3D is one of the most popular graphic design trends right now: while creating 3D illustrations and icons can be delicate, many resources are available to help.
You can, for example, use 3D tools that allow you to create your idea "from scratch" or start from a library of ready-to-use illustrations or icons, freely editable.
Below you will find the most interesting resources currently available.
1. Spline
Spline is a 3D design tool that makes it easy to create and publish 3D web objects. With this tool, you can create geometric shapes, modify textures, import 3D models and insert text.
Inside Splineyou will also find a template library that can be exported with a single click.
The channel YouTube of Spline provides some tutorials and the tool is cross-platform: it is available for Windows, Mac OS and Linux.
Currently in Alpha, Spline is available to download for free.
2. VECTARY
Now here's a collaborative online 3D design platform called Vectary: in Vectary as in Spline, you can create your 3D elements from scratch or draw from a large library of free scenes, templates and textures.
Thanks to a clever drag-and-drop system, you can easily design your 3D scenes, your mockups and insert elements of typography.
In addition, you can create photorealistic renders in just a few minutes, all directly from your browser.
Not thrilled about working in a browser? No problem — Vectary offers plugins to use it in Figma and in Sketch.
3. Naker
Naker is a no-code suite of tools for creating interactive 3D content, and no-code.
Behind Naker lies a software suite and its 3D website design tool so that anyone can unleash their creativity by creating interactive, immersive, and responsive digital experiences; Naker even allows for virtual reality!
4. Patches
Visual programming environment for WebGL, WebVR and other HTML5 APIs, Patches allows live preview, network communication, publishing, and has a catalogue of "patches" that can be used as building blocks, freely modular.
Complex logic can be nested using subgraphs, and these can be rendered directly to a specific render target or simply used as a new texture. Loops are modeled as nested graphs, evaluated once per loop iteration.
5. TinkerCAD
Developed by the giant Autodesk, Tinkercad is an online 3D modeling solution.
Mainly aimed at beginners, teachers and children, TinkerCad is based on solid construction geometry, meaning the user models their object by combining solid shapes such as cubes, cylinders, etc.
The resulting 3D models will be more or less complex, much like a LEGO construction. They can be exported in three different formats, STL, OBJ and SVG, allowing you to print your favorite models.
This modeling software is free and provides a library of files that users can modify to more easily obtain the desired shape.
6. ClayGL
ClayGL is an open-source graphics library that enables the creation of 3D web applications, such as drawing an interactive 3D city plan from a real geographic map.
The tool is easy to use and has a quick learning curve. ClayGL is no less powerful, supporting high definition, an advanced web viewer and a strong zoom, while remaining lightweight.
You can download the software and consult the documentation as well as examples on the site of ClayGL.
7. TripDiv
Julian Garnier has developed a web application to build and manipulate 3D shapes in CSS. The interface is very attractive, and offers a panel that shows your creation from an angle that lets you appreciate its 3D character, rotating it as you like. Three other panels show the creation from different right angles, so you can drag it in the directions you want.
A much-appreciated feature of Tripdiv : in its preview mode, a button allows you with a single click to move your 3D object to CodePen. You can use it with Chrome, Safari and Opera.
8. SketchUp
The 3D modeling software SketchUp is sometimes known by its former name, SketchUp Maker. It is free and easy to use, so it is suitable for beginners. The software includes a library of ready-to-use 3D models but you can create your own model.
Exporting can save creations as STL files or to the cloud.
If you want more, you'll need to use the paid SketchUp Pro software.
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