If Blender can do everything why do people still use 3DS Max?

Yeah it's just that analogy makes absolutely no sense.

 

Why do you think so many people are hooked on WoW?
Why do you think so many people are hooked on Star Wars?

Better stuff comes out, but they miss the feelings of the old stuff. So they keep on going back. People need what they're familiar with.

Lots of memories of good times with friends. Feelings.

 

No, lol.

Max and Blender operate ENTIRELY different. Years of cost and expense has nothing to do with feelings. Plus the industrial solutions solved by 3DSMax plugins do not have anything to do with feelings. It makes ZERO sense.

Blender isn't better than 3dsmax in any shape or form. Blender is very good though, the best free option.

 

It depends on what you're looking at. If you're looking just at the breadth of plugins Max supports, perhaps you're right. But if you're looking at overall interface design and usability, perhaps you're not ...

But it's subjective I guess. Feelings.

 

Actually, I think what he's really talking about is cost of use. "Feelings" have nothing to do with the fact that it costs time, and therefore money, to make the change, or that derivative tools may not be available, etc.

 

I was referring to his opinion that "Blender isn't better than 3dsmax in any shape or form". But yeah, as a company already using Max or Maya, there are definitely switching costs to consider (as you previously mentioned).

 

Since is Unity that is doing the import, I would say that Unity needs to improve it's import tools.

 

I heard this is a pretty cool 3D software:

The only problem is that even if it's triangle-based and it exports in the pretty common .PAPR format Unity still has issues importing the models

 

Not for something that costs 2500$ to get that "Memory back" thing .

@Grimwolf you have a point , but most people might have to switch to 3dsmax or maya not because they like it or prefer it over blender , but to be able to sell their models for anything and work for anyone .

Both are equal in the production/creation , maybe not in support but they get the same result , 3ds max may have some better tools and blender may have better tools , but they get the same result , if you know something about painting in real life then you know that are alot of painting mediums made from everything on earth ( Oil pastels , Soft pastels , Acrylic paint , Oil paint , Colored pencils , Watercolors and alot more ) if we take 2 mediums for example Acrylic and Oil paint and googled the difference between them , you will find all answers referring to "Same results , different workflow" .

I see that its the same as 3dsmax and blender although selling or getting support for 3ds max is easier , if you have been using blender for years you will have same quality models as 3ds max , it all depends on the artist anyway not the tool .

One last thing , what is the difference between 3dsmax and maya ?

 

From a design point of view, the main difference is that Max is more conventional, and Maya is more configurable.

When you're making games, you're mostly concerned with pumping out lots of assets. The quality can be good, but ultimately your game engine is a limiting factor. So you're generally not pushing the edge like you are in film. Max does well here because it's more conventional and predictable than Maya.

Maya gives you more power in terms of flexibility and configurability. This becomes more important in film because you have less assets to produce, but the ones you do produce tend to be more on the "cutting edge". The configuration power lets you experiment and scale with more complicated assets.

 

Couldnt autodesk just make it one software ? or they just want more money ?

 

It's possible in theory, but quite difficult. The products are different enough that they'd have to make something entirely new.

Even if they could, they'd still have the problem where people are already hooked on Max and Maya. Getting them to switch isn't easy.

 

no; if you create a .max file the aforementioned meta info stays the same no matter what license model you re-save it with later on.. just like Unity

but unto the topic at hand: I still use Max2011.. why? that's the last time i updated my subscription (i mean the oldschool sub model pay 4k, then .5k per annum)
somewhere along the lines when it came time to reUp the sub i didn't have the money and to reUp now it'd be 4k again..
but instead of learning another free software or something that's cheaper now (Houdini, Modo, ect) i stick to using Max.. Why?
Simple really.. I, like most humans, am a creature of habit and don't like to change my ways.. I've started modeling with Max ~9 years ago and know it better than the back of my hand. The discomfort of learning something new for the minimal functional benefit that MIGHT have after years of honing my skill in that environment is not worth it.. the probability is too low.

