Forger 3d vs Nomad sculpt- which App should You use

Forger 3d Vs Nomad Sculpt

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In recent years, Mobile & Portable devices such as phones and tablets can be used for Digital art and sculpting. 

Due to the advances 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. 

We will discuss in this article  is Nomad sculpt worth it compared to other apps like Forger or Zbrush  

Nomad Sculpt

The Former Sketchfab developer Stéphane Ginier has developed and released Nomad, 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 printing, 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.

Nomad Sculpt: Nomad is a sculpting & painting mobile app, available on Android and iOS.Costs around $14.99

Nomad Sculpt is an amazing fully featured package with a post-processing tool to showcase your model. The post-processing feature in Nomad gives an upper edge when compared to Forger. But in a recent update, Forger is back in the game with a brand new 3D modeling tool along with Sculpting Mode. 

Nomad and Forger both include 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.

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This 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.

• Platform: iPad and Android
• Price: $14.99
• Key features: Different brush types, pencil sensitivity, vertex painting, working by layers, rendering, exporting,  painting
• Ease of use: Easy to learn, both iPad and Android versions recommended

NOMAD SCULPT

Pros

• Best Sculpting Experience on the go
• Impressive Post-processing  Feature
• Frequent Updates 
• Responsive Developer
• Simple & Customizable user Interface

Cons

• No Texture painting( Supports only Vertex painting)
• Auto UV Unwrap – No control

Quick Guide

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.)

The full set of features includes several brushes, primitive shapes, polygon cutting tools, and loops; the tools are also sensitive to pencil pressure. 

You can separate your modifications into different layers to easily go back and forth, and avoid damaging certain areas.

• Platform: iPad and Android – Check out Top 10 Tablets for Nomad Sculpt
• Price: ~$14.99( iPad)
• Standout features: easy to use App, Different brush types, pencil sensitivity, vertex painting, working by layers, rendering, exporting
• Ease of use: Easy to learn, both iPad and Android versions recommended
• Check out Beginners Comprehensive Guide eBook to Kick start your Journey to Nomad sculpt.

Forger App

Forger: Forger is a digital sculpting application for an artist who wants to be able to sculpt anywhere. Costs around $15 per year License.

Forger, one of the first iPad sculpting apps, is still many artists’ go-to mobile sculpting tool nearly nine years later.

I would strongly recommend having both Forger and Nomad and I have tried explaining the below reasons for the same.

Forger, at least in theory, is a far more sophisticated piece of software for its functionality to be able to integrate wand bridge with Cinema4D. You can export your model from  Forger to Cinema  4D to further enhance it very easily. This is possible since Forger is not owned by  Maxon creator of desktop software 3D Cinema 4D.

Functionality and usability of the Forger App

Forger kind of resembles Maya, so it immediately feels familiar. It has a very slick interface, but several functions require you to use both hands, which takes some getting used to. 

It has many more tools than the other apps, including an excellent Clay brush akin to Mudbox’s Wax tool. You can also add new objects and hide geometry, allowing you to create far more complex scenes.

Performance of Forger App

This is where Forger falls apart. It crashed all the time, and I’ve had it appear to save a project just to have my work vanish when I opened it again. 

However, support is excellent: I submitted a crash report during testing, and the developer published a fix the next day.

My Thoughts about Forger

When Forger works, it’s a delight to use – it’s far more compatible with Mudbox and ZBrush than anything else on the market. 

However, it is just not worth counting on without stability. 

At the moment, the software just accomplishes too much for the iPad.

• Platforms: iPad
• Price: Free (limit of three active files) or around $15/year (interacts with Cinema4D)
• Key features: Many brush types, detailed and precise brush settings, masks to isolate certain parts of the model, resolution features
• Ease of use: Easy to use by both professionals and amateurs

Pros

• Best Sculpting Experience on the go
• Frequent Updates 
• Responsive Developer
• Simple & Customizable user Interface
• Brand new 3D Modelling feature

Cons

• The post-processing Feature is not as good as Nomad Sculpt
• Unstable 

Resources:

Check out the Comprehensive List  of  Digital Resources needed to Start your Digital Art & Digital Sculpt Journey:

• How to get started with Digital art- A Beginners Guide
• The best iPad for Nomad Sculpt- 3D Art
• The best ipad for procreate
• Top 10 best Tablets for Digital Artists
• The Best Human Anatomy Books For Digital Artists
• Essential & Must have tools for Digital Artists

NOMAD VS. FORGER, WHICH COMES OUT ON TOP?

To begin with, two things can exist without one being worse than the other. However, knowing the differences between the two tools can be relevant and sometimes beneficial. 

This was undeniably the case with Octane and Redshift early on, and it is now with Nomad Sculpt and Forger. Both are powerful tools for artists and offer a great sculpting experience. 

