Which OS?

[GoranNF]

I highly recommend linux.Maya runs faster,more stable and smoother on it.Just give linux a try,and I'm sure you'll like it.Please read this for an OS comparison by a CG artist. (http://www.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/showthread.php?t=31179)

[Venkman]

I highly recommend linux.Maya runs faster,more stable and smoother on it.Just give linux a try,and I'm sure you'll like it.Please read this for an OS comparison by a CG artist. (http://www.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/showthread.php?t=31179)

When I bought my copy of Maya for Mac OSX, the install discs were for Mac, Windows, and Linux. I got the version with the dongle.

You can always get that version, or upgrade to it, and switch back and forth between OS's or even different computers- totally legally.

I have noticed that most plugins are for windows, if that makes a difference for you.

[beaker]

Use whatever your more conforatable with. Unless your doing big iron work, all 3 are pretty damn close for normal use.

[Bonedaddy]

There's more shaders and plugins compiled for Windows than either OSX or Linux.

[Sunil90]

Yeah i appreciate that there are more plugins for Windows. But, that aside i was looking for a specific improvement in performance when modelling and rendering. Windows has few issues when it comes to dual core systems and with Maya.

My geomety isnt generally that big, say its average. I 've used Linux before and it seems ok. I am right in saying that there is a 64bit version of Linux out now, how does that perform compared to XP64bit?

[tciny]

As for OSX: I only used it up to 6.5 so I dont know if these issues have been resolved in 7.0 but theres some really nasty stuff in there. Most importantly: Say you're in component mode for vertices. Now if you want to switch to say faces using the right mouse menue you'll have to position the cursor exactly on top of a vertex when beginning the movement for it work.
It completely takes the speed out of marking menues, which imho makes it pretty much unusable for everyday work.
On the other hand tho, I'm using a dual 2ghz PowerMac and rendering times where incredibly low compared to 3.2ghz P4 system, which is the only comparison I have :)
So this might be biased and completely not true, but under my impression RISC/AltiVec (I dont even know if Maya/MentalRay actually uses it) really seemed to kick in nicely. (namely, the speed difference was about a fifth. But then again the mac hat 2.5GB of Ram, wheres the PC only had 1GB)

[beaker]

Now if you want to switch to say faces using the right mouse menue you'll have to position the cursor exactly on top of a vertex when beginning the movement for it work.Ati Radeon, right? Video card issue, not a mac one. You get the same issue with an ati card on windows.

[tciny]

Really? Because I have a Radeon both in the Mac and the Windows PC and it works just fine with the Windows version...

[Komarcic]

hey people,
how about that new UBUNTU linux? has anyone tried that? is it as good as other linux or at least better than windows?

[GoranNF]

hey people,
how about that new UBUNTU linux? has anyone tried that? is it as good as other linux or at least better than windows?Well,it's based on Debian,which is very good.It is as good as other distro's.And yes,linux is better than windows in many cases.But windows has it's own pros too,like the userfriendly and that almost all apps are made for windows.

[gmask]

What about Windows xp 64? How much more ram will a 32bit application beable to access?

[tciny]

Same amount as on a 32bit OS :)

[gmask]

Same amount as on a 32bit OS :)

But you could you have more 32 bit applications open that are memory pigs?

Doesn't Maya 6.5 and 7 take advantage of the /3GB flag for windows XP pro? Does Mental Ray?

[amyrolltide]

I work at a broadcast design/animation studio that primarily focuses on design, our artists use photoshop/after effects, etc. and are all on Macs. We’re going to buy a new workstation for a Maya artist, and are wondering if there are any cons to running Maya on a mac? The artist has never used a Mac but is happy to switch as long as there are no unforseen technical issues with plug-ins, etc. I've heard that there were a lot of problems when Maya first came out for Mac, but they've been resolved? I've also heard that the Open GL technology is not as good on a mac for monitoring. Any thoughts or other issues you could briefly throw out there?

Thanks very much!
amy

[Osmosae]

The artist has never used a Mac but is happy to switch as long as there are no unforseen technical issues with plug-ins, etc

Mac and windows plugins are different, there will be issues with them. As for the rest your going to have to wait for someone who's used maya alot longer than me (just started i just know about plugins from other programs he he)

[gmask]

I've also heard that the Open GL technology is not as good on a mac for monitoring. Any thoughts or other issues you could briefly throw out there?


