Development Tools
From Dpfileswiki
(Redirected from GAME MAKING TOOLS)
Making games requires a lot of different software. There's a lot of different tools available on the market, so here's a list of ones you may find useful -- including many free ones. Don't hesitate to add links to any good tools you find!
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2D Art
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Free
- Gimp: Open-source alternative to Photoshop
- Paint.net: Another free alternative to Photoshop
- Ultimate Paint: A art program with a freeware version
- ASE: An open source sprite editor
- Pixia: Free art program, in many languages
- Tile Studio: A tool for making tile-based games: contains a bitmap editor for creating tiles and sprites and a map editor for levels
- Microsoft Expression Family: A vector and bitmap editing suite, (free preview edition).
- Inkscape: Open-source vector graphics editor
- Synfig: Open source 2D vector animation for producing feature-film quality animations
- Xara Xtreme: Open source graphics software
- AutoTrace: Converts bitmaps to vector graphics
- HDR Shop: Tool to work with high-dynamic range images
- Wood Workshop: Procedural texture generator for Wood
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Paid For
- Adobe Photoshop: The standard image editing tool, for good reasons.
- Pixel: An affordable image editing program that's similar to Photoshop
- Art Rage: An art program that feels like traditional art techniques (paint, watercolor, charcoal, etc.) - free version also available.
- GraphicsGale: A shareware pixel art animation editor
- Pro Motion: A graphics editor similar to the old Deluxe Paint
- PD Pro Digital Painter: Another painting program
- Corel Painter: Art software made to recreate traditional painting with a digital tablet
- Genetica: Procedural texture generation and editing application featuring seamlessness and high resolution.
- Paint Shop Pro: An image manipulation and drawing program
- PhotoSEAM: Image editor for creating seamless photo realistic textures from photos or from scratch
- Corel Draw: Vector-based image creation software
- Moho: A vector-based drawing and animation tool. It includes a bone system for simpler 2D animation
- ToonBoom Family: A vector drawing and animation with 3D stage, severeal versions available for indies to studios.
- Studio Artist: Auto-rotoscoping and art based on photos or videos
- Texture Maker: Texture creation tool
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3D Art
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Free
- SketchUp: Easy to use 3D modelling software by Google
- Blender: Open-source 3D rendering software
- MilkShape 3D: A free low-polygon 3D editor
- Biturn: Converts between different 3D models and picture formats used in games
- K-3D: Open source 3D modelling and animation software
- Misfit Model 3D: Open source 3D model editor
- OpenFX: Free modelling package, similar to 3DS Max
- TrueSpace 3: Free 3D authoring tool
- Wings 3D: Free modelling tool
- Povray: Free raytracer
- YafRay: Another free raytracer
- Ornatrix: Hair simulator
- Gelato: Hardware accelerated rendering
- 3D Canvas: A drag-and-drop based 3D modelling package
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Paid For
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All-Round 3D Packages
- 3ds Max: The most popular 3D modeling tool for games
- Maya: Another popular modeling and animation tool
- Lightwave: Modelling and animation tool
- Softimage XSI: Powerful 3D modelling software
- Cinema 4D: Easy to use modelling, animation and rendering software
- Game Space: Low-poly 3D editor
- Lightray 3D: 3D modelling software
- Realsoft 3D: Another modelling package
- Carrara: Modelling, animation and rendering
- AIST: Cut-down version of Realsoft 3D for users dabbling in 3D
- Equinox 3D: Shareware modelling software
- Animation:Master: Affordable, yet powerful animation software
- Pixels:3d: Mac-only 3D package
- Shade: Modelling and rendering package
- EIAS: Animation software
- Houdini: 3D animation tool
- Strata: 3D package targeted at illustrators
- Truespace 7: 3D modelling package
- 3D Canvas Plus/Pro: A drag-and-drop based 3D modelling package
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Modelling
- Modo: A NextGen modeler and renderer.
