A productive Rant about Blender Vs Nomad Sculpt

Blender Vs Nomad Sculpt which will you use

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Blender Vs Nomad Sculpt
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As someone who is passionate about 3D sculpture, I was beyond ecstatic when I learned about Nomad Sculpt & Blender a couple of years ago.

I’ve always been curious about whether or not there was a way I could sculpt on a tablet and get the results to look as good as they do in Blender.

The price of Blender was the primary factor that led to its selection over Nomad. Nomad and Blender both are good products.

Blender is a 3D creation suite that is both open source and free to use.

Check out our 🌐The Ultimate Guide mastering 3D sculpting  with Nomad Sculpt ! Upgrade your 3D sculpt skills with the right tools today.

It is capable of supporting all aspects of the 3D production pipeline, including modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, motion tracking, and even video editing and the creation of games.

Blender’s Application Programming Interface (API) for Python scripting allows advanced users to customize the application and write specialized tools; these are frequently incorporated into future versions of Blender.

Individuals and smaller studios will find that Blender’s unified pipeline and responsive development process are to their advantage. Blender is an excellent choice for them.

The showcase provides examples drawn from a wide variety of projects that were created using Blender.

Blender is a cross-platform program that functions flawlessly on computers running Linux, Windows, and Macintosh operating systems.

OpenGL is used in its user interface to ensure a stable and reliable experience.

The list of supported platforms identifies those that are put through rigorous testing on a regular basis by the development team. This helps to ensure that specific compatibility requirements are met.

As a community-driven project that is governed by the GNU General Public License (GPL), the public has the authority to make both minor and significant modifications to the code base.

These modifications can result in the addition of new features, more efficient bug fixes, and improved usability.

Blender is your very own 3D software, and while it does not have a price tag, you can invest, participate, and help to advance a powerful collaborative tool. Blender does not cost anything.

Nomad Sculpt + Apple Ipad + Apple Pencil is a monster combo and gives a lot of power in your palm to create anything you want.  Below is sculpted, painted, and rendered in nomad I did recently.

Since the advancement in technology made by CPU, GPU, and increased RAM, applications targeted specifically for Modelling, Digital art (Including Hand Drawn) and sculpting have become increasingly popular. Forger, Blender, and Nomad are popular choices.

Blender 3D. It’s by far the best free 3D application in my opinion, and frankly, despite it being free, it has lately started seriously catching up with the aforementioned paid 3D applications in almost every regard.

Quick Comparison…

  • Blender is free. While Nomad sculpts while it is not expensive, is still paid $14.99 for a lifetime…
  • Apple Pencil is bloody amazing. But you can do just fine even with a cheap Wacom pen on the PC.
  • The blender is on the desktop. So you’re mostly limited by your PC specs. Same with the iPad but there are more limitations there.
  • Blender offers a full pipeline. Nomad sculpt is just for sculpting.

Nomad Sculpt is a fantastic tool for learning about sculpture, but Blender and Blender offer so many more capabilities that you will ultimately want to include them in your toolbox.

Because of your decision, you can now concentrate on learning to sculpt in Nomad while you save money for the next piece of gear and software that you will need.

Your trip will begin with achieving your stated goal, and you will progress through the process of learning how to sculpt while adding extra software and hardware as you gain experience. The sculpting abilities you develop in Nomad will be transferrable to future applications.


Artmellows Etsy Shop for Custom 3D Sculpts:

Check out my Newly set up Etsy store for custom 3D-printed Tabletops & Figurines.

I Create the Custom Figurines on Nomad sculpt, and printed them on Anycubic Photon MONO X 3D printers.


Unfortunately, the reality of computer art is that you are always switching from one application to another and from one machine to another.

A computer and an app are purchased on the same day; thus, saving for the following app and computer begins on that day as well.

However, Blender is quite older than Nomad and is capable of performing tasks that Nomad cannot…yet.

As a complicated program/software with a steep learning curve, the Blender app might be intimidating.

