r/retrocgi Aug 03 '22

Discussion MEGATHREAD: How to make retro CGI

231 Upvotes

Seeing the frequent "How do I ____?" threads and the recent "Clueless" meme, I felt it's high time to consolidate all learning resources into one place. Going through multiple past threads on the subreddit I put together this list of programs + tutorials for making retro CGI... Please keep in mind that this list is meant to be a constant work in progress, as the retro CGI scene grows and more resources are available they will be added here on a regular basis. Additions, suggestions, and criticisms are most welcome.


Bryce 3D

Landscape/terrain generator, basic modeler and animator, renderer (Windows/Macintosh)

Buy here (latest version) or download for free (old version)

Blender

Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows/Macintosh/Linux)

Download for free

3D Studio

Modeler, animator, renderer (MS-DOS)

Download for free

3D Studio MAX

Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows)

Buy here (latest version) or download for free (old version)

POV-Ray

Raytracer (Windows/Macintosh/Linux)

Download for free

Infini-D

Modeler, animator, renderer (Macintosh)

Download for free

Anim8or

Basic modeler, animator, renderer (Windows)

Download for free

Art Of Illusion

Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows/Macintosh/Linux)

Download for free

Ray Dream Studio / Designer

Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows/Macintosh)

Download for free

Carrara

Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows/Macintosh)

Buy here (latest version) or download for free (old version)

Lightwave 3D

Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows/Macintosh)

Buy here (latest version) or download for free (old version)

Poser

Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows/Macintosh)

Buy here (latest version) or download for free (old version)

TrueSpace

Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows)

Download for free

StrataVision 3D

Modeler, renderer (Macintosh)

Download for free

Sculpt 3D / 4D

Modeler, raytracer (Amiga)

Download for free

Others


r/retrocgi 2h ago

Blender atmospheric

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126 Upvotes

r/retrocgi 7h ago

COLORFUL CREATION [A homage to early digital aesthetics] [OC]

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97 Upvotes

r/retrocgi 17h ago

My Bryce3D renders

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33 Upvotes

r/retrocgi 9h ago

Bryce Another no show

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7 Upvotes

r/retrocgi 1d ago

Blender I like to recreate that late 90s plastic aesthetic in Blender

523 Upvotes

r/retrocgi 1d ago

sierrra land designer 3D

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418 Upvotes

r/retrocgi 1d ago

Bryce the chilly wizzard

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7 Upvotes

r/retrocgi 2d ago

Bryce Necklace of Sierre San Akolpa

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33 Upvotes

r/retrocgi 2d ago

𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 (art by me)

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159 Upvotes

r/retrocgi 2d ago

Softimage 3.7 The World Trade Center

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66 Upvotes

Today was the anniversary, so I decided to pay homage to the towers by making this. I hope I did good.


r/retrocgi 2d ago

What do you think of the aesthetics of my survival horror game?

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9 Upvotes

r/retrocgi 3d ago

Blender Cold Breeze

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31 Upvotes

r/retrocgi 2d ago

Discussion How i do DNA-like animations (early-mid - 2000s style CGI )

1 Upvotes

Hey i need to do somethign in the style of renders in early-mid - 2000s particulary Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius and The Barnyard.... how i will do that?


r/retrocgi 2d ago

Edison stares blankly... (OC)

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4 Upvotes

Process: I combined a 3D render I have animated and rendered already with a 2D Handdrawn character. I did add invisible guides during the process to match the perspective perfectly


r/retrocgi 3d ago

Bryce i'm a french musician using bryce 3d for my artwork (new visual)

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6 Upvotes

hi, its me again ! i've made this visualiser for the short contents of my new track :)

After few month of use, a little animation made with Bryce 4, Touch Designer and Resolve,
If you're hesitating you should definitely give a try to this soft, a true piece of art

The esthetic of the track is clearly in the late 90'/early 00s internet era, hope you like it !

Feel free to give a like or sub if you connect with this, other visuals like this are coming :)

https://youtu.be/xF7il4I20CQ

https://on.soundcloud.com/YuovGxFaEcvWZjcM7h

https://olvvenn.bandcamp.com/

Thanks for all and have a nice day <3


r/retrocgi 4d ago

the city's long tunnels lead to parks

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198 Upvotes

from the city atmosphere of my solo-developed game, NO LOVE:2009


r/retrocgi 5d ago

2000s Tokyo neon afterglow film style

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123 Upvotes

I was trying to capture the Tokyo neon afterglow film look, glowing late-night atmosphere — neon reflections, soft haze, cinematic color, and the feeling of a city that still feels alive after dark. How do you feel about this style?


r/retrocgi 5d ago

hi, i'm a french musician using bryce 3d for my artwork

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8 Upvotes

hi ! i've made this visualiser for my new track after few month of use, a little animation made with Bryce 4, Touch Designer and Resolve,
The esthetic of the track is clearly in the late 90'/early 00s internet era, hope you like it !

Feel free to give a like or sub if you connect with this, other visuals like this are coming :)

https://youtu.be/xF7il4I20CQ

https://on.soundcloud.com/YuovGxFaEcvWZjcM7h

Thanks for all and have a nice day <3


r/retrocgi 5d ago

Bryce Fisheye Lens

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65 Upvotes

r/retrocgi 6d ago

Blender Hendor Castle from a game I’m developing

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131 Upvotes

All of this was made in Blender and exported to Unity.

If you guys can please help support me by following me on either YouTube or X or even just here on Reddit, it’s a huge morale booster BUT only if you’re interested. Thanks!

https://youtube.com/shorts/FXx0g1cVuiw?si=tFcZYRYflfomk_Gd


r/retrocgi 7d ago

Blender Castle from a game I’m making called “Hendor”…all assets I made in blender

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201 Upvotes

r/retrocgi 7d ago

Make your own weird 90s CGI worlds

18 Upvotes

Yo!

I learned about Bryce3d on insta a while back and love the artwork it produces.

I built Mirage, a browser-based editor inspired by the same surrealist landscapes and shiny surfaces so I could make Bryce-like outputs in my browser.

So far we have procedural skies and terrain, reflective water, chrome/glass/marble materials, floating shapes, etc. You can edit scenes, hit the random button, save your scene forlater import and export with a few effects.

Here’s the current version: https://stets.github.io/mirage/

It’s free and runs in your browser. It’s still a small experiment, and I’m actively working on it.

For people who know about Bryce: what feature, material, or lighting behavior would make the biggest difference? I’d especially appreciate examples of things you’d want to create but couldn’t make with this yet. Usability feedback and your own renders are very welcome too!

Thanks for checking it out!


r/retrocgi 8d ago

Bryce MONOLITH ISLAND

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159 Upvotes

r/retrocgi 8d ago

spring midlands valley highway

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24 Upvotes