Does anyone use 3D Studio Max?

[Illuminated]

3D Studio Max
I learned it when I was in school, its a killer program if you know how to run it.
I got a version of it and sat down with it and I'm totally at square one. If you dont use it ya loose it!

Just thought I ask if anyone uses it to do any 3D work?
It would be kick ass for backgrounds and landscapes for a wrap application and the images would print nice and crisp...

 

[GK]

I use 3DS Max, Poser, & Maya. What do you have a question on? What version 3DSM are you running? They have made some serious progress since the first time I used it and it really has come a long way. Maya I think would be your best bet though. I have been creating bump and texture maps and using them in wraps for quite some time now. If I could find someone with the budget to do a wrap designed in 3D entirely I would, but the budget is just never there.

 

[Illuminated]

Gottcha!
3d Max 6 ..I got a million questions but im just wondering if I should invest the time to relearn the program? Im thinking it might turn into a technical nightmare you know, bang your head off the desk type of thing!
I dont know about MAYA tell me more. Im guessing you set it up then export as a tiff?

 

[GK]

you can do that, or now with Photoshop CS3 Extended, you can bring stuff right into Photoshop (not everything though)

 

[Illuminated]

Ok , I was looking at Maya
Does this run off your 3DS Program or is it stand alone?
What would you recommend I do, Learn Maya or Learn Both 3DS & Maya? Thanks for the direction!

 

[GK]

lol you just asked the PC vs. Mac, Flexi vs. Signlab, Adobe vs. Corel question. Autodesk thought it would be a great addition to their product lineup so for $180+ million they bought Alias and acquired Maya and made it conform to its product line up. If you learn one of them, you will notice a lot is the same in the other one (like Photoshop and Illustrator) Originally they said that Maya would be for making movie effects while 3ds would be for game development. Both have their pros and cons. I would say Maya is more for the collaborative work groups to combine their projects, 3ds Max has a diff workflow system.

 

[Illuminated]

George ,Thanks for the help
There is a ton this program can do. I would only probally use it to set up text and lighting and apply textures . Looks like I found alot of online info

 

[synergy_jim]

max...

I know max in and out.... while it is a very powerful program, it is pricey and not the easiest to learn.

Its all personal preference.

We spent 3 years in our animation degree courses learning max and I still don't feel like I have it mastered after 8 years of use after college...

JD

 

[Illuminated]

Do you use this program for setting up text and backgrounds for signs or wraps or is it too much a program or too time consuming for our production turn around? The output is unreal but my concern is time.

 

[GK]

Do you use this program for setting up text and backgrounds for signs or wraps or is it too much a program or too time consuming for our production turn around? The output is unreal but my concern is time.

I have so many textures/patterns that I have made in the past using 3ds Max I really don't resort to it for that. Fire rendered in Mental Ray always looks nice. Grass for landscape jobs I have done in that. I do use it for its caustics however when I need to reflect stuff through objects. We did a nice one for a bar where I used it on the glasses which worked out well. Nothing quick about this software though.