3D studio max, or Maya, or what?

[Shihonoryu]

Hey guys. since ive been getting a lot more into 3D art again, i have been thinking about buying a "professional" software.

I was thinking between 3D studio max, or Maya.

Can anyone with one of these programs list some pros/cons, and what you think about the programs? that would be great, i dont want to spend hundreds of hundreds on something thats not what i need

alos something i want to know, is there any programs that cost in teh 100-400 range thats better then blender? 3ds max, is rather expensive

[D3luxe]

If you're a student, you can get a student Modo license for $150. I highly recommend Modo..It's an awesome awesome program.

If you're looking for a program that most big studios are using, then either 3DS Max or Maya would work. I suggest downloading the trials and seeing which one feels more comfortable to you..They can both pretty much do the same things in the end, it just depends on the workflow you like best.

I used 3DS Max for probably 3 years, and just recently switched to Modo. You'll get annoyed as hell by some of max's "features" (read as: crashes).

[PaxBritannia]

One thing to consider whould be how easy it is to actually learn to use.

3DS Max has arguably the most tutorials, ranging from beginner to the more advanced topics. Out of most software, I found the tutorials really useful when starting out.

3DS is also friendlier than Maya when it comes to learning as maya's advanced features are a bit confusing.

Compared to 3DS, the interface and workflow of Modo is a bit (lot) smoother and the community is a bit closer. The price is also a lot easier on the wallet. However, as Modo is comparatively newer, it doesn't have that many tutorials and there are less communities out there which use it.

The only thing stopping me switching from 3DS to modo as my main software is: the marking menus (also called radial menus) in 3DS Max. They are awesome.

pax.

[Shihonoryu]

After looking at the price of 3DS max its really out of the question, 3500 dollars is out of my budget.

i was thinking about carrera 8 pro, looks like a good program, and a friend of mine uses it

[PaxBritannia]

Carrara 8.

I have used Bryce before(which mainly does landscaping), also made by the same company DAZ. Though I haven't used Carrara.

I you do decide to buy anything from DAZ, remember to get a platinum membership. Your bill at the end of the year will be around at least 30%-50% less (based on what you would buy without the membership).

In deciding what software you want, it really depends what you want it for. If you are doing modelling for you carrer, you will almost always need to get either 3DS or Maya (some studios may be able to get discount licences for you). If you are doing this as a side hobby, then whatever software you choose, then there isn't really an obvious choice. Just make sure that the community of it is active and vibrant (and that the company isn't going bankrupt).

pax.

[Shihonoryu]

Well modeling is more of a hobby, so i really dont have the 3.5k to fork out.

I also used to use Bryce for scenes.

I do plan on being a software programmer, so Modeling really isn't the priority.

[D3luxe]

Honestly, if you're just looking at modeling as a hobby, just use blender. It's a fine software and can do everything you'll need, and it's free.

[PaxBritannia]

Well, that really depends on what you need.

is there any programs that cost in teh 100-400 range thats better then blender?

By definition Blender can't be better than Blender.

Still, Blender can do some pretty impressive things when compared to some of the other modelling software out there. I guess you'll have to see the diference yourself. Continue to use blender for some time (to see if you can do everything you need), and then compare that with your experience in the other programs. Most modelling software will have an evaluation period and you might be able to judge if you want to buy it from that. For modo 401 the evaluation period is 15 days and for 3DS max it's 30 days. There isn't a eval. period for modo 501 (the current version) as far as I'm aware.

pax.

[Edward7]

Maya 3D Strengths
Maya 3D was created by the company Autodesk and can be purchased from many retail stores and online stores all around the world. It comes in many different languages to allow for international use. Maya 3D has the ability to craft custom 3-D objects and allows the user to freely and easily manipulate each individual vertex which allows for a great sense of control and flexibility. Maya 3D has a good ability to craft masterpiece works of visual art if used correctly. It has great strength in providing lighting settings and texturing tools to help make your objects look more realistic.

3D Studio Max Strengths
3DS Max is a tool for those who are just getting into 3-D modeling. There are many tutorials online (see references below for an example) of different difficulty levels to help you learn the program quickly and efficiently. One of the best strengths that 3DS Max boasts is the "Bi-Ped" function. The "Bi-Ped" function allows users to create a mock human skeleton so that they can quickly animate characters by giving them "bone-like movements." The Bi-Peds can also be manipulated to fit other creatures besides humans and can be shaped to fit most character models.