The Starving Developer's Quickstart Guide
This is a compilation list featuring useful reference sites, quality programs & tools, and services that are ideal for the indie developer on a tight budget. This was provided to us by Orange Brat. Thank you!!! Bolded items are personal favorites and/or programs worth checking out. 2D: Paint.NET - free paint program The Gimp - Photoshop knockoff..free & powerful but quirky UI Paintshop Pro - paint program...commercial product Pixel - Photoshop knockoff Deep Paint 2 - free & powerful paint program Project Dogwaffle - "natural" paint & animation program...free version openCanvas - paint program...commercial product Flash Maker - cheap Flash-like editor Inkscape - SVG editor...EPS/Vector graphics...free Anime Studio - 2D bones based animation...has some 3D import capabilities...formerly known as Moho Texture Maker - general purpose seamless texture generator Wood Workshop - procedural seamless wood texture generator...free Genetica 2 - procedural seamless texture generator...Wood Workshop is based on it Caustics Generator - water texture generator...free Graffiti Creator - online graffiti generator...free PNG Gauntlet - fantastic PNG converter & optimizer GUIGenie - GUI builder...free 3D: Blender - jack of all trades...free and powerful Wings 3D - modeling/rendering..free Silo - modeling/rendering...like Wings only better and commercial Milkshape - modeling/animation...essential for model format conversion purposes CB Model Pro - intuitive, Zbrush-like program for organic modeling and painting. OBJ export and free after email registration Gamespace - modeling/animation/rendering...commercial MarbleCLAY - lots of features and free...must register to unlock some features...click English for English page AC3D - easy on the eyes UI Misfit Model 3D - open source modeling program SharpConstruct - mold organic models from clay-like materials Daz Studio - figure creation...license restrictions apply....free MakeHuman - figure creation...free 3D World Studio - level editor...commercial Truebones.com - inexpensive motion capture DeleD - level and model editor hybrid...free version TreeMagik - low poly tree creator Ultimate Unwrap - model unwrapping and UVs UVMapper Classic - OBJ model unwrapping and UVs..free version fragMotion - character animation program...fantastic and powerful....low cost CharacterFX - animation LifeForms Gamepak 1 - premade game animations Character Shop - premade game animations Nem's Terrain Generator Terragen - photorealistic scenery rendering FreeWorld3D - terrain editor targeted for game development World Machine - procedural terrain generator w/erosion...free version gile(s) - global illumination editor(texture baking/lightmaps) Other: Inno Setup - installer..free CreateInstall - installer..free version NSIS - installer...free Molebox - non extracting file packer TalkToMe - lipsyncing SDK for 2D or 3D Audacity - audio editor..free Kristal Audio Engine - Cubase clone...free and open source Divx - video codec...high compression & quality..free for noncommercial use XVid - superior open source video codec....will open Divx files.....free to use x264/AVC - MP4 video codec...free to use TMPGEnc - video convertor Fraps - video capture...free version Taksi - FRAPS knockoff...open source video capture...free Virtualdub - powerful video compression app...free VLC Media Player - open source video/audio player...free Media Player Classic - open source video/audio player...free dBPowerAMP - audio convertor with nice UI...lots of codecs...free Exact Audio Copy - free audio ripper..the best in the world BurnAtOnce - feature rich CD/DVD burning application...free LAME MP3 Encoder - the best MP3 encoder...use with Exact Audio Copy Font Creator - a nice TTF creator, editor, and viewer SubtitlesK5ky - add subtitles to AVI..free RAD Video Tools - video/image/sound convertor & tweaker...free Open Office - MS Office knockoff....graphics, spreadsheets, powerpoint, word processing and more.....free 7-Zip - file archiver/compression..free Motek Entertainment - huge BVH repository TikiWiki - free osCommerce - open source online shop e-commerce software...free Core FTP LE - free FTP client Website Baker - open source PHP website software...free WordPress - free blog software, "5-minute installation" Photobucket - online image hosting Putfile - online image hosting Large file upload services - useful for large resource and demo dispersement Bittorrent - useful for large resource and demo dispersement..eliminates webhosting and bandwidth consumption...free Gaim - multi-platform, multi-protocol, instant messaging client...free Trillian - multi-protocol, instant messaging client...free Open Clip Art Library - vector based....read license...free 1001 Free Fonts - free fonts Newton Dynamics - free physics engine Reference and organizations: Anatomy Atlases - large selection of anatomy atlases 3D Science - medical models and images...prices vary...some freebies Human Photo References for 3D Artists and Game Makers - this site contains nudity...you've been warned More human photo references and environmental textures - this site contains nudity...you've been warned Morgue File - royalty free photo reference site...commercial usage permitted Buildings & Structural reference sites - just what it says Public domain art links - just what it says Google Earth - satellite photos of just about everywhere...broadband required....free LipSync - tutorial Low poly modeling and texturing tutorials Onnovanbraam blueprints - vehicles & people Vehicle blueprints ANIMAX - free textures Turbo Squid - 2D/3D resource buy/sell site CafePress - service that allows you to sell merchandise based on your company/game...free IGDA - International Game Developer's Association DevMaster Gamasutra - free registration is mandatory to read articles Gamedev Indie Game Resources - just what it says Publishers - just what it says…a list of publishers Generic NDA Form - unambiguous and covers both parties Shareware Directories - listing of most of the major shareware distributors PAD file information - PAD files are used to expediate online, automated information gathering 3D Engines Database - huge list of 3D engines 2D Adventure Engines - list of 2D engines..most are specifically made for point & click adventure games Here's another list on the Gamedev forum. There's a bit of overlap, but it's biased more towards programmers: http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=324643 Here's yet another list containing hundreds of freeware/shareware programs: http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/freeware.html And another: http://www.bakhter.com/ ***UPDATED: May 23rd 2007***
This is a compilation list featuring useful reference sites, quality programs & tools, and services that are ideal for the indie developer on a tight budget. This was provided to us by Orange Brat. Thank you!!! Bolded items are personal favorites and/or programs worth checking out. 2D: Paint.NET - free paint program The Gimp - Photoshop knockoff..free & powerful but quirky UI Paintshop Pro - paint program...commercial product Pixel - Photoshop knockoff Deep Paint 2 - free & powerful paint program Project Dogwaffle - "natural" paint & animation program...free version openCanvas - paint program...commercial product Flash Maker - cheap Flash-like editor Inkscape - SVG editor...EPS/Vector graphics...free Anime Studio - 2D bones based animation...has some 3D import capabilities...formerly known as Moho Texture Maker - general purpose seamless texture generator Wood Workshop - procedural seamless wood texture generator...free Genetica 2 - procedural seamless texture generator...Wood Workshop is based on it Caustics Generator - water texture generator...free Graffiti Creator - online graffiti generator...free PNG Gauntlet - fantastic PNG converter & optimizer GUIGenie - GUI builder...free 3D: Blender - jack of all trades...free and powerful Wings 3D - modeling/rendering..free Silo - modeling/rendering...like Wings only better and commercial Milkshape - modeling/animation...essential for model format conversion purposes CB Model Pro - intuitive, Zbrush-like program for organic modeling and painting. OBJ export and free after email registration Gamespace - modeling/animation/rendering...commercial MarbleCLAY - lots of features and free...must register to unlock some features...click English for English page AC3D - easy on the eyes UI Misfit Model 3D - open source modeling program SharpConstruct - mold organic models from clay-like materials Daz Studio - figure creation...license restrictions apply....free MakeHuman - figure creation...free 3D World Studio - level editor...commercial Truebones.com - inexpensive motion capture DeleD - level and model editor hybrid...free version TreeMagik - low poly tree creator Ultimate Unwrap - model unwrapping and UVs UVMapper Classic - OBJ model