- Rhinoceros: NURBS modeling software
- AC3D: 3D Modelling software
- ZBrush: Virtual sculpting and 3D painting
- Silo: Modeling software
- Amapi Designer: Modelling package particularly good for organic objects
- Form-Z: Modeler often used in industrial projects
- Hexagon: Sub-division modelling tool
- solidThinking: Easy to use NURBS modelling software
- TurboCAD: CAD package
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Character and Facial Animation
- Natural Motion: Mixes physics with 3D animation for adaptative animations
- Evolver: Create character heads easily
- Mova: Detailed face motion capture
- Di-o-matic: Character animation plug-ins
- Endorphin: Artificial motion capture data generated with AI "actors"
- Facegen Modeller: Simple face creation package targeted at game artists
- Genhead: Head generation software
- Lifestudio:Head: Another head creation software, including automated lip-syncing
- Messiah:Studio: Character animation package
- Motionbuilder: Industry standard solution for editing keyframe or motion-capture data
- Poser: Popular figure-posing application
- Simi Motioncap 3D: Lets you produce motion-capture data using a camcorder and a PC
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Rendering
- VRay: Powerful rendering system
- Renderman: Rendering software used by Pixar
- Mental Ray: Rendering Software
- Maxwell Render: Rendering software that simulates the physics of light in a completely accurate way
- Artlantis: Renderer aimed at architectural visualization
- Finalrender: 3ds Max renderer
- Turtle: Very fast renderer, aimed at games developers
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Landscape Generation
- Vue: Environment modelling software
- Bryce: Environment modelling software
- Mojoworld: Landscape generation in which you can create entire planets
- World Construction Set: Technical but powerful landscape generation package that's great when you need real-world accuracy
- Worldbuilder Genesis: Another landscape generation program
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Compositing
- Fusion: Compositing tool
- After Effects: Popular compositing package
- Combustion: Desktop compositor by Autodesk
- Nuke: High-end compositing software
- Shake: Powerful compositor, use in films and TV shows
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Camera Tracking and Matchmoving
- Boujou: Camera and object tracking
- 3D-Equalizer: Camera tracking package
- MatchMover Pro: 3D tracking package
- MMTrack for Maya]: MatchMover plug-in for Maya
- PFHoe: Very affordable tracking software
- PFMatch: Embedded tracking for Shake
- PFTrack: One of the most complete tracking packages on the market
- SynthEyes: Low-cost camera tracking software
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Other
- Ultimate Unwrap 3D: UV mapping editor for games
- Bionatics: Procedural plant modelling suite
- BodyPaint 3D: Create textures directly on 3D models
- Syflex: Cloth simulator
- Massive: Crowd simulation software
- Real Flow: Fluid dynamics simulator
- 3D SOM Pro: Creates 3D models automatically based on photographies of an object
- Antics: Real-time pre-visualisation tool
- Deep Exploration: Translates a wide variety of file formats into one another
- Frameforge 3D Studio: Pre-visualisation package
- Glu3D: Easy and affordable fluid simulation
- ImageModeler: Automatically generates 3D models based on photos
- iModeller 3D Pro: Another image-based modelling tool
- NuGraf: Converts many file formats to each other
- ParticleIllusion: Creates 3D-looking particle effects in 2D
- StoryViz: Pre-visualisation package
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Font Tools
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Free
- Bitmap Font Writer: A free program that let you draw text using a font where each character is drawn in a bitmap file
- Bitmap Font Generator: Makes a bitmap font from a Truetype font
- Bitmap Font Builder: Makes it easy to create bitmap fonts for use in OpenGL and DirectX
- Codehead's Bitmap Font Generator: Another bitmap font generation program
- Splite Slicer with Font Mechanic: Creates bitmap fonts and optimizes space usage
- FontMaker 2: Creates a font from a picture file you've already created
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Creative Writing
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Free
- FreeMind: A free project-, concept- and idea-mapping software
- Seventh Sanctum: A collection of random story element, character and setting generators
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Documentation
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Free
- Open Office: An open-source alternative to Microsoft Office
- Dia: An open-source flowchart program (similar to Visio)
- Open Workbench: An open-source project management software (like Microsoft Project)
- Many developers use a Wiki site (such as this one) to document and manage their projects. It's easy to modify, to keep up to date and to cross-reference. There's a very large number of different wikis, so here are useful sites to get started.
