What is Cheetah3D?
Cheetah3D is a powerful and user-friendly 3D modeling, rendering, and animation software developed exclusively for Mac. It provides a full suite of tools for creating 3D artwork, character animations, and visual effects, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced users. The software supports polygon, subdivision surface, and spline modeling, along with a node-based material system for texturing.
With integrated features like the Bullet physics engine for dynamics simulation, UV unwrapping, and global illumination rendering, Cheetah3D enables users to produce high-quality images and animations. It also includes scripting capabilities via a JavaScript API and supports various file formats for import and export, facilitating seamless workflow integration with other applications and platforms.
Features
- Modeling Tools: Full set of polygon, subdivision surface, and spline modeling tools
- Animation System: Joint-based character animation with rigging and keyframe animation
- Dynamics Simulation: Integrated Bullet physics engine for rigid and soft body dynamics
- UV Editing: Powerful UV unwrapping and texture painting capabilities
- Rendering: Global illumination, raytracing, HDRI, and caustics for high-quality images
- Node-Based Material System: Create and manage materials using a node-based interface
- Scripting API: JavaScript API for extending functionality with custom tools and objects
- File Exchange: Import/export support for FBX, STL, 3DS, OBJ, DAE, SCN, USDZ formats
Use Cases
- Creating 3D artwork for iPhone games
- Designing product models for 3D printing
- Producing architectural fly-through animations
- Simulating physics-based effects like falling objects or waving flags
- Texturing and painting 3D characters or objects
- Rendering high-quality images for marketing or presentations
- Developing custom tools or plugins via scripting
- Sharing 3D models with game engines or social media
