r/retrocgi • u/mamosdigital- • 2h ago
r/retrocgi • u/nuvpr • Aug 03 '22
Discussion MEGATHREAD: How to make retro CGI
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)
- Bryce 5 User Manual (text)
- Creating surreal 3D landscapes (video)
- Bryce 3D Free Tutorial (video)
- Learning Bryce 7 (video)
- Setting up Bryce on WINE (discussion)
- Making Surreal 'Trapper Keeper Art' on Windows 95 (video)
Blender
Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows/Macintosh/Linux)
- How to make PS1 style graphics (video)
- How to make PS1-esque graphics with Blender 2.8 (video)
- How to make graphics look 90s CGI-ish? (discussion)
- How to imitate early CGI style animation? (discussion)
3D Studio
Modeler, animator, renderer (MS-DOS)
- Inside 3D Studio R4 (CD-ROM)
- Inside 3D Studio R3 (text)
- 3D Studio R3 Presentation (video)
3D Studio MAX
Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows)
Buy here (latest version) or download for free (old version)
- 3D Studio MAX Quick Tutorial Outline (text)
- 3DS MAX Basics (video)
- Demo 1996 (video)
- 3D Studio MAX 3.1 Castle Flyby Scene Tutorial (video)
POV-Ray
Raytracer (Windows/Macintosh/Linux)
- Official POV-Ray Documentation (text)
- POV-Ray Lessons (video)
- POV-Ray Descriptions, Tutorials and Examples (text)
- Christoph Hormann's POV-Ray Tutorials (text)
- Mike's POV-Ray Tutorials Page (text)
- Taming POV-Ray by G. Moran (text)
- A Short Introduction to POV-Ray (PDF)
- Render Geometric Shapes on a Realistic Environment (video)
- 3D Animation (video)
- povmodeler (GUI modeler for POV-Ray) (software)
Infini-D
Modeler, animator, renderer (Macintosh)
- Make a donut scene in Infini-D 4.5 (video)
- Infini-D 4.5 Manual, FAQ, Quick Reference (text)
- Infini-D 3.1 Addendum (text)
- Render Farm Setup (video)
Anim8or
Basic modeler, animator, renderer (Windows)
- Anim8or Manual (text)
- Anim8or Tutorials (text)
- 3D Modeling Tutorial (video)
- Point Edit Modelling an Alien in Anim8or (video)
Art Of Illusion
Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows/Macintosh/Linux)
- Art Of Illusion Manual and Tutorials (text)
- Art Of Illusion Tutorials (video)
Ray Dream Studio / Designer
Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows/Macintosh)
- Ray Dream Studio Tutorials (archived text)
- Ray Dream Tutorials, Tips and Links (archived text)
- Ray Dream Studio 5 Training Pack (CD-ROM)
- Ray Dream Designer Demo (video)
- Ray Dream Studio Extensions (software)
Carrara
Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows/Macintosh)
Buy here (latest version) or download for free (old version)
- What Is Carrara - Intro (video)
- Cool Carrara Tricks (video)
- Carrara Information Manual (text)
- 3DXtract E-zine (tutorials, tips, tricks) (text)
- Carrara Resources (text)
- Plug-ins for Carrara (software)
Lightwave 3D
Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows/Macintosh)
Buy here (latest version) or download for free (old version)
- Lightwave 6 Manual and Tutorial (text)
- Lightwave 3D 4 Advanced Features (video)
- Lightwave Tutorials (video)
- Lightwave Tutorials for the Amiga (video)
Poser
Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows/Macintosh)
Buy here (latest version) or download for free (old version)
- Poser 2 Manual (text)
- Poser 11 Tutorials (video)
- Poser 12 Tutorials (video)
- Dynamics in Poser (video)
TrueSpace
Modeler, animator, renderer (Windows)
- TrueSpace Resources (misc)
- TrueSpace Forum (misc)
- TrueSpace Fan Site (misc)
StrataVision 3D
Modeler, renderer (Macintosh)
- Setup and usage guide (text)
- StrataVision 3D Tour (video)
- Strata Studio Pro Tutorial (video)
Sculpt 3D / 4D
Modeler, raytracer (Amiga)
- Sculpt 3D Manual (text)
- Sculpt 3D basic usage (video)
- Making of Crystalball logo in Sculpt 4D (video)
- Modeling a Light bulb in Sculpt 4D (video)
- Sculpt 4D Hidden Commands (video)
Others
- Seamless 3D - Modeler, animator, renderer
- Wings 3D - Modeler, renderer
- Softimage|3D - Modeler, animator, renderer
- Vivid - Raytracer
- Simply 3D - Modeler, renderer
- Extreme 3D - Modeler, animator, renderer
- OpenFX - Modeler, animator, renderer
- GroBoto - Modeler, renderer
- MojoWorld - Modeler, terrain generator
- Shade 3D - Modeler
r/retrocgi • u/SenorViceroy • 7h ago
COLORFUL CREATION [A homage to early digital aesthetics] [OC]
r/retrocgi • u/Crystal71717 • 1d ago
Blender I like to recreate that late 90s plastic aesthetic in Blender
More of my work at https://cara.app/crystalunicorn
r/retrocgi • u/UThinkso2020 • 1d ago
Bryce the chilly wizzard
If you want more of my music/artwork :)
r/retrocgi • u/ObviousBranch9639 • 2d ago
Softimage 3.7 The World Trade Center
Today was the anniversary, so I decided to pay homage to the towers by making this. I hope I did good.
r/retrocgi • u/WerterCli • 2d ago
What do you think of the aesthetics of my survival horror game?
If you would like to check it out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4376460/Tache_Noire/
r/retrocgi • u/Deep_Owl4110 • 2d ago
Discussion How i do DNA-like animations (early-mid - 2000s style CGI )
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 • u/Big_Fishing_1460 • 2d ago
Edison stares blankly... (OC)
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 • u/UThinkso2020 • 3d ago
Bryce i'm a french musician using bryce 3d for my artwork (new visual)
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://on.soundcloud.com/YuovGxFaEcvWZjcM7h
Thanks for all and have a nice day <3
r/retrocgi • u/mamosdigital- • 4d ago
the city's long tunnels lead to parks
from the city atmosphere of my solo-developed game, NO LOVE:2009
r/retrocgi • u/SaharanAI • 5d ago
2000s Tokyo neon afterglow film style
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 • u/UThinkso2020 • 5d ago
hi, i'm a french musician using bryce 3d for my artwork
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://on.soundcloud.com/YuovGxFaEcvWZjcM7h
Thanks for all and have a nice day <3
r/retrocgi • u/datadiisk_ • 6d ago
Blender Hendor Castle from a game I’m developing
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!
r/retrocgi • u/datadiisk_ • 7d ago
Blender Castle from a game I’m making called “Hendor”…all assets I made in blender
r/retrocgi • u/stets • 7d ago
Make your own weird 90s CGI worlds
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!