Blender, Maya, 3Ds Max, Zbrush, which do you choose?

NoCakeFourU

Hey guys,

I haven't posted much on these forums as I'm only 14 and a tinsy bit inexperienced , but I was wondering about what 3D modelling program you awesome people out there use, why, and what you think of the others.

Part of this is because I'm interested in seeing the popularity of the different programs out there, but I'm also wondering if it is worth me trying to learn something like 3Ds Max, Maya, or Zbrush when I already know a fair amount in Blender. I've found I really enjoy learning and modelling in blender, but if I want to move into the gaming industry, it looks like I need to learn Maya or 3Ds Max (Not that I need to worry about the industry yet - as I'm only 14 and still in high school :P).

I have given 3Ds Max a shot, but found it to be very... clunky, I'm sure I'd improve, but I have invested a lot of time into having fun in blender :P.

So my question is to all you polycounters out there, what program do you use to model, why, and do you think I need to learn something other than blender, or is the program capable of creating high-end (similar to 3Ds Max/Maya) models?

Acumen

I think best bet is to search the forums a bit, as there have been ongoing threads about this very topic numerous times over the years.
Especially about the Blender vs. other programs - most recently in here:

Blender Trying Really Hard to Compete

In this thread alone is much much info for you to gather

For private stuff, nobody cares which program you use, as long as what you make in it is neat
In the industry it just might be needed for you to learn other programs, because a company uses only certain software/owns certain software licenses.

Tom Ellis

Yep, this topic has been discussed many, many times before across the Internet, and frequently here on PC... yet it's still one of the first questions most newcomers ask so you can be forgiven

It's a heavily debated topic, but it's probably worth getting a good handle on Max or Maya early on since that's what you'll likely be using in the workplace. Transitioning from one piece of software to another for those with a fair bit of experience isn't usually much of an issue, but it wouldn't hurt to get familiar with the industry standards from the outset.

Autodesk offer their entire range of software to students completely free. Which means you don't have to go pirating software and can get legit copies of the packages. If you've got an educational email address (unlikely at 14 I guess) then you can sign up and download straight away, if not, have a word with a teacher from your school and see if they'll sign you up to the educational program.

http://students.autodesk.com/

That'll have you covered for your Max / Maya / Mudbox so you can familiarise yourself with the tools and workflow for modeling and sculpting. ZBrush vs Mudbox is a whole nother discussion, which again has been covered many times before. Really, at this stage in your experience, it comes down to which you like more. Each has it's own unique features but you can worry about whether you need them later.

Also, I highly recommend signing up to somewhere like Digital Tutors, or to Eat3D to start following their training material. It's gonna cost you around $50, but even with just a month, you should be pretty comfortable with getting around the software, at least enough to start your own projects which is where the real learning begins.