The fact that you’ll already know how to sculpt in Nomad will help you to decrease the length of your Blender learning curve, as you’ll be able to focus on the new software.

Just sculpt every day for the time being.

We will discuss in this article whether is Nomad sculpt worth it compared to other Software like Blender

Check out our Blog on The 10 best Wacom Tablets for Graphic design and Digital Art

The Comprehensive Guide to Learn Nomad Sculpt has landed & selling fast! 500+ Downloads in 7 Countries across the globe!!…

What is Nomad Sculpt

Nomad Sculpt is an Android and iOS software for 3D modeling, texturing and rendering.

As if modeling clay, you may create models with as many as millions of polygons in Nomad.

It uses a PBR-based texturing approach and can render in real-time.

The Former Sketch fab developer StĂ©phane Ginier has developed and released Nomad Sculpt, a highly promising new digital sculpting app for iPads and Android tablets.

This $14.99 app enables artists to sculpt and paint organic characters on the move, then export the results in OBJ or glTF format to refine in other DCC software.

Nomad Sculpt has a comprehensive set of digital sculpting, 3D Painting, and Remeshing tools.

Nomad comes with a comprehensive set of sculpting tools that can be used on a touchscreen or with the iPad’s Apple Pencil stylus.

This includes a basic set of brushes such as Clay, Crease, Move, Flatten, and Smooth, as well as falloff, standard control parameters, alphas, and masking, as well as line and curve cutting tools.

The app employs a dynamic tessellation system similar to that of desktop tools such as ZBrush or Mudbox, which automatically changes the resolution of the part of the mesh being sculpted to accommodate new details.

Is Nomad sculpt worth it? The Complete Guide

Nomad Sculpt Quick Guide to Create Digital 3d Models

Nomad Sculpt is a sculpting app available for both iPad and Android. If you have an iPad, you’ll have to purchase it to download it.

On Android, however, you can download it for free and unlock the tools via in-app purchases. (Let me tell you all the free version is limited.).

Tools to Start Sculpting with Nomad Sculpt

More Information About Nomad Sculpt

What is Blender

The BlenderÂź software is a digital 3D sculpting and painting tool that enables users to create characters and environments that are rich in detail and feature stunning textures.

  • Sculpting tools that are easy to use can help bring 3D designs to life.
  • Models can be given their finishing touches with the help of flexible texture painting capabilities.
  • Get more done in less time with a layer-based workflow that’s intuitive to use.

So, Why use Blender?

Why use Blender? do you ask?
An easy-to-use digital toolkit The artist-friendly modeling tools in Blender give you the freedom to create anything your imagination can conjure up quickly and easily.

High-quality models
You are able to create both realistic and stylized models by using texture painting workflows that are accurate.

Workflows that are fluid and based on brushes
Your creations will reach new heights when you use brush-based workflows for working with polygons and textures.

What can you do with Blender

What all the possibilities are with Blender

Rendering
With the help of the high-end production path tracer Cycles, you can make renders that will blow your mind
Modeling
Sculpting, retopology, modeling, and curves are some of the terms used. Blender’s modeling toolset is extensive.

Sculpting
Tools for digital sculpting offer the power and versatility necessary for several stages of the digital production pipeline.

Animation & Rigging
Blender is a software program that was developed specifically for the purpose of creating animated short and feature films.

VFX
You are able to “fix it in the post” by performing tasks such as tracking camera and object motion, masking, and compositing.

Simulation
Powerful simulation tools are available in Blender, thanks to the inclusion of industry-standard libraries such as Bullet and MagnaFlow.

Pipeline
Integration with a variety of tools in the pipeline is an essential component in many productions.