- WikiMatrix: A site that compares all the different wikis available, so you can make an informed decision.
- Twiki: An easy to use wiki with many extensions available.
- MediaWiki: The system behind Wikipedia.
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Paid For
- Microsoft Office: The standard office software
- SmartDraw: Easy to use flowchart software
- Microsoft Project: Project planning and management software
- WordPerfect Office: Corel's office suite
- StarOffice: Affordable office suite by Sun
- Visio: Microsoft's diagram software
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Level Editing
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Free
- TUME This is the map editor we used for Earthworm Jim! :)
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Paid For
- Deled: 3D level editor
- Freeworld 3D Affordable 3D world editor
- T.ED: Shareware terrain editor
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Programming
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Free
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Express Edition: Special Learning Version of Visual C++ 2005.
- Turbo Explorer Compilers and IDEs: The all new Turbo C++, Turbo Delphi, Turbo Delphi for .NET and Turbo C#. Programming with Turbos is easy and fun!
- Java: The basics you need to develop in Java.
- NetBeans: A powerful out of the box IDE for Java, C/C++ and more; excellent for (J2ME) development.
- Eclipse: A very powerful open-source development environment for Java.
- Subversion: Powerful and free version control system.
- TortoiseSVN: A version control tool that interfaces with Subversion.
- LCC-win32: An easy-to-use and effective C compiler and IDE (free for non-commercial use).
- Bugzilla: An open-source bug-tracking software.
- UPX: Compresses executables.
- NVPERFHUD: A performance analysis tool that's a component of NVPerfKit; it shows how a game uses the GPU.
- TNT Basic: An open-source programming language for Mac OS X.
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Paid for
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2005: Used by most professional Game Programmers
- FogBugz: Easy to use bug-tracking software
- Qube! for Games: A build system that distributes the build across large clusters of inexpensive servers
- Alienbrain: Asset management system
- Slick Edit: A powerful and highly configurable text editor
- Incredibuild: Cuts down Visual Studio build and compilation time by distributing it on the network
- Havok: Physics engine for games
- Testrack Pro: Bug tracking software
- Perforce: Software configuration management
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Sound Effects
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Free
- Audacity: An open-source sound editing tool
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Paid For
- Steinberg Wavelab: Audio recording, mixing, editing and mastering
- Sony Soundforge: Audio recording, mixing, editing
- Adobe Audition: Audio recording, mixing, editing and mastering
- AudioEdit Deluxe:A powerful sound editing and converter tool with lots of effects
- NGWave: Audio editing
- Goldwave: Audio editing
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Music
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Free
- Beast: Tool for music composition and synthesis
- Buzz Tracker: Machine based tracker
- MODPlug: Freeware tracking software
- MusE: Midi and audio sequencer
- Psycle: Open-source music creation studio
- Skale Tracker: Another tracker, similar to the old FastTracker
- Hydrogen: An advanced drum synthesizer, open source
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Paid For
- Pro Tools: Industry standard in music production
- Cubase: Popular professional music sequencing tool
- Logic Pro: Professional level music sequencing for the Mac
- Propellerhead Reason: Complete music production system
- Ableton Live: Popular music production tool for the Mac
- Acid Music: Loop and sample based music creation program
- Cakewalk: Powerful Midi creation program
- FL Studio: Easy tool for creating music
- Garritan Personal Orchestra: Music creation suite
- NoteWorthy: Affordable notation authoring tool
- Renoise: Tracking software
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Development Environments
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Free
- Adventure Game Studio: Allows you to create point-and-click adventure games
- The Scrolling Game Development Kit: Open source platform games creator
- DizzyAGE: A set of tools used to create Dizzy games in the classic adventure style
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Paid For
- Flash: Lets you create online animations, games and more
- Game Maker: Drag & Drop game creation
- The 2D Shooter Game Creator: Lets you create your own shooting games (e.g. Time Crisis)
- The 3D Gamemaker: Simple game creation software
- FPS Creator: Lets you create simple first-person shooters with no programming
- Power Game Factory: Create side-scrolling platform games for Mac OS X
- RPG Maker XP: A tool for making old-school Final Fantasy style RPGs
