Effects of specialized on less known applications to apply a job?

igi

I dont know it is a dumb question or not and also i have nearly no idea how people works at game-studios so forgieve me..

So i am specialized on MODO for modeling which is a less known application(i mean expect 3dsmax and maya)..I am much more effecient by using MODO then 3dsmax and maya.

But most of people using 3dsmax and maya and also people want experience on 3dsmax or maya in the job requirements.

Another thing that i afraid when you get a job,youre only people who using a different app in the studio :poly122:

So i wish to know whats the disadvantages of the using a less known app ..

Tom Ellis

I'm not employed in the industry, but I'm pretty sure which tools you use is pretty irrelevant when it comes to employment requirements. It's what you make, not how you make it.

All 3D apps are very similar at their core, ok so Modo has some nice tools for modeling that Max/Maya doesn't by default, but they still all use verts, edges and faces to create 3D geometry, the transform tool in one might be called the move tool in the other, but it still just moves your selection!

What I'm saying is that if you can do great work, a studio is unlikely to turn you down just because of the software you're proficient with. You'd be able to make a switch to their chosen tools if necessary in a pretty short space of time. It's likely you'll be learning some of their proprietary tools anyway if they're using their own engine, and obviously you won't have any experience with that.

The key thing is though, it's what you can make, not what you use to make it.

I'm sure people actually employed in the industry might be able to explain further if necessary but I wouldn't think it's much to worry about.

JohnnySix

Great post c22, the only caveat I'd add to that is :

1 will they have or would they purchase that software if they didn't.

2 if they did have it, would the formats etc be easy to integrate into their art pipeline? They may, like runic use custom export scripts from a specific application.


I remember years ago when I got a job doing flash stuff for covermount DVD stuff, their programmer didn't have a licence for mx2004, so everything I built had to be laboriously done in the older format, just because the company didn't want to upgrade 4 licences.

Bal

It'll still be to your advantage to learn whatever software the company you're applying to uses, if they have the choice between 2 good artist, but one of them already knows the tools, they will obviously choose him.

Many companies won't let you use Modo at work if their pipeline uses another app, and will expect you to be up to speed in their own app pretty fast, so be careful.

What creationtwentytwo says is still true, in the end what's important is your artistic and technical abilities, but if you're dedicated to the job, you should be ready to switch apps when necessary (even though it's not always easy). Having only Modo on your resume may scare some possible employers away.

dtschultz

I think it really depends on what stage of development your potential employer is at as well. If they are at an early stage in the production cycle, they would be more likely to let you learn an application on the job; but if they are in high gear they will probably pick someone who can hit the ground running (of course, if you are new to the industry they probably won't expect you to hit the ground running anyway). I knew Modo better than Max and Maya when I started (although I was still familiar with both), and I didn't have any problems; and I know plenty of people who have had to learn new applications from one job to the next. However, with that said, it is never a bad thing to familiarize yourself with the tools that a company you are applying to uses; especially, if you are trying to break into the industry.

Mark Dygert

You need to keep in mind that custom tools and scripts get written for specific apps and it can be difficult to maintain tools for a bunch of different apps. It's more likely they would build a set of tools for one app, and you would need two seats of software, which if the studio sees that as an asset they'll go for it, if not then they might go with someone who has the same skill level but uses their default software.

If you're freelancing, I'm pretty sure no one cares as long as you deliver it the way it was asked.

Just for modeling its not that big of a deal because you're at the beginning of the pipeline but it probably won't hurt to be fluent in the 2 main packages.

eld

It's more likely they'll look at your ability rather than what applications you know, you can learn a new 3d app over a few weeks, but you'll spend years and years learning to be a good artist.

PredatorGSR

If you are applying for a job at a studio that uses max or Maya, you should be familiar enough with the packages that it doesn't become an issue during interviews. During interviews with a company I told them I hadn't used Max at my last job but I was learning it, and did the art test in Maya instead, and it ended up being a reason that I didn't get the job, even after doing well on the onsite interview.

