CG Generalist Toolkit List

Over the years, I have gathered a bunch of go-to links and tools that have helped me through everything from tight client turnarounds to personal R&D projects. This page is where I am collecting and sharing those resources. It is a mix of free and paid options, all geared toward CG Generalists/Artist like myself. Whether you are building environments, tweaking shaders, lighting a scene, or just exploring ideas, I hope something here saves you time or sparks inspiration. I will keep adding to the list as I find more. Feel free to share a helpful link in the comments. I’d love to check it out.

🧊 Geometry / 3D Models

Type Name Link Description
Free STW myminifactory.com A platform for 3D printable models, featuring designs from independent creators and major brands.
Free PBRMAX pbrmax.com Free 3D models, PBR materials, and brushes for game and VFX artists.
Paid Big Medium Small bigmediumsmall.com Premium, cinematic-quality 3D asset packs designed for storytelling and world-building.
Free Download Free 3D downloadfree3d.com Collection of free 3D models for download, covering architecture, furniture, vehicles, and more.
Free a23d a23d.co A vast collection of 3D models, PBR materials, IES profiles, and high-quality decals.
Free Three D Scans threedscans.com A free archive of 3D scans founded by artist Oliver Laric in 2012.
Free Sketchfab sketchfab.com Free downloadable models under Creative Commons.
Free CGTrader Free Models cgtrader.com Free high- and low-poly models.
Free Thingiverse thingiverse.com Great for base meshes, especially mechanical objects.
Paid TurboSquid turbosquid.com High-quality models for professional work.
Paid KitBash3D kitbash3d.com Premium environment kits for world-building.
Free Maker World makerworld.com A community-driven platform offering free 3D printable models, tools, and maker resources.

🌅 HDRI / Lighting

Type Name Link Description
Free HDR Maps hdrmaps.com Free HDRIs, textures, and models.
Free Poly Haven polyhaven.com Free HDRIs, textures, and models under CC0.
Free HDRI Haven (archive) hdrihaven.com Now merged with Poly Haven.
Paid HDRI Skies hdri-skies.com Offers both free and premium HDRIs.
Paid MrHDRI maxroz.com/hdri Paid and free high-quality HDRIs for realistic lighting, crafted by Max Roz.
Paid CG Source cg-source.com HDR packs for archviz and VFX.

🧱 PBR Materials / Textures

Type Name Link Description
Free Adobe Substance3d Community Assets substance3d.adobe.com Free, high-quality materials, filters, and generators shared by the Substance 3D community.
Free Solar System Scope solarsystemscope.com Free, high-resolution planetary textures for space scenes, simulations, and educational use.
Paid Quixel quixel.com Industry-leading photorealistic 3D assets and Megascans library for artists and studios. Note: the side has moved to Fab.
Free AmbientCG ambientcg.com Free seamless PBR materials with maps.
Paid textures.com textures.com A comprehensive library of high-resolution textures, PBR materials, and photo references for 3D artists.
Free Textures.com textures.com Huge library with credit-based downloads.
Paid Substance 3D Assets substance3d.adobe.com Advanced materials with Adobe subscription.
Paid Poliigon poliigon.com Photoreal textures for CG production.

🧩 Maya Plugins & Scripts

Type Name Link Description
Free CGJishu cgjishu.net Variation of scripts and tools for Maya.
Free CreativeCrash creativecrash.com Archived scripts and tools for Maya.
Free Gumroad gumroad.com Search “Maya plugin free” for indie tools.
Paid Brave Rabbit braverabbit.com SHAPES, ATOM and more pro-grade tools.
Paid Zeno Tools zenopelgrims.com Scene management and workflow plugins.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome to My Blog

  Hi, and thanks for stopping by. This blog is where I share the notes, insights, and lessons I have learned over the years working as a 3D artist in the VFX and animation industry. I have collected pages of workflow tips, problem-solving methods, and practical techniques that helped me grow. Now, I am organizing and sharing them here to support aspiring artists on their journey into the field. This blog won't focus on the newest automated pipelines. Instead, it will give you a strong foundation in the traditional methods that still play a valuable role in production. Whether you are aiming to land your first studio job or build a freelance setup from home, you will find focused, easy-to-follow pages covering tools like Maya, Houdini, Substance, Arnold, and more. Once the blog is live, I will also launch a YouTube/Discord channel where we can work through projects together in real time. Let’s get started. — Vitaliy
Read more

🎨 Beginner's Guide to Understanding CG & 3D Artist Roles

 If you are new to the digital art world, the job titles can be confusing. Whether you are applying to work on movies, commercials, or video games, here is a breakdown of common roles in the industry and what you should know before saying "yes" to a position. Job Title What It Means Key Responsibilities What You Should Know or Learn 3D Artist A person who works only with 3D objects and scenes - Create 3D models (props, characters, environments) - Add textures and materials - Prepare for animation or game engine - Modeling tools (Maya, Blender, ZBrush) - UV mapping - Basic texturing and lighting CG Artist A person who creates computer-generated images (can be 2D or 3D) - Create images using 3D and 2D tools - Work on lighting, rendering, and sometimes compositing - Often finis...
Read more