Best 3D Graphics Generator

I've heard all about many different graphics programs and i wanted to know which one is the best? 3Ds Max, Maya, what? I have 5 grand and i'm willing to spend it all on a graphics program but i dont know which to get. Can someone help me decide which one to get - and possibly provide a link to the company's site that i can order it from. Thanks!

um well , i dont no many design progs the ones that come two mind are

:: bryce5
:: PS7
:: 3d studio max

I already own Photoshop 7 so i'm mostly looking into the 3D graphics programs. I just cant decide between 3Ds Max and Maya.

It really depends on your preference. They all have strengths and weaknesses. Most have demo versions that you could download to try them out and see which one suits you the best.

3dSMax: http://www.discreet.com/products/3dsmax/

Maya: http://www.aliaswavefront.com/en/products/maya/index.shtml

Lightwave: http://www.newtek.com/products/lightwave/index.php

Cinema 4D: http://www.maxon.net/index_e.html

And there are others... But those are some of the most popular.

You have more money than brains.

If, as you claim, you're ready to just throw $5K at a hunk of software based solely on the recommednation of somebody else, without doing your own research, you're a certified idiot.

I would really really advise you to look into Cinema 4D. Its amazingly easy to learn,unlike Lightwave and Maya. It's pretty damn cheap too. What do you want a 3D package for? Film? Personal use?

Maya has dropped its price dramatically from around $20,000 to around $5,000 for maya Unlimited. Maya is used in most feature films like LOTR, Spiderman...the list goes on. Cinema 4D was used also in Spiderman and Harry Potter. Softimage is another one to look into. It's also now being used in film. The problem with Maya and Softimage is that, even though they are the 'big boys' in the business, they would take you a whole year to master before you could really create something productive. Have a look at my site, my portfolio is just Cinema 4D stuff...the links on the right are my most recent images....those one's are done in Cinema 4D R8. The 'tornado' movie was done in Maya. http://cyblingdesign.com

Originally posted by Utopian23
You have more money than brains.

If, as you claim, you're ready to just throw $5K at a hunk of software based solely on the recommednation of somebody else, without doing your own research, you're a certified idiot.

First of all, i said i've looked into it but i just cant decide. I wanted to hear other people's opinions and experiences about any of the 3D programs. I've looked extensively into 3Ds Max and know just about all i need to know - meaning i made up mind [at the time] - but my friend told me about Maya and i wanted to know more about it. Then i looked into it and found another possible desicion. Then i heard about Cinema 4D and a bunch more so i got confused. All i wanted are opinions and sugguestons. I'm not gonna throw away 5g on someone's opinion alone. I'm not certifiable.
And instead of just attempting to make me feel stupid, you could have actually contributed to my q by giving me some direction to look towards.
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And thanks deker and cybling boy for actually helping me rather than just being a jerk. I'll look into maya a little more - i didnt know it was used in spiderman....cool.

you can get trial/demo versions of most of the major software programs, just check the websites. as far as what software it all depends what you want to do. if its games then max has a huge market share (tho maya has made a lot of progress in that area recently), if its film then maya is the most widely used, for tv visual effects lightwave has a huge market share. each of those programs is also used in other areas as well, plus there's other programs like softimage xsi, cinema 4dxl, and electric image that have their followers.

imo your best bet is to get something low cost like the 3d toolkit from DVgarage for like $199 to get the hang of 3d basics and see what you like and don't like, then check other packages features and go from there when you need to upgrade.

chris

Yes, like chris said, GO GET THE DEMOS!

Well, i'm mostly looking into it for the videogame creation but the movie part is still a major interest. And after looking at Maya i think thats the way to go, but i havnt looked at Cinema 4D or Lightwave so i'm not completely set on Maya.

And i have a q for anyone who knows:
How do they create tha games using the 3D programs? I know how they make the graphics but i mean how do they set them up so they respond from a press of a button, or the stroke of a key, or from a click of the mouse. How do they program the actions? Anyone know how they do that?