Ofc i could sub to the new model AD offers.. but then i could also sub to Unity's 75$/m model instead of using the free version.. thing is.. i don't like subscriptions of this kind. I buy the product once and can use it ad infinitum, if they happen to offer a model that let's me get later versions for a minimal cost.. i take it.. .

Since I've never used a later version of Blender i cant compare it to Max but i can tell you that Max, Maya, and some others are just industry standards. They are established, they are reliable and safe and therefore they are job requirements. Companies requesting those leads to people learning those and as we've learned earlier.. we're creatures of habit. This little feedback loop cemented their position in the industry and it's highly unlikely that an openSrc package will ever reach such a position in the AAA sector.

Edit: Back in the day i could've suggested you use GMax.. contrary to the student version of today you could sell your assets created with it. afair

 

"Softimage died to help Max and Maya, says Autodesk"

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Sounds like Autodesk is cannibalizing itself to stay afloat!

I think this is a sign, maybe just maybe Blender and OSS are winning.
Who knows, maybe the next big news is......

"Max died to help Maya, says Autodesk"

and eventually...

"Maya died to help Autodesk"

 

I started 3D with Bryce 3D 2.1, back in '96 and loved it.
After a few years another guy and I wanted to do a paid, more sophisticated project, so I bought another 3D package, considered a step up at the time (don't remember the name). That wasn't enough so I put down the $2750 for Max 3.1 in 3/2000. It felt good, like a Super Bryce to me, ease of use and high-end rendering.
I spent most of my time in Max (along with 2D software) for a long time.
The subscription went up 20% this year to about the same as Adobe Creative Cloud for the year. Yeah, I wish it hadn't but it's really not too much for me,
I put a lot of money into my hobby. I don't plan to drop it until I have a clear idea of what I plan to do instead. I've never even seen the Blender program, some time might check it out, but I'm pretty overwhelmed with all I have to do now, so...

 

Maya is multiplatform. 90% of the film industry use Maya. This is because they run Linux and render farm runs Linux.
Max on the other hand is single platform still - locked to Windows only.
Blender on other hand is multiplatform - it could eventually replace Max or even Maya as studios look for ways to cut cost in a depressed economy.

 

After years either autodesk will have to reduce to price of its softwares alot , or it will be the end of 3d softwares done by autodesk .

The fact that in the very very near future ( actually right now ) people save money as much as they can , so getting blender and spend some money on books and dvds is quite enough for you to start making money , the one problem will be who will use blender files ? maybe if a new company for example aiming to make animation movie want to save thousands of dollars , they will use blender and it will be an economic solution for alot of other companies , or work with a game development company that uses Unity for example , or gather a group of blender users and make your own company .

With 4k you can buy alot of tools that will help in 3d modelling or learning it , or if you aim at making a game , you can buy alot of damn stuff , like a graphics tablet , or even a super PC that can handle games and renders fast or ofcourse , you can buy 3ds max and drop all this other stuff away .

 

I got started in 3D back when 3D Studio was a dos program, and followed MAX up from it's beginnings. I just plain got used to that workflow.
And while I can say that Blender is a very capable 3D application, I just plain can't get used to it's interface and workflow.
Blender is very heavy in the keyboard commands, and I am not a key command type of user, that's not how my brain works.

As far as the cost of 3DSMax.... let's just say there are ways of getting Max at a SIGNIFICANT discount (wink, wink, thank you X-Force).

 

so you started with dosMax and are now pirating the software?
and are admitting to it in a forum filled with software engineers?
good on you

 

I have been a max user for a few years now. What I think max lacks in features and workflow I just script with maxscript. Would agree that Autodesk asks way to much for something that hardly changes with each release.

I like blender and use it from time to time, but I still think the tools could be developed and improved further before I consider switching full time to it..

 

They are also covered by universities and colleges. Blender is still largely something you need to pick up on your own with the aid of videos and online references.

 

Promoting piracy is not acceptable.

--Eric

 

Your decision making changes a lot when you're such a big player in the market.