Pros of Blender:

  • Blender customizable brushes sculpt, texture, and paint realistic 3D models. Imported models can be used to produce a high-quality basis mesh.
  • Its 3D painting and texturing capabilities can improve poly painting and UV mapping. Blender community, documentation, and tutorials make learning easy.
  • Fully Featured: Whether you do animation, modeling, VFX, or games, you name it.
  • Blender’s got you covered.
  • Free & Open Source Free to Use. Free to Share. Free to Change. Free to Sell Your Work. Blender is Free Software. Loads of free plugins increase workflow time.
  • Blender evolves every day. Experimental builds have the latest features and while there might be cool bug fixes too, they are unstable and can mess up your files. Mostly affect advanced users.

Cons of Blender

  • UI can be overwhelming without customization
  • The system contains more software documentation than a website.
  • Like other long-lived software solutions, the UI requires a revamp to better organization.

Blender Quick Guide

Available for both Windows and Mac OS.

  • Platform: Operating System – MicrosoftÂź WindowsÂź 11, 10 |AppleÂź macOSÂź 12.x, 11.x, 10.15.x, 10.14.x |LinuxÂź Red HatÂź Enterprise 8.5, 7.6-7.9 WS |Linux CentOSÂź 8.5, 7.6-7.9 |Rocky Linux 8.5
  • Check out Top 10 Tablets for Graphic Design
  • Price: ~Free to download
  • Standout features: Easy to use AppDifferent brush types, pencil sensitivity, vertex painting, working by layers, rendering, exporting- Autodesk’s answer to ZBrush provides all the tools necessary to compete when it comes to creating high polygonal models.
  • Ease of use: Easy to learn, both iPad and Android versions recommended- Blender is a brilliant software for sculpting and texturing, The interface is easy to understand and fast to learn

Is Nomad Sculpt good enough to be used professionally?

Nomad can surely be used as a wonderful beginning point for professional work If you ask me!. My fantasy of being able to sit on the couch and relax while sculpting is full-filled with Nomad Sculpt. Read my blog – What can you do with nomad sculpt? 5 Cool Things you can do with Nomad sculpt

The workflow is similar to sculpting in Blender (Free) or Mudbox, but considerably more user-friendly..

You can finish your sculpture in Nomad and then export it to Blender or Maya to Retopologize, unwrap, and texture it.

Of course, if you want to use vertex paint, you can do it in Nomad, export to Blender, and even transfer the vertex paint to UV maps after the model has been unwrapped.

Read my Blog – How to Get Started with Nomad sculpt – The Complete Beginners Guide

(Vertex Paint: Painting on 3D mesh could be more complex than you think. Vertex painting is when you are able to paint on 3d mesh as it is. 

While industrial painting software like Substance Painter ( Also Mobile Devices App – Procreate) utilizes UV texturing. So you basically sort out your mesh by unwrapping UVs within Maya or Blender before painting on it). 

Why I feel my art is not good enough- Explained

Nomad Sculpt is an excellent tool to start learning to sculpt, but Mudbox and Blender have so many more capabilities that you’ll want to add to your skill set in the future.

The benefit of your choice is that you can now focus on learning to sculpt in Nomad Sculpt while saving for new hardware and software.

As you indicated in your aim, you are on a trip to learn to sculpt, and as you progress, you will add new software and hardware.

You’ll be able to use the sculpting abilities you acquire in Nomad in future applications.

The unfortunate reality of computer art is that you are constantly switching from one app to the next and from one computer to the next.

You begin saving for the next app and computer the day after you purchase an app and a computer.

Nomad is fantastic, and I adore it, however, Blender is quite older and capable of performing tasks that Nomad cannot…yet.

Blender is a sophisticated beast with a learning curve- can be a bit overwhelming for beginner sculptors.

The Blender interface is overwhelming and intimidating besides it is impossible to sculpt in Blender unless you have Wacom Tablet or a substitute.

This problem is solved when you are sculpting on your tablet sitting comfortably on your couch while watching Netflix.

Besides, you’ll shorten your Blender learning curve by learning to sculpt in Nomad Sculpt because you’ll already know how to sculpt and can focus solely on the new software.

