3Ds Max versus Maya
by Bob Achgill · in Artist Corner · 04/07/2005 (12:37 am) · 13 replies
Which of these two would be best for making characters and scenes?
I am thinking of buying on educational discount. I think both let you buy the top of the line version on the Education discount but it was not clear if either puts a watermark or some other note on the characters and scenes showing it was made by a educational discount desktop? Any other limitations?
I have a hands model in 3Ds format that I need to get into TGE and Cal3D would necessitate that I go with 3Ds Max or will Maya import the hands from 3Ds Max and let me rig the hands OK?
If it makes a difference the educational discount (according to JourneyED) for 3Ds Max is twice the price as Maya though it was not clear to me why since the commercial versions Maya is twice the price of 3Ds Max! So what I am missing... why the flip flop in pricing structure between educational and commercial versions of the two products?
Bob
I am thinking of buying on educational discount. I think both let you buy the top of the line version on the Education discount but it was not clear if either puts a watermark or some other note on the characters and scenes showing it was made by a educational discount desktop? Any other limitations?
I have a hands model in 3Ds format that I need to get into TGE and Cal3D would necessitate that I go with 3Ds Max or will Maya import the hands from 3Ds Max and let me rig the hands OK?
If it makes a difference the educational discount (according to JourneyED) for 3Ds Max is twice the price as Maya though it was not clear to me why since the commercial versions Maya is twice the price of 3Ds Max! So what I am missing... why the flip flop in pricing structure between educational and commercial versions of the two products?
Bob
#2
Is Maya export to TGE easier?
04/07/2005 (2:01 am)
My friend has been trying to get the export from 3ds Max to TGE but cannot get it to work using all the documentation that folks have suggested. Can you suggest something more.Is Maya export to TGE easier?
#3
04/07/2005 (6:42 am)
I can't say- I used max 4. version for exporting and it worked just fine but it was about 3 years ago- I know nothing about recent version of exporters as we do not use Max anymore. Now I am using Maya and I do not have any problems with it but I doubt problem lays in quaility of 3d package- it's rather issue of good or bad plugin/exporter. I am using standard maya to dts by Danny Ngan (I should build altar devoted to this guy) and following his docs I have no slightest problem whatsoever. 
#4
Your friend might want to check this out - http://www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=28234
Might not help everything, but could help.
Toby.
04/07/2005 (7:01 am)
Bob,Your friend might want to check this out - http://www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=28234
Might not help everything, but could help.
Toby.
#5
Sounds like maybe the Maya exporter is more forgiving.
Till my son learns C++ so he can make TGE animations is their anything that Maya can do toward animating characters either insitu or in a third party package? I seems like Maya is more for the artist ... hair, cloth, etc. ... and my son is bent toward being an artist. Though it will be motivating if what he creates and move!
Thanks Radoslaw for the tip on created equal until big leagues that helps to clarify. I guess 3Ds Max does have the edge on Maya for being able to animate characters insitu (directly in the progam?)
Bob
04/08/2005 (7:55 am)
Thanks for the link Toby... looks like you have gone through the ringer lately with getting your export to work. I guess some of the things you were having trouble with were just problems with the exporter not doing much as it could automatically.Sounds like maybe the Maya exporter is more forgiving.
Till my son learns C++ so he can make TGE animations is their anything that Maya can do toward animating characters either insitu or in a third party package? I seems like Maya is more for the artist ... hair, cloth, etc. ... and my son is bent toward being an artist. Though it will be motivating if what he creates and move!
Thanks Radoslaw for the tip on created equal until big leagues that helps to clarify. I guess 3Ds Max does have the edge on Maya for being able to animate characters insitu (directly in the progam?)
Bob
#6
Sounds like maybe the Maya exporter is more forgiving.
Till my son learns C++ so he can make TGE animations is their anything that Maya can do toward animating characters either insitu or in a third party package? I seems like Maya is more for the artist ... hair, cloth, etc. ... and my son is bent toward being an artist. Though it will be motivating if what he creates and move!
Thanks Radoslaw for the tip on created equal until big leagues that helps to clarify. I guess 3Ds Max does have the edge on Maya for being able to animate characters insitu (directly in the progam?)
Bob
04/08/2005 (8:26 am)
Thanks for the link Toby... looks like you have gone through the ringer lately with getting your export to work. I guess some of the things you were having trouble with were just problems with the exporter not doing much as it could automatically.Sounds like maybe the Maya exporter is more forgiving.
Till my son learns C++ so he can make TGE animations is their anything that Maya can do toward animating characters either insitu or in a third party package? I seems like Maya is more for the artist ... hair, cloth, etc. ... and my son is bent toward being an artist. Though it will be motivating if what he creates and move!
Thanks Radoslaw for the tip on created equal until big leagues that helps to clarify. I guess 3Ds Max does have the edge on Maya for being able to animate characters insitu (directly in the progam?)
Bob
#7
Other than that it really comes down to personal preference. If the last 3dsmax you used was Max 4, it doesn't compare at all to Max 7. Totaly different kettle of fish. With torque though, the benefits of a high end 3D app are mostly lost, since the exporter and engine lack support for a lot of the more common features found in modern engines are currently not avaliable.