Why do you think there is no Warcraft 4 at the moment? I'm sure there are lots of people at Blizzard who want to make it. But Starcraft 2 makes up a huge share of the RTS market. If they released a new Warcraft, they'd just be competing with themselves.

 

anyone able to pick up Blender and be as productive as in 3D Max or Maya in just 3 weeks deserves a few beers... I'm buying.

 

+3345

 

Sorry, I didn't realize that mentioning the mere existence of such a thing was considered promotion. I won't do it again.

 

You made an assumption. It would be like you assuming that I smoked crack because I said that it was being sold on the streets.
Anyway, if this was a courtroom (which it isn't) it would be on you to prove my guilt, I have no obligation to prove my innocence.

BTW, the dos version was just "3D studio", "Max" didn't come along until it moved to windows.

 

If you were thanking your local crack dealer then that parallel you drew would make sense.. And yes you were implicit

Effectively providing word of mouth advertising for a cracker and thereby "promoting piracy"

The only opinion you ever stated was:

and to answer your edited post..:
If you are selling the assets produced.. you need to provide proof of purchase to ADs legal team in case they come a knocking "out of the blue"

 

Whatever.
What are you going to turn me in based on such a flimsy claim?
For all you know it could be sarcasm, as as in "thank you for hurting Max sales".

 

me? i couldn't give less of a s*** about you pirating max..
what got me was that you promoted it on a public forum also frequented by young impressionable people.
potentially leading to some of them thinking it's an "OK" thing to do.. and doing it in future.. hurting software businesses and putting people like me out of business.
that's what irks me

You're an instance, a blip, a randomly straying data-point.. the ideas you put out aren't.
Actions on this level have such a low significance it's ridiculous.. ideas however are infectious.. and can not be contained.. therefore you putting out this idea that it might be ok.. is harmfull beyond a scope you considered writing that post.

 

I'm reading all these "then switching and learning blender" or "switching from blender and learning maya" posts, but am I the only one that feels there's nothing much new to learn? I mean once you got a hang of one you can just watch a 10 min getting started on interface vid about the other, and you're pretty much set. Exception being the software specific features ofc that don't exist in another.

I mean I first used Maya long ago(student version, and I think I tried 3dsmax too), and loved it, and then when I decided to start working commercially I switched to Blender, and there was nothing much new to learn except the hotkeys and interface.

But personally I can't wait to be able to afford Unity 5 Pro so I can save up for Maya or 3DSMax, because I felt far more comfortable working in Maya. I don't know why, I looove Blender, it can do a lot of stuff and keeps surprising me. For example up until yesterday I didn't know you can do green screen stuff in Blender. Not that I need green screen stuff, otherwise I'd probably find out if I was looking, but I just ran into it randomly. And it all fits in freaking 40mb or so.

Anyway working in Blender makes me feel like I'm tip toeing or walking on egg shells, like everything can go wrong any second. There's that infamous ctrl+z in object mode, or manual texture saving when texture painting, and stuff like that make me uneasy. Also I can not (or don't want to) for the life of me get used to the Blender controls, so I'm using Maya preset which usually isn't whats used in tutorials so hotkey parts were hard to follow up until I discovered you can Ctrl+Space and get a search box. But then again I'm not primarily an artist since my gf took over that part. xD

I guess I could say Maya felt a lot more user friendly to me than Blender, and works sort of smoother. But that's just me. Obviously everyone feels different about this.

 

Done! But I'm sort of competing at how long I can go without drinking, so can I get Pepsi instead? Also does it still count if I was never very good at Maya to begin with?

 

For my original statement? Sure, since I was talking about "familiarisation". For tswalk's? I doubt it, as I think he was talking about mastery. Also, there's a difference between mastering the art and mastering the tools. The former is about quality, the latter about productivity. If you think someone who's mastered one tool (thousands of hours over a period of years) can switch to another and master it to a similar level in 3 weeks, I think you're pretty optimistic!

