Making the switch from traditional art tools to digital art supplies is a big one. Paints, pens, paper, and clay are traded for tablets, computers, and a slew of software programs. Digital artist equipment poses not just a challenge in skill mastery but also presents a financial hurdle to overcome. However, Villa Maria College sets its digital media arts and design students up for success by providing a full range of digital art supplies to them at no cost. That way, our students can focus on getting comfortable using digital tools and improving their skills without having to worry about paying for their own equipment.
Our Digital Media Art Center (DMAC) is equipped with a wide range of software, digital drawing tools, and other essential equipment.
Design Software
Autodesk Suite
This platform is available for interior design students to plan and fabricate 3D models. Both AutoCAD and Revit are included, which are some of the best CAD and BIM software systems available.
Google SketchUp
Another interior design tool, SketchUp is used to create 3D models for buildings, furniture, and other objects.
Adobe Photoshop
Used for photo editing, image manipulation, and graphic design, Adobe Photoshop enables students to retouch photos, create complex designs with layers, color correct, crop, and digitally paint.
Adobe InDesign
InDesign is a great resource for creating layouts by arranging and formatting text, images, and graphics for digital and print designs.
Adobe Illustrator
Best used for vector-based graphics, illustrations, and logo design, Illustrator supports complex paths, shapes, and typography.
Animation Software
Toon Boom
Villa provides students with Storyboard Pro and Harmony software, some of the leading 2D platforms used in animation and game design today.
Dragonframe Stop Motion
Students can use this frame-grabbing software to create high-quality stop-motion animations or time-lapse photography using digital cameras also supplied by Villa.
Maxon ZBrush
Setting the standard for digital sculpting, this platform is used by professionals to shape, texture, and paint virtual clay and transform it into anything needed for a project.
Editing Software
Adobe Production Premium
Included in Adobe Creative Cloud, this software is used for video and audio editing, motion graphics, visual effects, and more.
Final Cut Pro
An Apple application used for video production and editing that supports high-resolution formats and advanced color grading tools.
Digital Artist Equipment
Wacom Tablets
One of the top graphic tablet brands available, Wacom tablets allow our students to sketch and design in high resolution.
Makerbot SKETCH 3D printers
3D printers give our students the chance to create highly interactive design projects and make more realistic, visually dynamic models for animation.
Cameras
HD video cameras and Nikon digital still cameras are available for students to complete digital filmmaking, photography, and related projects.
Microphones
We have a full range of shotgun, boom, shock-mount, camera-mount, and lapel microphones available to students.
Avid M Box
These audio interfaces allow students to make music, record audio, and mix the two.