By the time I interviewed with the next company, I had learned Max, said I knew Max, and it wasn't even brought up again and I got the job. At the two jobs I've worked so far, the proprietary tools and plugins are so specific that we couldn't even use different versions of the same program. I have Max 2011 installed on my machine at work, and I have to use Max 9 which is practically obsolete because none of our plugins and exporters work with 2011.

I think almost all companies are going to require you to use their software. Once you are established as a valuable artist at the company, you might be able to convince your lead to get new software to improve the workflow, but either way you are going to have to be an expert with their current software first.

My feeling based on my own experience is that you need to know Max and Maya to a proficient level if you want the best chances at landing a job. That way you can say you know it (and mean it), and it does not become an issue that results in them choosing another candidate. Once you are progressing in interviews and it looks like you are a viable candidate, you should bust your ass becoming an expert at that software. Once you start, your coworkers will be happy to help fill in the holes in your knowledge, like how to do certain activities that you know how to do in another program, but you will be expected to know what you are doing and not have to have your hand held for 3 weeks while you learn the software. That is, you should know how to model, uv, and sculpt in their modeling programs at a reasonable level on your first day.

low odor

We've got a couple of guys on the team that use different software...the majority of our pipeline revolves around max..so familiarity with the program is needed, but at the end of the day all we need is a .max file...and it is pretty simple to import/export meshes.. ...One of the Guys actually uses Modo for modeling, and just imports it all into a .max file..

Eld pretty much summed up the reality of it.

igi

Thanks guys,youre great

I thought the rest of the posts might look like c22's..i have seen his post then i turned back in a few hours hours and i have seen other guys posts which is much more pessimistic then c22's post (but thats the reality i know,thanks for the posts)

I am using the modo for the model,uv and bake which is the important stages as you know..I am not completely unfamiliar to 3dsmax but maya is alien for me..This both apps are the king of the industry,so really do i need to know both of them?

I assumed people have much more love to Modo or another awesome but less known apps,but ehh ..Whatever,actually i can export the models to the 3dsmax perfectly which is the workflow exactly low odor mentioned.
hmm the problem is do they gonna purchase the software or not which johnny6 mentioned



I really want to know thoughts of a MODO user who breaks into the industry...

Ben Apuna

As a fellow Modo user, I feel your pain...

If you've got a legitimate license, buying a studio copy shouldn't be an issue as your license allows you to install it on as many machines as you like as long as only one copy is in use at any given time.

I hear that 501 has real smoothing groups (finally!) and FBX imports them perfectly into Max so moving models back and forth between Max (and Maya I hope) and Modo should be a non issue once 501 is released.

With all of that said though, I'd say it's a good idea to learn more than one 3d package if you have the time for it. I started with Maya, moved to Max, and then on to Modo with each new app I learned a lot of new workflows which weren't apparent in the previous app but could be used if I ever had to go back. Next up on my list is Blender, if only Bmesh would get finished up so the modeling tools could be completed.

Don't give up your hopes on using Modo professionally, over the last two years or so I've heard of more and more people using it in game studios.

PredatorGSR

I think it just comes down to making yourself marketable. If 40% of the industry uses Maya, 50% uses Max, and 10% uses other packages, it is going to be much harder to find a job if you won't be considered by 90% of the job openings you see. If you have a mindblowing portfolio, studios might be more likely to work with you, but if your portfolio is on par with everyone else, you're just giving them another reason to pass you over. I pulled those numbers out of thin air, but you get the point.

You should assume that companies won't be willing to buy a copy of modo for the one guy who wants to use it and be pleasantly surprised if you find a company who will.

Slum

most of the art on Rage from id is done in modo

Rwolf

should be fine, you might be at a disadvantage for a week or two, but you will get used to it.

I was trained in XSI, and scared to touch Maya. I've been using it for 7 weeks now after getting hired reciently, and confident in it.

gsokol

Yea, you shouldn't really be that worried. If you can do good stuff in modo then you can learn slightly different tools/buttons and do the same thing in another program.

I think it would be good to at least familiarize yourself with max or maya to at least have a good understanding of it. It seems like using one of those 2 tools is what people want to see. I had a few interviews with a company that primarily use Maya, and they knew I used 3dsMax, but that was never a concern for them.

Just remember its only a tool. If you understand how modeling/etc. works, then you can apply that to any other program.