 

Good point! If he was talking about mastering the tools. xD
As for mastering the art, I don't think he meant that cause then its not a fair challenge. xD
I don't know but it feels like those programs share a lot of things and its easy to switch from one to another. All in all I recommend Blender for every beginner, and if you can afford a commercial software, give the trial version a shot. Give each software a trial including Blender, and then decide. Everyone feels different in this case. I do think the commercial software such as Maya are more user friendly tho than Blender. Its like I keep saying to my friend "Blender can do everything, you just need a bit more skillz". xD

 

Where you got that??

 

I heard something like that too. Transformers were made in Maya I think, just one example.

 

The only difference I see is the interface and workflow , people say that 3dsmax and maya are more user-friendly and easier to start with , do you guys who switch to 3dsmax or maya after learning 3d in blender find the 4k easy to get ?

for me thats a very high price , I dont know if average artists can afford that , what if someone wants to start making making models , does he have to pay the 4k ? or if he used blender to make money from models that means he is familiar enough with blender to sell models , then why would you switch ? unless switching is for the production pipeline as 3dsmax or maya are supported , I dont see any reason .

 

Its high as fluff for me too. Even if I had 4k and got Maya I'd still keep using Blender along side. I don't know, time will tell. Its been a while since I last used Maya, its probably quite a bit different than it was 5 years ago. It comes down to preference and what most of your projects demand. What I really want now is Mudbox tho. I want sculpt and paint in one package. xD

Ofc Blender can do what Mudbox does as well, but I'm assuming not that well. I didn't try Mudbox trial yet but I tried Sculptris, and it does sculpting and painting better than Blender. So I'm assuming Mudbox is even better because its better than Sculptris. xD

 

I recall C4D (v9) being awesome. When I started learning blender afterwards it was a pain. However after some years with blender I checked the C4D trial recently and couldn't get along with it. The interface was cluttered and the workflow clumsy. Guess it's true... it's a lot about getting used to a program.

 

Yeah, I think its along the lines of what @peteorstrike said. Autodesk already has the massive user base, and its what the pros know. I personally like Blender better even after using Maya 8 hours a day in every game studio I've ever worked at, yet I still can't recommend choosing blender for someone who's new and wants to get hired at studios. If your doing indie or freelance stuff where you control your own pipeline however I'd definitely recommend Blender. Autodesk will stick around until they become so awful that it becomes economical to stop using them, which I think they realize, and so they stay just barely not crappy enough to not loose their stranglehold.

 

Sculpting is major part in blender although there are better softwares , like Zbrush or mudbox , there is no software that can pack everything and be the best at all of them .

 

modo is a pretty good "batteries included" solution. It's got a pretty slick interface, and is half the price of max / maya.

 

Wow! I Love Bryce.
I even downloaded it for free about close to 2 years ago, from the DAZ website.
They had it as a special awhile back, get Daz Studio, Hexagon 2.0 and Bryce 7 Pro for free.
And I even installed it on my laptop.
Great for making my landscapes and enviroments.
Lots of nice free trees too.

 

Agree, I wonder if Autodesk employers know the names of the products that company sells.. if you look at them is a looooong list.

"Times change". Blender is coming really nice from behind. And Zbrush5 will hit the market hard with all new features.

Any notable improvements to Maya since Autodesk bought it? Seriously answers please.

For everybody who say Maya is better that Blender, please write down what Maya do and Blender don't, exact things stuff like "Maya is better because my studio use it".

 

Alot of autodesk softwares are simulators though , so I understand making it a different software to simulate a factory or invention , but both 3dsmax and maya are 3d modelling and animating software , if they cant merge it to one software they should atleast make both a one purchase , so if you buy one you get the other free .

I havent tried any of them so I want to ask , will you pay 4k if you have 3dsmax to buy maya ? and if yes then why ?

 

this thread.... lost brain cells, must abort.

 

Sculpting in Blender seems straight forward but beyond that I'd rather pony up for Maya LT I guess

I should add I'd rather pony up $800 for ZBrush for sculpting too

 

You're more efficient with less of them

 

Why?