6 Top Tools For Creating Presentations In 3D
Creating a presentation with attractive designs can sometimes be the difference between a good presentation and a failed one. One of the programs known for its ability to help users create attractive presentations is MS PowerPoint, however, it is only natural that one should use all kind of available resources for creating eye-catching presentations. Adding 3D objects can be a major source of creating attractive presentations by inserting graphs, images and other kinds of 3 dimensional objects. While PowerPoint offers some 3D presentation shapes and designs by default, there are numerous third-party tools and add-ins that are a better alternative. In this post we will explore tools that can be used for creating stunning presentations in 3D.
1. Perspector
Prespector is an application that allows users to add 3D graphics to their PowerPoint presentations. Since bulletin boards and regular slides can be boring for your audience, adding some 3D graphical elements can help you enhance the look of your presentation and to keep the audience interested. Prespector provides a set of images that can be imported as slides to tailor them according to the user’s requirement. You can also create 3D images from scratch by using the drawing interface.
Prespector is a paid application and runs on Windows based operating systems. It creates presentations in PowerPoint file format. Additionally, you can also check out this free 3D Box PowerPoint template to create a PowerPoint presentation in 3D.
2. Convexion
Convexion is an add-in for MS PowerPoint 2007 and 2010 to convert presentations to WPF and Silverlight format. This enables creating attractive animations with the help of PowerPoint. For example, you can create a presentation, add transition effects and upload it to your blog/website after turning it to Silverlight format. Since Silverlight is cross-browser supported, therefore, the file can also be used for offline distribution as the recipient will not require PowerPoint installed on his/her system to view the Silverlight file.
The standard edition of Convexion costs $149, whereas the Pro version costs $199. The standard edition allows exporting a file to Silverlight XAP + HTML and WPF (EXE) formats, while the Pro version provides the option to adds Microsoft Blend and Visual Studio .SLN Export.
3. Aurora 3D Presentation
Aurora 3D Presentation is a handy software that allows creating professional looking 3D presentations in various formats. Aurora 3D Presentation is particularly useful for beginners and intermediate users who wish to create presentations in 3D with the help of combining images, videos and textual data.
While Aura 3D does not support the MS PowerPoint format, it can be useful for creating video presentations. You can find out more details from our Review of Aura 3D Presentation software.
4. Anaglyph Maker
Anaglyph Maker is a free software that can help you create anaglyph and interleave images for red-blue and LC-shutter glasses. While the utility of this application may not directly be related to the creation of presentations, however it can be used to create 3D images to insert them in applications such as MS PowerPoint. This can be a unique experience for your audience to invoke interest for your presentations.
Anaglyph Maker works on Windows based operating systems, (Windows 98/2000/XP/Vista/ 7).
5. Autodesk 3DS Max
If you are an advanced user and are good with graphics designing then you can make use of applications such as Autodesk 3ds Max. It must be noted that Autodesk has two versions and while one version is meant for game development, animations, etc, the second version is more likely to be useful for creating presentations. The Autodesk 3ds Max Design software has been developed for professionals such as architects, visualization specialists, engineers and the like, so that they can create and simulate models. These models can very well be used as presentations for large scale projects.
6. Maxon Cinema 4D
Maxon Cinema 4D is a tool for graphic designers to create 3D images. The scope of this applications is to allow users to create 3D logos, designs, simulations, illustrations, buildings, etc. For this reason Maxon can also be used as a software for creating 3D presentations.
It is worth mentioning here that software like Autodesk 3ds Max and Maxon Cinema 4D are not meant as an alternative for programs such as MS PowerPoint. These software have only been included in this list because of their ability to create presentations (in the form of models and simulations) on a grand scale, e.g. a governmental project or building design.
Download Maxon Cinema 4D (Update: Link no longer available)
