Useful tools for Indie game development

Started by Krischan, June 10, 2017, 14:44:00

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Krischan

Additional some useful Tools I use/own for game development. Some need to own a license but many are free:

















Graphics Editors
Adobe Photoshop CS3Proprietary     All-purpose graphics editing but legacy, use Photoshop CC instead
Micrografx Picture Publisher 10Proprietary     Great for Star Textures (legacy, use Google for possible downloads)
InkscapeFreeware     Vector Graphics
GIMPFreeware     Additional tools Photoshop can't do
         
3D Modeling and Texturing
Wings3DFreeware     Basic Modeller
Wings3D MLABFreeware     Basic Modeller (Manifold edition]
BlenderFreeware     Advanced Modelling, Converting
MilkshapeProprietary     Support Animation and old file formats
Ultimate Unwrap 3DProprietary     Finishing and UV map creation
Modular Tree (Blender Addon)Freeware     Tree creation tool
Instant MeshesFreewareRemesh topology to create a lowpoly mesh
Cloud CompareFreewareRemesh topology with a point cloud and Poisson Reconstruction
         
Texture Generation Tools
Quixel MixerProprietary/FreewarePBR texture creation (from Epic Games)
MaterializeFreewarePBR texture creation
Genetica Standard EditionProprietary     Create / Improve / Age textures
Filter ForgeProprietary     Create / Improve / Age textures
NeoTextureEditFreeware     Create / Improve / Age textures
         
Sound and Music
RenoiseProprietary     Music creation, Tracker with VST support
AudacityFreeware     Sample editor, OGG export
         
Editor
IDEalFreeware     for Blitz3D
BLIde PlusFreewarefor Blitzmax and GLSL
Notepad++Freeware     Text files and Radiant MAP editing
NETradiantFreeware     Map Editor, BSP compiler
         
Viewer
Total CommanderSharewareFile Management
XNviewFreeware     Image viewer and converter
         
Other Stuff
FontForgeFreeware     Convert TTF to OTF
IrfanViewFreeware     Great for creating sprite animation
Open Hardware MonitorFreeware     Displays GPU Memory usage
SQLiteDatabaseBrowserFreeware     Creating and editing Sqlite databases
Resource HackerFreeware     change Application Icon
IcoFXFreeware     create Application Icons (hint: 1.6.4 was free/full version)
Virtual DubFreeware     Video cutter for sprite animation
WilburFreeware     Create realistic heightmaps from the scratch
L3DTProprietary     Terrain render: Heightmaps / Colormap / Shadowmap
World MachineProprietary/Freeware     Terrain render: Heightmaps / Colormap / Shadowmap
Image ResizerFreeware     Upscaling Pixelart
         
Online Tools / Resources
NormalMap-OnlineTool     Creates Normalmaps from a Diffusemap
FontstructTool     free online Font creator
Yobi3DResource     Many free 3D Models with viewer and filter
Textures.comResource     up to 15 free Textures per day
CADNAVResource     Many free 3D Models
Archive3DResource     Many free 3D Models
Open Game ArtResource     Many free Resources and 3D Models
SketchfabResource     Countless free & downloadable 3D objects, mostly with PBR textures

What other tools do you use or would recommend?
Kind regards
Krischan

Windows 10 Pro | i7 9700K@ 3.6GHz | RTX 2080 8GB]
Metaverse | Blitzbasic Archive | My Github projects

Goodlookinguy

#1
I replied to your other post about making this exact type of thread.

Photo Editing
GraphicsGale
Affinity Photo

Audio
GoldWave
FL Studios

Technical
010 Editor

Editors
Visual Studio

Height/Normal Map Generation
Crazybump

Video Converting/Muxing
Handbrake (h.264 & h.265)
MKVToolNix
MP4Box

Screen Recording (for trailers)
OBS Studio (cross-platform)
FFSplit (Windows)

Network analysis
Wireshark (for making sure your game's packets are correct)

Version Tracker GUIs
TortoiseGit (Git)
TortoiseHg (Mercurial)
I'm insane and not in a funny or good way! nrgs.org

dawlane

#2
A few I have used in the past, but not all.

Font
Code heads Bitmap Font generator http://www.codehead.co.uk/cbfg/

Texture
Texture maker http://www.texturemaker.com/download.php (caution: doesn't look like there's been any activity for over 10 years)

Sprite atlas maker
ShoeBox https://renderhjs.net/shoebox/
Texure Packer https://www.codeandweb.com/texturepacker

Map editor
Dangerous Alien Map Editor http://dambots.com/dame-editor/
Tile Mapper http://www.mapeditor.org/
Tilestudio http://tilestudio.sourceforge.net/
TuDee http://www.diorgo.com/v1/?p=366
OFMO http://www.ogmoeditor.com/
Tile Map Editor https://sourceforge.net/projects/tilemapeditor2d/
TEdit https://github.com/TEdit/Terraria-Map-Editor/wiki

Sprites & Animation
Spriter https://brashmonkey.com/spriter-features/
TimelineFx Editor https://www.rigzsoft.co.uk/

Music
FL Studio https://www.image-line.com/flstudio/

Libraries & Game Kits
Fixel http://flixel.org/
Scrolling Game Development Kit http://sgdk2.sourceforge.net/

Matty

Video editing and conversion ffmpeg

Drawing paint.net

Audio audacity

Ide eclipse

Rooster


EdzUp

Milkshape is a loverly tool but it's 3ds export is glitched (rotates 90 degrees on one of the axis). Also on sope graphics cards the views and grids are messed up.


IanMartin

Can you add Paint.NET to the graphics editors?  It's free and I use it all the time.  It's got most of the stuff you need and is simpler to work with than something like Photoshop or GIMP.

http://www.getpaint.net

Platfinity (made with BlitzMax) on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/365440/Platfinity/

MagosDomina

Can anyone recommend software that lets you package an .Exe along with its source file and dependencies into a new lone executable?

RonTek

Quote from: MagosDomina on September 15, 2017, 06:00:49
Can anyone recommend software that lets you package an .Exe along with its source file and dependencies into a new lone executable?

source files? Perhaps you're talking about assets or resources? Are you using Blitz3D?

MagosDomina

I am using Blitz3d, my question above was poorly worded. What I'm looking for is a software suite like Molebox.

Naughty Alien

..what you are looking for is Enigma Virtual Box..works very well,and its free tool..it allows you to even modify/patch content of archive files once they are deployed to customer..

http://enigmaprotector.com/en/downloads.html

RonTek

Quote from: MagosDomina on September 15, 2017, 08:26:59
I am using Blitz3d, my question above was poorly worded. What I'm looking for is a software suite like Molebox.

I see and I agree with Naughty Alien there. Enigma VB is a great tool for packaging your game into one single executable or other custom setups.

Rooster

Quote from: Naughty Alien on September 15, 2017, 08:41:13
..what you are looking for is Enigma Virtual Box..works very well,and its free tool..it allows you to even modify/patch content of archive files once they are deployed to customer..

http://enigmaprotector.com/en/downloads.html
Looks like a great software set, I'll have to try it some time.

sphinx

#14
Aseprite and Promotion are also vital tools for 2D pixel art, they help non artist people a lot.
Kind regards,
Maher F. Farag
www.ancientsoft.com
www.osakit.com