I decided to re-word this thread as it might have sounded a bit confusing. Let me get some images to explain.
Maya: 
http://puu.sh/lNXsL/e8f1c34b27.pngMax: 
http://puu.sh/lNXEa/17dee3cff4.pngThe bevelling across software works pretty much the same from what I can tell until it comes to chamfering vertices. 
Maya will chamfer a vertex BEYOND another vertex like this. 
http://puu.sh/lNXJx/582a78a37d.pngBut 3DS will stop this from happening and generally does a much more even chamfer. 
Maya seems to consider the length of the edges the vertex is on but 3DS doesn't do this, resulting in a much more even chamfer allowing for smoother curves. 
Anyone know a workaround for this in Maya? Would be greatly appreciated. 
 
            
Replies
http://puu.sh/lPC0b/527fb56dc3.png
From what I can tell, you can only offset as a fraction on edges, not vertices.