As much as I love digital sculpture and 3D modeling, I do like to to step outside for some fresh air now and again. So in the interest of avoiding growing my hair & beard down to the ground & using a pickle jar for a bathroom, I started looking for some apps that allow me to squeeze in some creative productivity while on the go, particularly during the everyday occasions of waiting & wasted time (i.e. while stuck on the train, plane, bus, post office, DMV, spending the night in jail. etc.) I do love my sketchbook but now I can actually do some rough sculpting & modeling while not parked in front of a computer… glorious!

I’m using an Android phone so here’s my list of what I’m goofing with. What’s even better is these are all free (by the way, I am not affiliated or otherwise getting any sweet kickbacks for mentioning these products).

  • My new favorite is TrueSculpt Virtual Sculpture by Fabrice Boyer (like a lite version of Sculptris or Zbrush). Offers symmetrical sculpting, polypainting, & OBJ export. Everything I would have asked for (had I been asked). 
  • Sketcher 3D LITE is more of a box modeling type of app. Still working on figuring this one out. All the export functions are disabled unless you get the pro version. Also available for Apple devices. 
  • Not modeling programs but still useful are Infinite Design & Infinite Painter by Sean Brakefield, & SketchBook Mobile Express by AutoDesk. There are scads of sketching apps but these offer a symmetry function which sets them apart. 
  • There are many, many 3D viewers but I like the usability of Glovious Lite, STL View, & 3D Model Viewer. As expected, file sizes are limited but these can come in handy nonetheless. 

Unfortunately I can’t personally comment on the quality of these but here’s some for Apple devices (these are not free). Apple has quite a few apps in this arena so have a look around, you might find something new. I’d love to get some users feedback about which ones work well for you.