don't have formal art training you still have the chance to do great work in 3d. Personally I'm one of those 3d enthusiast, but never had the chance to study it deeper.
I'm having a little research right now about what 3d softwares are popular and easy to use. For sure it would not be easy for beginner like me. The following is a selection of some of the most popular 3d design packages that you can choose from:
Blender - is an all-in-one 3D modeling and animation suite. It can be used to produce computer-generated images and movies. It is open source freeware, so it costs nothing to use. Blender was originally developed by Dutch company NeoGeo, then made available as a commercial product by subsidiary Not A Number. When NaN shut down, one of its founders set up the not-for-profit Blender Foundation and worked to raise funds to buy the rights to Blender. Consequently, Blender is now under the GNU General Public License which makes it open source and free for anyone to use. There are many other 3D modeling suites, but some of them cost thousands of dollars. Blender costs not a single penny.
Lightwave 3d - also is large 3D design software package as Maya and 3ds Max for modeling, animation, rendering, particle FX and dynamics. This graphic software package is available both for Windows and Mac platform. "LightWave 3D 8 Revealed" allows you to master concepts on both a technical and artistic level. Begin by examining the concept behind each task?the goal and the necessary features that are involved. Then go in depth with the objective of your task as you study examples and learn... More the steps necessary to complete it. Working your way through comprehensive, step-by-step lessons, you?ll develop the confidence you need to create amazing animation and graphics using LightWave 3D.
Cinema 4d - has been making a real name for itself in the world of 3D recently by offering an excellent value main application, which provides all the power that most users will ever need, along with the option of adding further dedicated modules if required (the Advanced Render and MOCCA character animation modules have been updated as part of the launch). Further extensibility comes from the program’s excellent integration with wider workflows through unique features such as multi-pass Photoshop PSD rendering and the ability to work hand-in-hand with After Effects and now Final Cut and Combustion. What really makes the program stand out though is its ease of use.
3d Studio Max - dominates the video game development industry, is a popular 3D programs with hobbyists, and some companies use Max in film and television production as well. Max provides a workable modeling, animation, and rendering solution out of the box, but most of the system's power comes from the huge market for plug-ins and add-ons that are available for it, for example, plug-ins are available to render self-shadowing volumetric smoke, or to simulate sophisticated fluid dynamics, and Max was the first program to get plug-ins to render 3D scenes directly into Flash animations. As an industry standard for multi-media content development, Max has been the first to get plug-ins for tasks such as rendering directly to Flash animations. There are even several add-on rendering systems that give Max more powerful raytracing and global illumination capabilities, although the cost of adding high-end rendering capabilities to Max can make it as expensive as a more powerful animation package such as Softimage|XSI.
Now I leave it up to you, which software are you comfortable to use. Different strokes for different folks though.