unwrapping and UVs..free version fragMotion - character animation program...fantastic and powerful....low cost CharacterFX - animation LifeForms Gamepak 1 - premade game animations Character Shop - premade game animations Nem's Terrain Generator Terragen - photorealistic scenery rendering FreeWorld3D - terrain editor targeted for game development World Machine - procedural terrain generator w/erosion...free version gile(s) - global illumination editor(texture baking/lightmaps) Other: Inno Setup - installer..free CreateInstall - installer..free version NSIS - installer...free Molebox - non extracting file packer TalkToMe - lipsyncing SDK for 2D or 3D Audacity - audio editor..free Kristal Audio Engine - Cubase clone...free and open source Divx - video codec...high compression & quality..free for noncommercial use XVid - superior open source video codec....will open Divx files.....free to use x264/AVC - MP4 video codec...free to use TMPGEnc - video convertor Fraps - video capture...free version Taksi - FRAPS knockoff...open source video capture...free Virtualdub - powerful video compression app...free VLC Media Player - open source video/audio player...free Media Player Classic - open source video/audio player...free dBPowerAMP - audio convertor with nice UI...lots of codecs...free Exact Audio Copy - free audio ripper..the best in the world BurnAtOnce - feature rich CD/DVD burning application...free LAME MP3 Encoder - the best MP3 encoder...use with Exact Audio Copy Font Creator - a nice TTF creator, editor, and viewer SubtitlesK5ky - add subtitles to AVI..free RAD Video Tools - video/image/sound convertor & tweaker...free Open Office - MS Office knockoff....graphics, spreadsheets, powerpoint, word processing and more.....free 7-Zip - file archiver/compression..free Motek Entertainment - huge BVH repository TikiWiki - free osCommerce - open source online shop e-commerce software...free Core FTP LE - free FTP client Website Baker - open source PHP website software...free WordPress - free blog software, "5-minute installation" Photobucket - online image hosting Putfile - online image hosting Large file upload services - useful for large resource and demo dispersement Bittorrent - useful for large resource and demo dispersement..eliminates webhosting and bandwidth consumption...free Gaim - multi-platform, multi-protocol, instant messaging client...free Trillian - multi-protocol, instant messaging client...free Open Clip Art Library - vector based....read license...free 1001 Free Fonts - free fonts Newton Dynamics - free physics engine Reference and organizations: Anatomy Atlases - large selection of anatomy atlases 3D Science - medical models and images...prices vary...some freebies Human Photo References for 3D Artists and Game Makers - this site contains nudity...you've been warned More human photo references and environmental textures - this site contains nudity...you've been warned Morgue File - royalty free photo reference site...commercial usage permitted Buildings & Structural reference sites - just what it says Public domain art links - just what it says Google Earth - satellite photos of just about everywhere...broadband required....free LipSync - tutorial Low poly modeling and texturing tutorials Onnovanbraam blueprints - vehicles & people Vehicle blueprints ANIMAX - free textures Turbo Squid - 2D/3D resource buy/sell site CafePress - service that allows you to sell merchandise based on your company/game...free IGDA - International Game Developer's Association DevMaster Gamasutra - free registration is mandatory to read articles Gamedev Indie Game Resources - just what it says Publishers - just what it says…a list of publishers Generic NDA Form - unambiguous and covers both parties Shareware Directories - listing of most of the major shareware distributors PAD file information - PAD files are used to expediate online, automated information gathering 3D Engines Database - huge list of 3D engines 2D Adventure Engines - list of 2D engines..most are specifically made for point & click adventure games Here's another list on the Gamedev forum. There's a bit of overlap, but it's biased more towards programmers: http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=324643 Here's yet another list containing hundreds of freeware/shareware programs: http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/freeware.html And another: http://www.bakhter.com/ ***UPDATED: May 23rd 2007***