Yup.. there is a bug in the renderview window that causes the image to look broken (for lack of a better word). You can get aroudn this by resizing the window just right but it's very annoying. Otherwise I found Maya to have as many other quirks on a Mac as on a PC.

You won't have nearly as many plugins problems because there aren't nearly as many plugins for the Mac. ;-)

[vfxdude2]

Yeah i appreciate that there are more plugins for Windows. But, that aside i was looking for a specific improvement in performance when modelling and rendering. Windows has few issues when it comes to dual core systems and with Maya.

My geomety isnt generally that big, say its average. I 've used Linux before and it seems ok. I am right in saying that there is a 64bit version of Linux out now, how does that perform compared to XP64bit?


There aren't any 64-bit versions of Maya. They aren't due out until the end of the year.

-vfxdude

[vfxdude2]

Ati Radeon, right? Video card issue, not a mac one. You get the same issue with an ati card on windows.

In the Linux world... well, the ATI vs. Nvidia contest is over.

Nvidia won by a landslide.

ATI cards basically don't work with Linux. Oh, you can get them to work for really simple things, but not 3D apps.

I recently bought a Dell PC which came with an ATI card. After lots of reading through forums, I found out that it was generally known that ATI does NOT support Linux, while Nvidia does.

So, if you're using Linux.... get an Nvidia card.

Not sure what that says about Windows...

-vfxdude

[mech7]

Hmm the battle has only just begon :D

In the Linux world... well, the ATI vs. Nvidia contest is over.

Nvidia won by a landslide.

[beaker]

Ati does support linux, the trouble is their opengl implementation just plain sucks on all operating systems.

[neuromancer1978]

Not intending to go into an OS war, but I am simply sick of Windows. I have used all kinds of OS, all the way down to the C-64 BASIC. My first high powered (at the time) computer was a PowerMac 6100 with System 7. Then I got into Win95, and hated it. Then Win98, hated that too. I got a Linux distro, Mandrake I think. I loved it!! However yes - most of the BEST software is made for Windows. So I got Win2k, and liked it. In fact out of all the Windows OS's - Win2k is my favorite. Currently I use XP, and I hate it.

Once I get my tax refund, I am getting a new system. I am going dual boot. Mostly because yes - my favorite software runs on Windows. However I do use a lot of Open Source software, like Aqsis, Pixie, Blender, GIMP, Cinepaint ect... The only two software I use a lot on Windows is Maya and Shaderman (RSL shader creation tool).

I love Linux - mostly because it's freaking FREE! Why spend $150 for a bloated, buggy, security holed system that is just making people rich? Besides, if you look at universities, government, and science facilities (not to mention visual effects and animation) - they all use a UNIX type OS. The NSA won't TOUCH Windows, ILM, Pixar, LAIKA, NASA .... they all use a UNIX OS. Should I go on?

[seth0x2b]

One quick question...I tried Maya 6 on my Fedora Core 3 distro, and it kept crashing randomly. I am bound to Windows for that same reason.I know that Maya for linux is officialy supported only for Redhat 9 and Enterprise, but the Fedora project IS Redhat's child,so I thought I'd give it a try.
If anyone got it up and running on anything else but Redhat 9, please share the knowledge ;).I guess I could install Redhat 9, but I am really a Fedora adept( I now use Fedora 5)

[beaker]

It works on all linux's pending you have the listed libraries in the install documents and the hardware/software compatibility page. RH Enterprise is just what they officially support.

I have worked at companies running it under Suse, Debian, Gentoo, etc...

[vfxdude2]

Ati does support linux, the trouble is their opengl implementation just plain sucks on all operating systems.

Hmmm... could be. The problem is that Linux is very dependent on OpenGL; so, ATI cards are essentially useless for Linux.

Seriously -- this isn't an OS flame war thing. It's a "buyer beware" thing. I bought a PC (normally I'm a Mac person) specifically to run Houdini, and I couldn't get it to work. The problem was the ATI graphics card.

When I researched the problem, I found that LOTS of other people had problems with ATI/Linux.

If you are using Windows, there are merits to both brands, I guess (Nvidia or ATI). But if you're using Linux, save yourself the hassle and buy a Nvidia card.

-vfxdude

[beaker]

Hmmm... could be. The problem is that Linux is very dependent on OpenGL; so, ATI cards are essentially useless for Linux.Linux doesn't require opengl, but applications like Maya and Shake do. So for most of us, yes, it is pretty worthless.

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