Is Maya really Good??

[MasonDoran]

what ever u learn....its probably going to be better then Truespace...

i will say the maya forum is honest enough to admit the appz weaknesses upfront

also...your question is not really relevant to YOU or your needs....because this question can only have subjective answer, the question should also reflect what u personally expect from a 3d app.


otherwise...just peform a "Maya vs" word search....

[wgreenlee1]

Get the PLE and give it a whirl...
I think they have released the 5..0_PLE so head over to Alias and download it and try it.

BTW: Having been a former TS user myself I think TS is closer to Maya than most applications.
Not the interface but Sub'ds,NURBS,etc.

The only real way to find out about Maya is to get over to Alias and download the PLE and see for yourself.You could have the testimony of10000 people saying its the 'second coming' but it still may not suit you,that you will have to discover yourself.

There are hundreds of tutorials and movies to help you see for yourself what Maya is like.

What you wont find here though is a bunch of salesmen like in those other forums so that says to me that it sells itself based on its power not its marketing.


Try it and see if it suits you.

[draco76x]

2byts,

Thanks, will "search" in the forum for my "Answer".

wgreenlee1,

It's great to find a former TS user here, btw, can you tell me why
you switch to Maya instead of others like lightwave etc.

Just like you said, actually, I have to find a software that suit me, Truespace is not bad, but I want to master other 3d apps also just like a person who can operate an Window OS & a Mac OS.

Will go for a try downloading Maya PLE.

[loked]

I know this is probably the same answer that so many people get, but I'll say it anyway:)

The truth is, that some applications are definitely better than others, like Maya is definitely better than Truespace, but it still boils down to the artist and not just the tool. Its not to say that thats all that matters, but dont expect to use maya over lightwave and be producing brilliant work in a matter of a few days. I'm sure this forum has proven that all major applications (Maya, Lightwave,XSI..etc) can produce really awesome work. I personally am a Maya user and so I would go with Maya, but I dont have any experience with other apps, so I cant tell you why Maya is better than the rest, its just the app that I've grown to love:thumbsup:


Good Luck!!

later:wavey:
loked

[draco76x]

A samurai with a "sword", it's the person that control the sword not the "sword" controling the person.

I totally agree that actually a good "art" comes from the user not the application.

But, a good application is necssary also, it will save
time & unleash you creative idea making it from impossible to possible. Just like a sharp knife can slice thing faster that a blunt knife.

Even as a hobby, I don't wish that a lousy application already freeze the screen or other etc. Too complex program also an headache as you need time to master it.

Back to square one, you still need a application that suit you. :)

[maxx10]

As someone that just approached maya from a "low level" app like strata3D I must warn you that at first you might be overwhelmed by the possibilities this package has, then you're gonna be frustrated by the rendering results of Maya standard software renderer, wich is hard to master but not crappy at all, then if you survive the first impact and start animating stuff you'll see why it has such a reputation.... good luck

[tumbi]

Maya isn't for dummies—it's a robust, world-class 3D product that can do amazing things in the right hands

New Riders - Inside Maya 5

[Peter Reynolds]

You need to ask yourself WHAT you will mainly use it for. And then looks at the major areas of strength and weakness in each app.

Some applications are strong at modelling.
Some applications are strong at a specific type of modelling.
Some are strong at animation.
Some are great for quick and easy renders.
Some have great particles and dynamics.

If you have a good idea WHAT you want to do, then your selection process will be a lot easier.

[rock]

Maya is very good. But I can tell you that to be comfortable at Maya, you have to work consistently at it - even when it seems like you want to quit. In the LW forum, I used to hear how great LW modeler is, but now that I am used to Maya - I think, in essence, they are the same. The truth is I have felt that LW modeler is missing essential things. That's why Modo modeler from Luxulogy comes out. LW and Maya both comes with advantages and disadvantages. But in the end both produce gorgeous work. XSI, MAX and Cinema4D are also very good.

However, it is a wise move to move from TrueSpace to any of the 3d apps mentioned above. You really can't make a wrong choice with any of them.

[loked]

I think what Peter was saying is very important. You've really got to look at what you want to get out of the package. With that being said, Maya is a very very well rounded package. It has very good modelling tools (nurbs, subD's and polys), very good animation tools including Non Linear Animation, amazing dynamics engine and with the addition of Mental Ray an outstanding renderer. So if you are looking for an all round package Maya is definitely way up there (like right on top:)). It can be very overwhelming at first, but with enough practice and experimenting, you will really start to realise its power.

Good Luck:thumbsup:
later:wavey:
loked

[graphiouz]

im not sure how driven you are? Maya can be tough on you,
more then lets say 3Dmax or Lightwave, not sure but it seams to be that way (havent used any other), you need to learn more indepth what is going on, atleast it helps.
with maya there are a few more steps for that crisp nice looking picture.

good luck on your choice, no matter really what you choose you´ll end up with an awesome package its just a different name on the box,

[Sciatica]

I first started my adventure into 3d similar to you.. In Truespace.

The last version of Truespace I used was 4.0 so I don't know what has changed since then, but I was prompted to change due to Truespaces lack of decent modelling tools, no particals, and a poor texturing system, In my humble opinion :)

I have used a bit of Max, but next to that, I am a devote Maya user. I got trained in Maya at school, and have continued to use it since...