Nomad Sculpt Vs. Blender

Features

Nomad Sculpt is a great tool to learn to sculpt but Blender ( an Open source software) has so many more features that you will eventually want to add that software to your skill set.

The advantage to what you chose is that now you can concentrate on learning to sculpt in Nomad Sculpt while you save for the next hardware and software.

From the goal, you stated you are on a journey learning to sculpt and over time you’ll add other software and hardware as you learn.

The sculpting skills you learn in Nomad Sculpt App will translate to future software.

The sad truth about digital art is you always move from one app to the next and from one computer to the next.

The day after you buy an app and a computer is the day you start saving for the next app and computer.

Nomad is amazing and I love it, but Autodesk- Mudbox is twenty years older and can do things Nomad can’t
yet.

15 + Best Human Anatomy Books for Artists

Learning Curve

Blender is a Medium – High complex high learning curve beast. Well, You might have heard Blender has a notoriously steep learning curve. You’ve heard this before, right? But the thing is, It is essential to gain a foundational understanding of the subject matter before moving on to project-specific tutorials.

Learning Blender requires a significant time commitment, as was mentioned previously. If you choose the wrong tutorial series, you could end up wasting a significant amount of time.

On the other hand, Nomad has quite a light-medium Learning Curve, and my cent -By learning to sculpt in Nomad Sculpt you’ll reduce your Blender’s learning curve because you’ll already know the features, tools, how to sculpt and can concentrate on just the new software & its Features.

Devices/ System Requirements

Nomad sculpt is completely On the go and used only on iPads and Andriod Devices including Mobile devices.

Oops! Blender is not on the Go- need a Desktop to use this software. Blender is cross-platform, it runs on every major operating system.

Blender System Requirements:

CPU64-bit Intel or AMD multi-core processor
Graphics HardwareGraphics card with 2 GB RAM, OpenGL 4.3
RAM4 GB of RAM (8 GB or more recommended)
Disk Space2 GB of free disk space for install
Pointing DeviceThree-button mouse
(Source – Autodesk)

Supported Graphics Cards

Always make sure to install the latest drivers from the graphics card manufacturer’s website. These requirements are for basic Blender operation, Cycles rendering using the GPU has higher requirements.

NVIDIA

GeForce 400 and newer, Quadro Tesla GPU architecture and newer, including RTX-based cards, with NVIDIA drivers (list of all GeForce and Quadro GPUs)

AMD

GCN 1st gen and newer. Since Blender 2.91, Terascale 2 architecture is fully deprecated, try using 2.90 (albeit not supported, it might still work) [list of all AMD GPUs]

Intel

Haswell architecture and newer. [list of all Intel GPUs]

macOS

Version 10.13 or newer for Intel processors on supported hardware. Version 11.0 for Arm-based processors (Apple Silicon).

Pricing

Nomad Sculpt is One Time Buy for USD 14.99 ( For iPad)and free for Android Tablets( Very Limited Features)

Blender is Free to download

Blender Pricing – Blender is Free Software. You are free to use Blender for any purpose, including commercial or education. This freedom is defined by Blender’s GNU General Public License (GPL).

Is Nomad Sculpt good enough to be used professionally compared to Blender?

This depends on what is one expecting from a sculpting app

  • Creating and sculpting 3D objects?
    Yes, Nomad Sculpt’s easy UI lets you achieve Creating & Sculpting 3d Objects. Check out my video here
  • Can Nomad Sculpt do Painting?
    Yes, you have Basic vertex painting tools in Nomad, letting you achieve already amazing results.
  • UVs for texturing?
    Yes ! Since the latest version 1.6.2
  • Can Nomad Sculpt help in Rendering?
    Almost yes. The results are breathtaking for a real-time output on tiny devices. But Subsurface scattering Just to mention one missing thing is leveling up other renders.
  • Adding easily fine detail objects, like hair, fabric, fur?
    No, Nomad Sculpt is on its way but not there.
  • Can Nomad Sculpt help with Posing?
    Possible, but far away from optimal. However, you can use 3rd party tools like POSEit( Poseit is an App) to get the work done.

