Best 3d program?

[Zohn]

What is the best program for making really good 3d graphics, like 3ds max and stuff...?

[Cota]

3DS Max is definitely a good one, Maya is another good one, but if you looking for cheap, easy to use 3D apps, you can go with AMAPI, TrueSpace/GameSpace, or something along those lines. Cinema3D isnt too bad either.

[Colin Campbell]

Movies- Maya
Games- Max

Thats generally what you would go with when looking at Max and Maya. Other great programs include Cinema4D, Lightwave, and Blender. Look around at each, close to if not all of them have free trials.

[petefs]

as colin says, the two leading 3d softwares are maya and max. While he gives a generally accepted rule (maya for movies, max for games), the rules are changing. Maya's price drop a few years back (1 year? has it really been more already?) has put it in more studios around the world.

Typically people considered 3DSMax to be good for games because it was cheaper and realtime engines like geometry models. Maya was more expensive and had far superior NURB tools, which were useless for gamedesign because you'd have to tesselate all the faces afterwards anyway, and that's not really a good method for creating low-poly models : )

Maya is now a good shot cheaper than Max, and is worth looking into for still-renders, movies, and games.

I only have formal instruction in 3DSMax, but I have Maya experience as well. NURB modelling is my preference since I rarely do any sort of realtime 3d.

We've overlooked, however, MY favourite 3D app:

Softimage (specifically XSI). It's had its ups and downs, but right now it's one of the most flexible and wonderful 3d apps for animation & motion graphics.

..

oh, and your choice of applications should really take into account synergy with complimentary software. For example, if you're going to be doing compositing, and you have a favorite compositing software, pick the app that's friendly. Discreet users (Combustion, Flame primarily) use 3DSMax for obvious reasons. Shake users use Maya. After Effects users use...well, anything, nothing's particularly friendly with AE's half-hearted 3D attemps (don't get me wrong, I use AE more than anything :D).

Hope that helps and doesn't confuse. I'm about to confuse myself tonight!

[farafiro]

Just heard Maya is the best, seen some demo for it in the local TV
was wow

[CyanBlue]

The tool does not matter... The technique does not matter... What that matter is what you have in your brain and how you can describe through the 3D objects...
The bottom line is that you've got to fiddle with the programs that you can lay your hands on and find the program that you like most and you are most comfortable with... :)

[tg]

the other question is:
whats your display media? film/tv? cdrom? web?
we currently have an active thread where someone wants to disply their 3d in flash, but the file is so large they are getting complaints from their users about download times.

[Zohn]

Ok...i got 3ds max 6.0 and im going to start learning how to use it, and i figured i'd get character studio to top things off, so i got char studio 4 and when i install it ask me to browse to the file w/ 3ds max 5.1...well i do not have 5.1 i got 6.0...whats wrong?

[petefs]

You seem to have gotten the upgrade ^_^ Woops!