Wings 3D is a Free 3D Software with SL(TM) Support.

There are a few 3D modelers for free, but a small fast and easy to pick up Wings3D is a good choice for many to learn with and has a good plug-in available for Second Life(r) creators to take advantage of to make sculpt maps for uploading models to SL(TM) grid. The software is fast, works on many platforms and is free. It has less features than Blender but is a little faster to pick up and can cause less error for a beginning 3D modeler with it’s menu to start and mouse move plus click to stop the change. It is a simple tool set with cool features, such as magnets, and selection tools like loop select etc. as you would expect. It does render using Pov ray, so it is not just a basic modeler. Not the best at any task, but with it’s reduced set of tools and easier to understand and avoid errors make it good for Second Life builders. The free plug-in for SL(TM) can be found on the SecondLife.com’s forums. This will allow you to export a sculpt map that can be uploaded for amost unlimited and interesting shapes that reduce prim limits and look more real. Video’s on the net are available to help out as well as tutorials. Be sure to read the manual (as with most 3D programs) and remember there is a menu when you right click! Look down at the bottom left of the window for extra options to the present operation. The UI is different than blender (another popular software with sculpt map rendering support) but for me is a good choice for roughing out shapes and then I use the sculpt tool in Blender for get a more smoother or organic shape.