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Links to the web sites of companies that make computer software related to the CG and animation industries are provided in this section. These are simply the tools.

Commercial Software

Autodesk Maya (formerly Alias)- The big daddy of CGI packages, contrary to popular belief, it is the most used package globally, but it can be argues is more suited to large teams and full pipelines such as that of feature film CGI than that of small teams such as in games.

Lightwave 3D - Sometimes refereed to as the hobbyist choice, Lightwave has a much nicer learning curve than Maya, at maybe the expense of power / versatility but can serve as a good way to learn the foundations, it's also cheaper.Some of the BP team started with Lightwave. It's character tools are good, it's renderer is extremely accurate and its it can be seen used on such current features as Serenity and Battlestar Galactica.

Autodesk 3DS Max - Another big name in big business, 3DS Max is another global leader in CGI production. the future should be interesting now that Autodesk own both leaders in the CGI industry. Autodesk also make some good post-productions solutions.

Adobe - These guys have lots of essential software for hobbyists and professionals alike. Photoshop, Premiere and After Effects being the main ones for those interested in CGI.

Free Maya Rigs (more updates soon)

Lowman - A brilliant general rig for those one want to concentrate on acting and not lip syncing.

Generirig - An extremely fun character with slightly more controls than Lowman, the most note worthy is that this character has full lip sync and facial controls and a custom UI.

Free Software (more updates soon)

Blender - For all those who can't afford £5,000 for Maya, meet Blender, an opensource CGI package, and it's an extremely capable one at that. The best thing about Blender as with all opensource kit is that its constantly being updated, if a major bug is found, the team will fix it within days. In huge multinational corporations like Autodesk, the wheels turn slower, and you usually have to wait for bi-annual point releases and even then it's unlikely. With Blender and a few free software tools (links coming soon) you good potentially make your own almost Pixar quality feature film for free all on your own providing you had all the artistic skill. Go on, try it, you have nothing to lose, there's a great community too.