Easy 3D TOOLS to get you making worlds and avatars in no time!

In short: all about CREATE, VIEW and NAVIGATE virtual worlds and avatars, using the web3D standards (vrml/x3d):

1. CREATE: to start creating 3D worlds and avatars you only need two easy and free programs: Vivaty Studio (for objects, scenes and animation) and Avatar Studio (for avatars).
2. VIEW: to see the worlds with a browser please install bs contact plugin and check the correct browser configuration.
3. NAVIGATE/LAUNCH: To navigate online worlds or launch your own worlds, in a multiuser environment using avatars, please go to BabelX3D/ABNet3 server.

Vivaty Studio (VS)

A free program for Windows platform(*), is the essential tool for vrml/x3d creators. Easy to work with and covers (almost) all aspects  involved in vrml/x3d creation: objects, animations, avatars and (also) vrml code scripting.
Vivaty Studio has been around for more than a decade, started as Spazz3D in VRML old days, changed to VizX3D with X3D norm, later as Flux Studio and now Vivaty Studio. Vivaty Studio is not limited to vrml/x3d creation and can import/export most popular 3D formats(**). Its importance and utility is recognized by  Web3D consortium and it is now officially downloaded from there.

»Download from Web3D.org

Alternatives/complementary software
An interesting and very easy program to complement Vivaty Studio is Doga L3 (http://doga.jp/). Exports to VRML and other formats. English info here: http://www.doga.co.jp/english/english_t/products/L3.html. Look for more usefull Doga info and models at:http://3dalpha.blogspot.pt/p/doga-l3.html

(*)if you need a specialized vrml/x3d editor/modeler for other platforms look for Xj3D and other applications on W3C resources page
(**) for other 3D modelers adequate to vrml/x3d creation, look below (4- Other modelers)

Vivaty Studio Tutorials

Tutoriel Vivaty Studio 
An education wiki about Vivaty Studio. This page is written in French and was created by Schneider Bertrand. 
Phillip Hansel 
A complete guide made for Flux Studio, now called Vivati Studio.
Donza's 3D 
In this page you can find tutorials to built 3D worlds. 

VRML/X3D with Vivaty Studio (in portuguese) 
---> Support files here.

A set of short Illustrated Tutorials (vcard & others, in portuguese) 
Another set of short Illustrated Tutorials (artur, in portuguese)

A playlist of 12 video tutorials

Avatar Studio 2 (AS2)

A free program. Is the most advised (and the easiest) to create avatars for vrml/x3d worlds.

»Download a ready to go portable version  avatar_studio2_eng_portableFLY.zip  (already includes the addon below)

»If you already have AS2 - use this addon to generate flying avatars and have other enhancements:  BabelX3D_Avatar_Studio_addonPack.zip

Alternatives/complementary software
An interesting program to complement AS2 is Seamless3D. Imports Avatar Studio avatars and exports them to VRML/x3D in order to be used in virtual worlds.
Avatars can be created with vivaty studio and other known and powerfull 3D tools (blender, 3D ST Max, ...) but not as easily as with avatar studio and you need to know VRML/X3D code.

Avatar Studio Tutorials

Video Avatar Studio - Program features show

Video Avatar Studio - Another video with Portuguese subtitles

A set of short Illustrated Tutorials (vcard & others, in portuguese)
Another set of short Illustrated Tutorials (artur, in portuguese)

Tools

Test your Avatar

Other info

Avatars for bs contact (bitmanagement)

BS Contact plugin

A vrml/x3d visualizer and plugin for Internet Explorer, Firefox and other browsers. Lets you view 3D objects, avatars  and visit multiuser worlds in a browser window.

»Download version 7.212 from bitmanagement.com
 The recommended version for Babelx3d/ is 7.212 or lower. Later versions (like ver 8.0) are not adequate due to compatibility problems.