04/08/2005 (8:32 am)
Most of th eplaces I have worked at have used Max for scenery and environments, vehicles, and sometimes character modeling. But most of the character animators prefer Maya for animating. Max seems to be the best out there for level building thanks to all its snap tools and Autocad routes. It also has more complete polytools where Maya is better with nurbs and splines.Other than that it really comes down to personal preference. If the last 3dsmax you used was Max 4, it doesn't compare at all to Max 7. Totaly different kettle of fish. With torque though, the benefits of a high end 3D app are mostly lost, since the exporter and engine lack support for a lot of the more common features found in modern engines are currently not avaliable.
#8
Sounds like maybe the Maya exporter is more forgiving.
Till my son learns C++ so he can make TGE animations is their anything that Maya can do toward animating characters either insitu or in a third party package? I seems like Maya is more for the artist ... hair, cloth, etc. ... and my son is bent toward being an artist. Though it will be motivating if what he creates and move!
Thanks Radoslaw for the tip on created equal until big leagues that helps to clarify. I guess 3Ds Max does have the edge on Maya for being able to animate characters insitu (directly in the progam?)
Bob
04/08/2005 (9:06 am)
Thanks for the link Toby... looks like you have gone through the ringer lately with getting your export to work. I guess some of the things you were having trouble with were just problems with the exporter not doing much as it could automatically.Sounds like maybe the Maya exporter is more forgiving.
Till my son learns C++ so he can make TGE animations is their anything that Maya can do toward animating characters either insitu or in a third party package? I seems like Maya is more for the artist ... hair, cloth, etc. ... and my son is bent toward being an artist. Though it will be motivating if what he creates and move!
Thanks Radoslaw for the tip on created equal until big leagues that helps to clarify. I guess 3Ds Max does have the edge on Maya for being able to animate characters insitu (directly in the progam?)
Bob
#9
As far as Torque goes, both programs do the same things with only slight differences in workflow. Most of the problems people run into are either from bad builds of exporters (the ones listed on the Torque for Artists page are the good ones to use), not reading the docs carefully, or not really understanding how to use the 3D tool. People get stuff working all the time. You just hear about the problems, not the stuff that works. :)
04/08/2005 (10:32 am)
Realistically, either program will work just fine. I've used both Max and Maya for TGE projects and for work at game studios, and I have been able to create all of my art without any troubles. Like Adrian said, it really boils down to personal preference (for TGE, at least). A skilled artist with each program can be equally as productive.As far as Torque goes, both programs do the same things with only slight differences in workflow. Most of the problems people run into are either from bad builds of exporters (the ones listed on the Torque for Artists page are the good ones to use), not reading the docs carefully, or not really understanding how to use the 3D tool. People get stuff working all the time. You just hear about the problems, not the stuff that works. :)
#10
I looked at Art-3D Tools and found your link that looked like it would be helpful but when I tried to go to it I got this message:
IGC '02: 3D Character Animation
Sorry, We Can't Find That Page
Can you direct me to how to get to that doc?
This all seems like a maize to me trying to determine which is an exporter and which is best for what I am needing to do.
Which one of the tools (exporters) is going to be best suited for me ... to export 3D hands from 3DsMax to TGE??
Bob
04/09/2005 (1:06 am)
Hi Danny!I looked at Art-3D Tools and found your link that looked like it would be helpful but when I tried to go to it I got this message:
IGC '02: 3D Character Animation
Sorry, We Can't Find That Page
Can you direct me to how to get to that doc?
This all seems like a maize to me trying to determine which is an exporter and which is best for what I am needing to do.
Which one of the tools (exporters) is going to be best suited for me ... to export 3D hands from 3DsMax to TGE??
Bob
#11
That document is probably the notes from my presentation on 3D Character Animation way back at IndieGamesCon 2002. I'm not sure you can find anymore, because I definitely don't have a copy of those notes and I don't think the person who wrote them is in this community anymore.
As for determining which tool is best for you, if you can afford it, either 3DS Max or Maya would work fine. Both are superb 3D animation packages and have great exporters for TGE. I don't remember if Autodesk offers demos of Max or not, but I do know that Alias has a Personal Learning Edition of Maya that you can try out for free. It won't allow you to export to TGE, but you can use it to get a feel for how Maya works and start learning some of the basic techniques and terminology of 3D animation.
04/09/2005 (3:10 pm)
Bob,That document is probably the notes from my presentation on 3D Character Animation way back at IndieGamesCon 2002. I'm not sure you can find anymore, because I definitely don't have a copy of those notes and I don't think the person who wrote them is in this community anymore.
As for determining which tool is best for you, if you can afford it, either 3DS Max or Maya would work fine. Both are superb 3D animation packages and have great exporters for TGE. I don't remember if Autodesk offers demos of Max or not, but I do know that Alias has a Personal Learning Edition of Maya that you can try out for free. It won't allow you to export to TGE, but you can use it to get a feel for how Maya works and start learning some of the basic techniques and terminology of 3D animation.
#12
04/10/2005 (12:56 pm)
So, what is the name of the good exporter for 3Ds Max to TGE? Can I down load it from this site along with documentation?
#13
04/10/2005 (12:59 pm)
Go to the Torque for Artist link on the right side of this page. All the supported exporters and documentation are listed there. 
Radoslaw Kurczewski