It's totally up to the individual, and it often seems that whatever application a person starts with is the one they prefer even after they've tried others. If I was to begin learning today, I'd suggest Maya, as it seems to have a larger user base outside of game development. Personally, though, I had a three year head start in 3D Studio before I really got into Maya, and Max remains my favorite app (Max's material manager is weak, but I can't abide Hypershade).
best bet is to learn maya first then max.
Im a max user and tried to learn (well i was forced to elarn) maya and it was horrible. So maybe thats really a individual issue but i wished to know maya good enough and then learn max since i think its just a better choice for game art but to know both of them (the EA staff is using Maya only for example).
Additionally i can say that i had no problems porting a max model to maya with the new OBJ exporter in max 7. so, this is easy. The other way round? i dunno
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best bet is to learn maya first then max.
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I don't think it's that easy to put a label on it... It really depends on the user. Some people can jump right into Maya even though it's got much more complex systems than Max-- wheras some people will find it easier to start with a small program like Wings3d or Silo, until they're comfortable with how these programs work. I don't think using max or Maya first will make that much difference if the user actually wants to become good with his/her second program. They're really not all that different.
Except in the case of ZBrush... Zbrush takes the usual systems and screws them up good.
I used max a bit(gmax) and tried out maya(ple), I like the maya ui alot more but I hate the watermark, makes it impossible to do anything imho. Granted I am not the greatest modeler yet, but I wanted to get an idea of what was more popular choice these days and if any of the free/cheap programs were comparable.
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...but I wanted to get an idea of what was more popular choice these days and if any of the free/cheap programs were comparable.
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That's the thing, most everyone here will give you different answers. As for whether the free programs are comparable, well, they're free, try them out
Personally I will preach Wings3d over even Max and Maya for modeling.
Others will suggest Silo
Noserider will say milkshape
4 people will say Silo isn't cheap enough to be considered.
and 8 people will ream Nose for bringing up that godaweful program.
Once you got one program down, you can get the modeling toolset for the others down really quick, so I would just suggest checking out all three XSI, 3dsmax and Maya, then deciding which you prefer. Just keep in mind which program is best for what industry you want to be in as well. XSI seems to be a bit more popular in Japan, while Max seems to be pretty dominant in gaming and Maya is quite prominent in the film industry.
In reply to the first post, both. I think each package has its virtues and faults, and I think it's important to become comfortable in both as a result. My primary new year resolution is to become as adept in Maya as I am in Max, and then move forward in both.
These days I'm starting to use multiple 3d applications, since no one single application is the best at everything. I use XSI for applying mapping coordinates and some modelling, and use Max for lots of modelling and for baking hi-res models down to game-res models. If I had a copy of Maya I would use it for a fair amount of modelling, utilizing it's ability to model on "live" surfaces. None of those packages does what Zbrush does, so that adds another app I use on most everything.
There are plenty of good 3d apps, and I agree that it's largely up to the individual to determine what works best for them.
As for the future, I'm hoping that XSI adds more game-friendly features, and would like to use it for most tasks. Maybe Maya will regain strength in terms of adding new features. I sort of doubt that Max will gain in market share and great features, and I assume I will use it less and less over time.
i started with max years ago , and moved to maya ... but i think xsi is probly the future .... i tryed wings recently and i found it better than any modeler i had ever used .. and that was in 3 minutes while i was still struggling with controls ... so i gota mention in .. mind you , there are some things you may not be able to do in wings ...
Replies
Depends on the person.
http://boards.polycount.net/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=8173&an=0&page=0#8173
Im a max user and tried to learn (well i was forced to elarn) maya and it was horrible. So maybe thats really a individual issue but i wished to know maya good enough and then learn max since i think its just a better choice for game art but to know both of them (the EA staff is using Maya only for example).
Additionally i can say that i had no problems porting a max model to maya with the new OBJ exporter in max 7. so, this is easy. The other way round? i dunno
best bet is to learn maya first then max.
[/ QUOTE ]
I don't think it's that easy to put a label on it... It really depends on the user. Some people can jump right into Maya even though it's got much more complex systems than Max-- wheras some people will find it easier to start with a small program like Wings3d or Silo, until they're comfortable with how these programs work. I don't think using max or Maya first will make that much difference if the user actually wants to become good with his/her second program. They're really not all that different.
Except in the case of ZBrush... Zbrush takes the usual systems and screws them up good.
Hey, I don't care what you think. It worked for me.
And Character Studio Sucks!! Just because it's complicated doesn't mean it's good!! DAMN IT!
Software makes me angry.
[Edit]Makes me spell wrong too.[/Edit]
...but I wanted to get an idea of what was more popular choice these days and if any of the free/cheap programs were comparable.
[/ QUOTE ]
That's the thing, most everyone here will give you different answers. As for whether the free programs are comparable, well, they're free, try them out
Personally I will preach Wings3d over even Max and Maya for modeling.
Others will suggest Silo
Noserider will say milkshape
4 people will say Silo isn't cheap enough to be considered.
and 8 people will ream Nose for bringing up that godaweful program.
[Edit]Now I'll stand back and watch everybody go crazy....like I said, "software makes me angry."....and apparently, I'm not alone.[/Edit]
[Edit2]Stacks suck.[/Edit2]
/me will not move to Silo until they get selection highlighting / select nearest in
There are plenty of good 3d apps, and I agree that it's largely up to the individual to determine what works best for them.
As for the future, I'm hoping that XSI adds more game-friendly features, and would like to use it for most tasks. Maybe Maya will regain strength in terms of adding new features. I sort of doubt that Max will gain in market share and great features, and I assume I will use it less and less over time.