Toolsday: The Changing Face of 3D
The 3D renaissance is here, and it’s full of bubbles, blobs, and beautiful abstraction.
For a long time, 3D felt like an intimidating mountain: steep, technical, and covered in dense menus. I avoided it for years—not just because it was hard to learn, but because I wasn’t interested in chasing realism. I didn’t want to copy “real” life; I wanted to imagine something new.
We’re in the middle of a quiet revolution. A new generation of browser-based 3D tools is changing the game—not just by making things easier, but by bringing fun & flow state into the process. These tools are fast, accessible, and surprisingly fun. They're built with artists and designers in mind, not just engineers. VR sculpting is another favorite 3d tool of mine, which I will cover in a future post.
This week, I’m sharing three awesome web-based 3d tools. They’re similar in that they’re all in-browser, approachable, and powerful—but each one has its own flair. Find your flavor. 💖
Spline
https://spline.design
This part of a series I made called Pink Moon Palms.
I’m starting with Spline because it’s the one I use the most—and it’s magic. Big shout out to Chris Willey (https://www.instagram.com/insta_willey/) for introducing me to Spline and $upporting my first months of exploration.
Spline runs right in your browser (hello, accessibility), and it’s packed with features that support play, expression, and interaction. You can animate with keyframes, add interactivity, apply post-processing effects like noise and chromatic aberration, and even export to formats like GLB, video, USDZ (Apple AR), and Apple Vision Pro.
It’s not just a toy. It’s a powerful tool that makes 3D feel like a flow state.
Here’s some of what I’ve made with it. I’ve made website graphics, 3d illustrations, story experiments and have begun work a web-based graphic novel. Click the images to explore the 3d scenes. (It might take a second to load. I’m still working on optimizing all of these.)
Website Header: https://my.spline.design/websiteheader3-45tNzVTg4eSEC3qXbDe07S5w/
May Day: https://my.spline.design/dunawaysmithcopy-6ba3c184838fb42185bc3cc8e8005e96/
Stone Stallion: https://my.spline.design/concretestallion-b95851695e3532dd283c26ce22013072/
Waiting For Water: https://my.spline.design/lostreflections-15dffe36be9e7060a65aa91cf89a3008/
I know everything is a subscription these days, but I pay for spline because I want the advanced options and don't want to deal with a watermark. Plus, I believe in paying for good software. But there’s also a solid free version that may have everything you need to get started.
Womp
https://womp.com
If you like making pottery or mud pies, Womp may be for you. It uses signed distance fields (SDF), which means you’re blending and shaping digital clay instead of manipulating traditional meshes. Everything feels smooth, real-time, and playful.
It’s great for abstract forms, experimental modeling, and anyone who wants to break free from polygon prison. There's built-in rendering, lighting, and even real-time collaboration. Many folks use Womp for 3d printing, so if you wanted to explore that world, this may be a great tool for you.
There’s a free tier, and a paid plan if you want to go deeper.
Project Neo
https://projectneo.adobe.com
Project Neo is still in beta, but it’s already showing a lot of promise. Adobe’s aiming to create a 3D tool for 2D designers—and it’s working. Think: Illustrator vibes with the ability to add lights, depth, cameras, and animation.
If you’re already comfortable in Adobe’s ecosystem, Neo might be the perfect stepping stone into the 3D world. It’s not as experimental as Womp or as interactive as Spline, but it’s shaping up to be a great middle ground.
Final Thoughts
For years, 3D seemed focused on photorealism. And while that technical achievement is impressive, it never really interested me. I want abstraction, emotion, weirdness. I want to see people’s imaginations, not just their render engines.
That’s why I’m so excited about these tools. They open the door to a different kind of 3D—one that’s expressive, accessible, and deeply satisfying to use.
If you’ve been 3D-curious but hesitant, I hope this gives you permission to dip a toe in. These tools were designed with you in mind.
And hey, if you’ve already been playing—send me your favorites. I’d love to see what you’re making.
Hugs and high fives,
Heather
This is not the first time entreprising artists have mentioned Spline for immersive web. I just checked that they support 3D Gaussian Splatting (under 450mb ;(. but I'll be ok). Got to check it out!