Powerful additions to your toolset
In the realm of game development, the more tools you have, the more you can do. Blender and Maya are two of the most powerful tools you’ll find, as they are industry leaders in art and animation software. These applications add a lot of flexibility to game development and, ultimately, help you create better games. Here, we’ll explain why both Blender and Maya are excellent additions to your toolset as you start creating games in Unity.
More than art and animation
Blender has been a favorite for indie studios and small teams for more than a decade. That’s not surprising, as Blender is a free, open-source software that packs some serious power. What’s more, Blender is regularly updated to remain technologically relevant and be able to produce high-end creations.
Autodesk Maya, while not free, has become an industry standard. Just about every blockbuster movie and AAA game released this decade has had some of its visual effects, animations and 3D art created in Maya (or its counterpart, 3ds Max).
People automatically think of art and animation when they think of Blender and Maya. What many people don’t know is that these animation software applications do much more. Blender and Maya have many other benefits and features, allowing users to:
- Create fully fleshed out 3D models (game assets)
- Produce outstanding visual effects
- Assemble full scenes and environments
- Perform full scene rendering (turn a 3D setting into an image)
- Install add-ons that expand all of these capabilities
Considering all of the features and functions in both of these software suites, it’s no wonder that Blender and Maya are leaders in more than just art and animation.
Seamless importing into Unity
Having to convert third-party project files to be able to use them with other applications is time-consuming. It can also be unreliable, even with software products that promise compatibility. But natively importing project files from Blender and Maya is easy with Unity.
To import Blender assets into Unity, click Assets > Import New Asset on the Unity menu bar, then find and open your .blend file.
To use Maya files in Unity, click Assets > Import New Asset on the Unity menu bar, and look for and open Maya’s .fbx file.
Design and development converge
As a game creator, your main concern will always be having everything you need to make the game you’ve envisioned. At Unity, we believe that game creation, particularly for new developers, should always be efficient and enjoyable.
Combining these programs with Unity unleashes powerful design and development capabilities. Using Blender or Maya with Unity is hassle-free: no complicated pipelines, no special installations or conversions, and every tool you need to succeed in developing your first game. With all of this creative power at your fingertips, you’ll be on your way to making truly amazing games.