To Telstar: I would definitely take advantage of the free 3-year license from autodesk, but in the meantime I would give Blender some more chances. I too, found Blender too frustrating at first after having used 3ds Max. Now that I am getting the hang of the way the Blender interface does things, I can model about as quickly and easily as I would in Max. I also really like the cloth and fur features in the new version of Blender.

For those going into the relevant fields professionally, it is probably worth it to invest in Max or Maya. I’ve found that the Max interface is relatively intuitive, and the help files are probably better for a first-timer. For those who are 3D modelers/animators as hobbyists, like me and Telstar, I would strongly recommend Blender. Once you get the hang of it, it is powerful, has a lot of features, and probably is a serious competitor to the industry standard programs.

I do have to say that with the biped feature for Max, it is really easy to make a character walk. Just lay down the footsteps!

I know you took a long time to create it so it’s not fair if we don’t make a nice comment (after learning from your hard work).

Thanks again.

Best regards
Sangpang Rai

Same goes for Maya and Max. Why compare it when you should use what you feel is more comfortable. Try it for yourself and arrive at your own decision. I have tried both and I personally prefer Maya for it’s many features and accessibility in my line of work.

Despite that, within the same broad category of this 3D industry, there will always be preference for a particular software package due to their unique pipelines.

No doubt that Maya was “made” for film as it had traditionally been and continuously been refined to gear towards that direction, 3dmax being then, a cheaper package was more “suitable” for the gaming industry. However, seeing the way things are and how autodesk is positioning 3dsmax, you could find max being increasingly used in more high-end production in future.

Personally, I do not like the idea of Maya being usurped from it’s dominance in film.
This is just personal, nothing against Max.

In blur studio, their entire pipeline is based around 3dsmax. Does it mean that their cinematic is anything less awesome than a studio using maya? Not really. it is really how you use the tool for the job.

I am not taking side but for a balance argument sake, I feel is it best to stay neutral.

HOWEVER, I still insist on my preference for Maya and sadly I only used 3dmax to convert models that is readable for Maya. Isn’t that sad? Haha…

However, it’s not the software you use that matters. Is how you use it. Maya or Max is really the same, no matter how you wanna compare it. In the end, you are only limited by your own creativity, imagination and skills.

Chill out dudes…..

One thing people do forget about and only 1 person has mention is the use of shortcuts, rather relying on your mouse for every single tasks. Once you are confortable using shortcuts, Maya or Max is the same when it comes to modeling.

Both are highly customizable, no difference in there. So, the question one should ask himself / herself, is what do I want to do ?

Get into the Film industry? –> Maya

OR

Get into the Game industry? –> 3ds Max

That pretty much sums up everything. I have used both and I can say, 3ds max is easy to use and learn, while Maya, does have some learning curve. However, both are a joy to use. Remember, they are just tools for an end.

I guess 3dmax it is

Thanks for sharing!