Bs Contact, info and docs

The best version that supports babelx3d is 7.212 (Later versions have compatibility issues and are blocked by babelx3d/ABNet server)

-Presentation video

-A beautifully illustrated manual

-BS Contact 7.2 - Release Notes

-File types supported by version 7.212

Browser

Internet Explorer is the browser ABNet3/BabelX3D was conceived for. Try to access babelx3d worlds with it and all will work well.

Alternatives/complementary software
Firefox and Chrome can be used as well if you install IE Tab add on :

• Firefox users install IE TAB V2  add on (look here to install it)
• Chrome users install IE TAB for Chrome (look here to install it)

Look for more info here

Babelx3D/ABNet Server

A free multiuser online server to easily make your vrml/x3d worlds available online with avatars and interaction.

»Navigate online worlds: visit the main site http://www.odisseia.univ-ab.pt/ABNet2 with a list of worlds.
»Launch your own world with  the world launch page

-See the help page .

Accutrans 3d

Provides accurate translation of 3D geometry between the file formats used by many popular modeling programs. A perfect complement for Vivaty Studio users since this is the full version program of the plugin Vivaty Studio uses to export/import 3D formats. Although not a free program, can be downloaded and fully used indefinitely. 

»Download from micromouse.ca/

Tutorials

Visit the home page for help and tutorials: micromouse.ca/

MeshLab 

A free program. MeshLab is a powerful open-source system to convert 3D formats and for manipulation of 3D meshes. It supports most known 3D formats, and has several types of filters and operators for remeshing, reducing, cleaning, and modifying 3D structures.

»Download from meshlab.sourceforge.net

Tutorials

blog that reports small tutorials, hints and practical examples of stuff done with MeshLab: meshlabstuff.blogspot.com

123D Catch

Is a free app from Autodesk that lets you easily create 3D models from photos you take of virtually any object.
»Download from 123dapp.com/catch/

MeshMixer, a free app that lets you edit easily the mesh of 123 Catch objects and correct some gaps or other minor corrections on the model. Alternatively you can use other 3D editors to do this.
»Download from www.meshmixer.com/

Tutorials

Check this tutorial that uses both programs

GIMP and other useful image tools

A free program. Gimp is a well known powerful image editor.

»Download from http://www.gimp.org/

Alternative: For beginners, another nice image editor. easy to use but powerful enough,  is Paint.Net
»Download from www.getpaint.net/

Complimentary: The viewer and batch image converter IrfanView is a good complement for Gimp and Paint.Net users. 

Tutorials

GIMP user manual

How To Use GIMP Photo Editor (crash course by Maximum Pc)

Audacity

Is a free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds.
»Download from audacity.sourceforge.net

Alternative: absolute beginners can try the interesting online simple editor and mixer available at http://naturesoundsfor.me/
 

Movie Maker

Free for windows users, does everything most people need to create simple videos.
»Download from Microsoft

VRMLPad 

A commercial program with a free evaluating version.

VrmlPad is a fine professional editor for VRML programming.
Key time-saving features include powerful editorial abilities and visual support for the scene tree and resource operations.

»Download from parallelgraphics.com

The evaluation version can be used to edit files up to 64k with no other limitations.

Tutorials

There is a free manual available at the download site.

Plugins & addins

• Notepad has two important plugins highly useful: Material editor and Extrusion editor. Look for info and manuals here.
• Install the updated BS Contact VRML/X3D extension nodes.
• Protos: Open Proto Library for VRMLpad  

Chisel - VRML Optimisation Tool

A free program for improving the quality, performance and reliability of VRML worlds. Chisel offers authors a wide range of tools for working with VRML files: diagnostic tools for locating errors, cleaners for converting dangerous and cluttered code to safe and clean code, lossy and non lossy data reducers, file reorganizers, special effects and compression..

»Download from http://www2.hrp.no/vr/tools/chisel/install.htm

Tutorials

-Chisel (HVRC Edition) User Documentation

-http://www.neeneenee.de/vrml/documents/chisel/doc/chiseldoc.html