“Which iPad sculpting app should I use?” This is a question I am asked on a daily basis. Literally. Is it better to use Nomad Sculpt or Forger App? Now, I believe it is time for me to respond, and there are a few reasons for this.”

Maxon recently acquired Forger App, most likely to round out its offerings.

Price – Nomad Vs Forger

With regard to price, Nomad Sculpt is certainly the best choice. Nomad’s price is around $ 15 USD (One time Purchase) 

A free option with certain limitations is available.

The cost of Forger is $15 USD per Year

That is not much price difference. Nomad is new and does much more than just sculpture and there is certainly reason to buy it. But it’s a good entry-level option for a beginner. 

Given the options today, I’d surely only use Nomad Sculpt  If I were a Beginner.

Resources:

Check out the Comprehensive List  of  Digital Resources needed to Start your Digital Art & Digital Sculpt Journey:

• How to get started with Digital art- A Beginners Guide
• The best iPad for Nomad Sculpt- 3D Art
• The best ipad for procreate
• Top 10 best Tablets for Digital Artists
• The Best Human Anatomy Books For Digital Artists
• Essential & Must have tools for Digital Artists

What are some alternatives to Nomad Sculpt:

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 the open-source, cross-platform suite of tools for 3D creation.

Sculpt+ :

Sculptura – 3D sculpting for everyone

uMake

Putty3D – SCULPT ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

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

Also Read: Top 7+ 3D sculpt Apps for Tablets & ipad

Forger 3d Vs Nomad Sculpt- Which App Should You Use

The capacity to carve 3D on an iPad was much longer than people can understand. 

In recent years it has grown in popularity, but the first entry on the market has been the Forger application. 

A newcomer, called Nomad Sculpt, entered the market in the year 2018 and has become extremely popular since then.

Both applications are highly capable to sculpt programs with a variety of tools and pins to be found in ZBrush or Blender. In both applications, you can paint your models and both have export formats so you can bring your sculptures into other programs for more work.

The biggest advantage of Nomad Sculpt is its amazing post-processing feature to display and present your model. Recent updates will have a Skin Sub-Scattering feature as well. 

While forger’s recent update has come up with a 3D Modelling feature along with sculpting is gaining popularity. More like a double-edged sword. Very helpful for hard-edge modeling.

However, they lack both manufacturing features such as retopology, UV production, etc but Forger is preferred if you prefer Cinema 4D as it is easy to bridge Forger and Cinema 4d. Forger supporting UV painting is better for workflow and usability of 3d files. Nomad Sculpt is more for Sculpting and displays purposes. 

Forgers and Nomad are two extremely viable options. With Nomad I have experienced a much lesser crash when compared to the forger. I have both and love them. In some way, both are unique and offers a different experience. Both are fast-evolving and emerging. Nomad Sculpt being a one-time payment, may appeal more when it comes to value. Forger is subscription-based which will make you think before you actually invest in it. 

ZBrush, Forger & Nomad Sculpt

Just Like ZBrush and Blender, Forger & Nomad Sculpt both have their own collection of brush options for adding details, including clay, flattening, pinching, plunging, inflated, and even stamping options.

Using these can add an additional dimension to your 3D sculptures.

Both Forger and Nomad have matcaps to sculpt with highly predictable materials and both apps have the ability to paint textures right on the model.

So anything you sculpt and paint on the go is as straightforward and detailed as you would work on your computer.

In Forger or Nomad, you do not have the rigging option to mask areas and you can rotate your model parts very effectively in a gizmo.

Projects can also easily be returned to parent programs when needed.

The sculpture on an iPad is not just a matter of organic shapes, but also of hard-surface models.  Forger has a new 3D model feature ideal for hard surfaces. 

In Nomad, the voxel re-mesh option is available so that you can cut and separate your models and create hard surfaces for spacecraft, vehicles, and even cityscapes. 

Nomad Sculpt and Forger both are 3D application processing 3D objects. You may import and export 3D objects in standard formats. Forger being part of Maxon has now bridged with Cinema4D workflow. 

Nomad uses just vertex painting – that means every dot of the mesh may be painted. But this may be exported as well and imported into other applications for further editing or rendering (to render: build a 2D picture from a 3D scene) or for 3D printing.

Nomad Sculpt itself can render at up to 4K resolution. But desktop programs like Zbrush can do much more. 

You can assign – subsurface scattering- the light shining through objects, like the red ears when lighted from the rear, or leaves in the sunshine being translucent. Desktop programs are calculating light beam bounces. 

Zbrush is more Desktop driven and Nomad is On the GO with just iPad!Even though Forger is also an iPad App like Nomad Sculpt, Performance is where Forger falls down. I have experienced, Forger crashing at times, and I’ve had it save a project only to find my work had vanished when I opened it again. Nomad Sculpt is much more stable. 

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