This view is wholy my own, and Im sure others will disagree, but my general view towards 3d programs is... Maya can do everything generally pretty well.. Well I do still belive that it is weak in the rendering area (Thanks to some suggestions, hopefully I will be proven wrong :)) and from what I hear, compared to Lightwave, its poly modelling tools are a bit weak, but once ByronsPolyTools gets released, I think that may change..

3D Studio Max is dominant in popularity... Your going to find way more studios using Max... Maya is, I belive, a more powerful program, but since the price is higher, smaller studios can't afford it. Lightwave seems to be similar to Maya in power, but I don't see nearly as many studios using Lightwave... Now of course, this is just what I have seen, and compared to some people on this board, thats not much... But its just my opinion :)

Based on image quality.. surf the gallery here and you will see equally amazing stuff being released behind each program, so that definatly drives home the whole "Samurai with a sword" point :)

[Ibanezhead]

My experience:

Maya is a great all around package, and is very strong in rigging and animation. The poly modeling is pretty nice with MJPolyTools, but the rendering has a high learning curve, IMO...

Max is a great all around package, and is pretty good at everything... Modeling is best in Max, with Meshtools, (precision is key in Max), Animation is nice, but can be convoluted at times, the Renderer is pretty easy to use, and get good results in, quick...

Lightwave is great for modeling, texturing, and rendering... If you need to animate, run from it like it has the plague... For me, LW was a big disappointment.

Vic

[draco76x]

Thanks guys for your unselfishness guide to me,
a non Maya user.

Sciatica, thanks for your sharing as an "Ex-Truespace" user.

I will down the "Trial" version of Maya & try
it out. Hope everything turns well.

Cheers:)

[wgreenlee1]

Well when you download it look into those sticky threads here at the Maya Forum for tons of FAQs and hint/tips.

Good luck!:thumbsup:

[roger3d]

I was a Lightwave user since it's version 5.
I started with it simply because it was the best aplication I could afford. Lightwave to me was THE 3D app. When version 6 arrived I was amazed how Newtek created such a powerful 3D app. Things like gradient shader, morhp gizmo, 3d manipulators, viper, etc.

Then I tried to find a job and find out that few studios use it. Of course, Lightwave is "everywhere", but it's not the main software they use. Otherwise, you must be a super killer 3D artist god to convince then you can do a better job using YOUR 3D app. But most studios want you to hit the ground running. So, you'll have better chances to have a job if you use the main software the studios uses. In this case, Max, Maya and XSI can be a better choice than Lightwave, Caligary and Strata, for example. But if you want to create 3D as a hobby or want to be an one-man-media studio, you can go with almost any 3D app. You can see that a good artist can show brilliant animations and images, no matter the software they use.

I for myself decided to invest my time and money in Maya. It has a great interface that I can setup virtually the way I want, has a lot of resource (books, DVDs, tutorials, trainings), etc.

Considering that I'm looking for a 3D job, in my opinion, Maya is the best price/performance 3d app now. A lot of people talk about how bad is the Maya's renderer. Well, did you see Square's Final Fantasy X? And what about Kaya, a digital model from Vetor Zero? And now, Maya has Mental Ray 3.2 for those who want radiosity and it's seamless integrated in Maya.

The worst thing for me in Maya is the learning curve. I talked to a lot of people and many agree that it's hard to a LW user to learn Maya. People say Max users can learn Maya faster because of the workflow and LW users can learn XSI faster.

If you think Maya is difficult in the beggining, don't give up! It's worth to invest you time in this program.

Start visiting the following sites below, watch the videos and practice with Maya PLE.
www.3dbuzz.com
www.digital-tutors.com
www.simplymaya.com
www.mayatraining.com

I don't recommend the Maya complete 3 book and the Maya 4.5 Savvy.
For begginers I recommend Maya Foundamentals, Learning Maya and Inside Maya 5 in this sequence for you to learn.

Then, I recommend the Gnomon DVDs, too. It has a lot of information and workflows of people who is actually working in the industry.

The best thing about Maya is that, since you are confortable with it, its very hard to look back and try to live without Marking Menus, Shelfs, MEL and the general workflow. Maya is a very deep and flexible program. If you need a tool, you can build it yourself, or maybe get the script that someone already wrote.

One thing that Alias need to do though is to increase the development speed a little bit ... because since I started to learn Maya I found out that others companies uses the "copy and paste" feature approach.
So, who knows, in the near future we'll see Marking Menus, Shelfs, Paint Effects, etc... in other 3D app, just like they did with the ramp shader, IPR, 3D handle manipulators, etc.:hmm:

[MasonDoran]

why dont u start using and learn Wings3d ? Its for free....has excellent if not better modelling capabilities then maya or LW...it still has a couple things to improve upon but if you want to start modelling characters its perfect for doing organic modelling. You could put out some really fanstastic modells with it using the box modelling method and regarding workflow it is more efficient then any of the bigger apps that have to divide their interface up with so many other features/add ons/scripts/plug ins/patches/fixes/mistakes/nonsense/menus/windows/tabs/pulldowns/popups

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