If you turn on the TV and watch news, play video games, or see a movie, chances are you are going to see something that was created with CGI animation. There are many childrens shows that use some sort of 3D software in their creation. While the quality of these shows are probably not up to par with the latest Pixar movies, they have improved greatly in the past few years. Have the animators gotten better? Maybe, but even if they have not, the software has.

While programs such as Flash are used primarily to create 2d animation, there are a couple of 3D powerhouses in the software world. One of those powerhouses is 3D studio max or 3Dsmax for short. The major buzz around 3Ds max is that it is very new user friendly. So if you are novice just getting started, you may have better luck with this program than others out there. The company behind 3Dsmax is Autodesk and they are huge in the 3D world. A lot of video games are made with 3D studio max.

Autodesk also develops 3Dsmax’s biggest competitor, Maya. Maya is geared towards the more advanced 3D user. It has great animation capabilities, but it has a steeper learning curve. Most of the movies you see in the theater that feature some type of computer generated images will be using Maya.

For those of you who aren’t super rich, but still want to learn how CGI Animation is created, you can use a program called Blender 3D. Blender is basically a freeware 3D and animation software. Its also not dumbed down. It constantly being updated with the latest features and techniques used in the world of animation today. Many beginners tend to gravitate towards this software as well because novice animators usually do not have the money to spend on expensive 3D software.

So there you have it, entertainment is everywhere and is turning to 3D to enhance the involvement of the user. The 3D trend is moving to overturn the 2d one of the old. Now, more than ever, companies are investing in these types of software to create CGI Animation.