As an Illustrator Nomad Sculpt is maybe all you need – combined with painting and vector apps, for 3D, no.

But no sculpting app except Blender is offering everything you need to solve all tasks in 3D. And Blender is not perfect in any solution it offers.

My verdict

Blender lets you create highly detailed 3D characters using amazing digital tools and I love how I can imagine things sketch them and finally work on the original thing.

It’s user-friendly. You don’t even need words when you can see clearly the product idea from all the different angles, with Blender in less than one hour you can draft a great model that works as an amazing starting point. Blender is an awesome software for modeling, texturing, and lighting. However, I’d say a bit challenging learning curve for amateurs & beginners.

On the other hand, Nomad Sculpt lets you enter this amazing field of 3D sculpting with wonderful ease giving you the most satisfying results. In general, Nomad Sculpt is a reliable tool with a lot of experience. Shoot for the top of her head and her weapons should not provide an issue.

It’s not like taking fair battles is something you should do; instead, knock them on their asses first and then murder them to knock them over the edge of the planet.

Overall, I would say that it is a fantastic beginning place for professional work and should be used as such.

The approach is comparable to that of sculpting in Blender or Mudbox, but Nomad Sculpt is (in my view) far more user-friendly and straightforward More Importantly Beginner friendly. But if you are looking at Industry Standard High quality sculpts go for Blender

In Nomad Sculpt, you can create your whole sculpture and then export it out of the application, bringing it into Blender or Maya to re-topologize, unwrap, and texture it.

Of course, if you want to use vertex paint, you can do it within Nomad, export it to Blender, and even move the vertex paint to the UV maps once the model has been unwrapped and rendered.

However, For More & professional Design Options Blender will be better.

Pro Tip: I would say, By learning to sculpt in Nomad Sculpt to start with you’ll reduce your Blender learning curve because you’ll already know how to sculpt and can concentrate on just the new software & new/Complicated Features in BLENDER.

If you are keen on Learning Nomad Sculpt- get this ebook that can help you with the Basics of Nomad Sculpt. Click here to purchase the Nomad Sculpt Comprehensive Guide

Nomad Sculpt download in Apple store .. Click here

The Future of Tablet-Based 3D Modeling

Mobile applications receive a great deal of investment and attention.

In 2021, Maxon, the creator of Cinema 4d, acquired Forger, one of the most popular iOS applications.

To my mind, with technological advancements and the attention of large companies, it’s only a matter of time before 3d art on mobile devices becomes more mainstream.

Final Thoughts

I hope this article has convinced you of the value of mobile modeling and sculpting. It’s a lot of fun and a dream come true for 3d artists (or at least me).

I strongly encourage you to give it a try with time and practice, regardless of your level of experience you will be amazed at what Nomad Sculpt App has to offer you and what you will be able to achieve.

I believe it will only grow in popularity in the coming years and only get better.

What are some alternatives to Nomad Sculpt & Mudbox

When comparing forger and Nomad Sculpt, you can also consider the following products

ZBrush – ZBrush is a digital sculpting and painting software solution.

Blender – Blender is an open-source, cross-platform suite of tools for 3D creation.

meshmixer – meshmixer is an experimental 3D modeling tool for making 3D mashups without too much hassle.

Sculptura – 3D sculpting for everyone

Putty3D – SCULPT ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

About the Author:

Manny Acharya is the co-founder of Artmellows. Your Goto place for Design, Digital Art, Digital sculpting, Photography, Design Tools & Gears Info, and Product Reviews. Manny is a Digital Artist, 3D Sculpt Designer, Ardent Photography, Drone flying Enthusiast & Tech Lover. He supercharges Digital Art & Design by crafting memorable 3d Sculpts & 2D Design & Art.

PS: Manny has created a Beginner Friedly ebook to Learn Nomad 3d Sculpt App. Know More about the eBook. Know more about Manny