Resource Spotlight: Makehuman

Time to boost the signal! This September I am planning on doing a roundup of some favourite resources for Table Top Role Playing Games. Most of which are free and online.

Resource Spotlight: Makehuman

Makehuman is a 3D modelling program that is designed to let you build and pose models of human characters. It allows you to make very detailed character portraits using an interface fairly reminiscent of a character builder in a video game like Skyrim or Saints Row. 

Character's created in Makehuman can be exported to 3D image editors like Blender and MeshLab, where they can be modified and upgraded, followed by final touches in a tool like GIMP.

I am still new to 3D image creation, and so far have worked only in Makehuman, but even as a stand-alone tool, it can be pretty impressive. The images here are of Róinseach, one of my characters in the World of Weirth playtest campaign using Low Fantasy Gaming.

These images show off what Róinseach does best... Running and screaming.

Mustering false bravado.

And contemplatimg her life choices with a deep sense of regret.

These models represent 2 1/2 hours of tinkering with the software. I suspect that I can put together future models much more swiftly. Resources for Makehuman such as weapons, clothing, and tools are relatively limited in their selection, based on a community database.

Without Blender, assets from libraries of 3D objects like TurboSquid cannot be added to the models, and so if it is the only 3D program you are using, it is fairly limited. I will be teaching myself Blender in the future in order to give a more complete review . As it is, it is a very intuitive program worth tinkering in.