Moving from Max to Maya

Michael Bartrum · Jul 2014

Hi Pollycount,

I've been using 3ds Max for the past 6 years or so, and I'm about to start university on a 3D modeling and animation for games course. The only thing is that the course uses Maya as it's primary modelling software.

I'm unsure what to do as I haven't ventured into Maya at all, but it's looking like my only option. I've also heard that it's a nightmare moving from one package to the other and your tried and tested workflow is completely ruined.

Does anyone have any tips or advise for me in regards to having to migrate to Maya coming from 6 years of Max?

Cheers!

NegevPro · Jul 2014

Coincidentally there was a thread made earlier today about a $5 course on how to learn Maya if you already know how to use Max. I watched the videos a while back when they were free and a lot of the information seemed pretty solid (although to be fair, I only watched them as a learning experience, I have no interest in ditching Max for Maya!)

Here's the thread, it could come in handy!

Fogbrain · Jul 2014

This is quite funny since I was gonna plan to do the exact same thing but in reverse, but I stayed in Maya and to my benefit it's worked out. I haven't gotten 6 years experience, only about 1 and a half.

But I'll do my best to explain, Maya is very shelf based, and it's specialty definitely lies in animation, and thankfully for you, ever since 2015 came out, they've taken quite a few things from 3DS Max with the new modelling toolkit. Max is a very mechanical program from what I've seen, and Maya feels more like an open toolbox, and it's very user friendly to navigate the menus, as opposed to Max in my experience.

If you're willing to lay down the dosh, Bradley Waschers got a course for both learning how to go from Maya to Max, and Max to Maya. He gave his Maya to Max course for free on his birthday and I've checked it out and it seems pretty good. Check it out.

https://www.udemy.com/3dsmax-to-maya/

Also, the youtube channel for Autodesk Maya has a ton of tutorials and stuff.

And yes, expect your workflow to change most likely. However going from one autodesk program to another is probably not as jarring as saying going from Blender to Max or Maya to Modo.

If your course provides only Maya on campus, then you've definitely got your hands tied, but if you can do both, then learn both if you want, like Max for modelling and Maya for animation. You can send files from one program to the other anyway.

All that matters is, the principles of 3D modelling will carry over no matter what, and that's your ace in the hole, you've got the knowledge, 6 years of work in it too, that's nothing to laugh at.

Anyway, good luck, university is great, I'm in my 2nd year of my course for Game Art and Development and it's been the best choice I've ever made so far, I've gone from knowing nothing about 3D at all a year ago and now I've found a passion for something I never knew I could have, and I love every bit of it. Make the most out of the time you're there!

CrackRockSteady · Jul 2014

^^Basically what fogbrain said. I've been a Max user for ~10 years and recently had to make the switch to Maya for work (I still use Max at home). I wouldn't say it is a nightmare moving from one to the other though it will take some getting used to. Both packages perform most of the same functions you'll commonly use, you'll just need to get used to some name changes and UI differences. Find some tutorials on UI basics for Maya and then just start using it. Like Fogbrain said, you've got years of experience using one package so you already understand how they work. Once you start using Maya every day you'll pick it up pretty quickly.

perfect_paradigm · Jul 2014

It seems most tutorials barely even mention any marking menus (MM) which is one of the most distinguishing and efficient features of Maya. So be sure to learn the context marking menus. You can create new custom marking menus for other hotkeys too, but you have to manually edit the mel files to customize the default context marking menus.

Matt Fagan · Jul 2014

Best guys to learn Maya from. (Funnest at the very least to be said)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV6bjJlpuRM&index=2&list=PLE154DC0BE045C137

Hayden Zammit · Jul 2014

It seems most tutorials barely even mention any marking menus (MM) which is one of the most distinguishing and efficient features of Maya. So be sure to learn the context marking menus. You can create new custom marking menus for other hotkeys too, but you have to manually edit the mel files to customize the default context marking menus.

I want to echo this as well. Fogbrain mentioned that Maya is very shelf-based, and although you can use shelves, marking menus and hotkeys are easy to set up, and much more efficient.

Polygoblin · Jul 2014

Once you are proficient in either package, you can become profecient in any other package in a matter of weeks. Don't sweat it, there's tons of free resources. I switched to Max when I worked at nSpace after being a Maya user for years and it was nothing by 8 weeks of time. In my experience, and like already mentioned, it's mostly terminology and UI. But also, it's plain muscle memory. You just have to get used to using Maya, and that means being patient with your dopey fingers as they keep trying to perform Max commands

Marking menus is the dealbreaker between the two imo, and mighty powerful. My custom marking menu practicly doubled my modeling speed. Just make sure you understand the basic UI of Maya before confusing yourself with it.

Michael Bartrum · Jul 2014

Thanks for all your help guys

I'm going to get myself the student version of Maya and start the process of adjusting. Some of the lecturers have also ensured me that it will pay off in the long run to have a proficiency with both packages, even if I have a preference.

Moving from Max to Maya

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