The 3D Handbook
Part 2 — Tools
Chapter

The software landscape

Read these pages in order, or jump to the one you need.

  1. Choosing tools: an overviewOverviewHow to pick 3D software for game environment work by cost, platform, licence, pipeline fit and job prospects, with starter kits for three budgets.
  2. Software licensing explainedTopicWhat perpetual, subscription, revenue-capped, education, non-commercial and open-source licences mean for the tools you use, and what each allows for portfolio and paid work.
  3. A free and open-source pipelineGuideHow to make game-ready 3D assets and environments with free and open-source tools only - Blender, Krita, GIMP, Material Maker, ArmorPaint, Meshroom, TrenchBroom and Godot - with licences, platforms, the handoffs between them, and where the gaps are.
  4. Modeling softwareReferenceA neutral directory of polygon, procedural, CAD, low-poly, browser and tablet modeling tools for game environment work, plus the Blender add-ons environment artists use most, with platforms, licence models and October 2026 prices.
  5. Sculpting softwareReferenceA neutral directory of desktop, tablet, browser and VR sculpting tools for rocks, cliffs, damage and organic environment detail, with platforms, licences, October 2026 prices and current status.
  6. UV, retopology and baking toolsReferenceA neutral directory of UV unwrapping and packing tools, manual and automatic retopology tools, LOD optimisers and texture bakers, with platforms, licence models and October 2026 prices.
  7. Texturing and material softwareReferenceA neutral directory of 3D painting, node-based material, photo-to-material and AI material tools, 2D image editors and free material libraries for game texturing, with platforms, licences, October 2026 prices and current status.
  8. Game enginesReferenceA neutral directory of game engines and creation platforms used for environment work, with editor platforms, licence terms and recent licensing history.
  9. Level editors and blockout toolsReferenceA neutral directory of in-engine blockout tools, brush-based editors and modding editors used to build and test level layouts before final art.
  10. Photogrammetry and scanning toolsReferenceA neutral directory of desktop photogrammetry software, phone scanning apps and Gaussian splat capture, plus capture equipment notes for game environment work.
  11. Vegetation and procedural toolsReferenceA neutral directory of tree and plant generators, terrain generators and procedural world-building frameworks for games, with platforms, licences and status.
  12. Reference, review and presentation toolsReferenceA neutral directory of reference boards, image libraries, collaborative whiteboards, renderers, 3D viewers, portfolio hosts and screen-capture tools for environment artists.
  13. Asset libraries and asset licencesReferenceWhere to get ready-made 3D assets, textures and HDRIs - Fab and Megascans, Poly Haven, ambientCG, Sketchfab, the Unity Asset Store - what CC0, CC BY, Standard and Editorial licences allow, and how to use bought or free assets honestly in a portfolio.
  14. AI-assisted 3D generationTopicWhat generative AI tools for 3D can and cannot do in 2026 - text- and image-to-3D services such as Meshy and Tripo, AI texture features in Substance 3D and Unity - plus licences, the quality of their meshes, industry attitudes, platform policies and the legal debate.
  15. Modding and user-generated content toolsReferenceThe free editors that let you build inside existing games - UEFN, Roblox Studio, Minecraft add-ons, Source 2 Hammer, the Skyrim Creation Kit, Halo Forge and Quake-style editors - with what each costs, what you can import, and what each teaches an environment artist or level designer.