Ermmm... I know this depends on the situation of the user,
but can anybody please compare those softwares for me?

I heard that Maya is easier in animating models,
3D Studio Max makes modelling very easy,
and Lightwave is good in texturing and rendering...

I'm currently learning lightwave though they say it's already a dying software...
I chose it since I got impressed with its ray-tracing & radiocity rendering ability...
(though I'm not sure whether could mental-ray achieve that standard or not...)
plus I like to make still pictures more than animated pictures,
lightwave satisfied me with its realistic renders...

just want to get more information of the other softwares,
wondering my decision is right or wrong...
and I heard MMU teaches Maya, I'm going to that university...

well it all depends on individual. each of them has their own advantages. You can't beat mental ray with their integrated raytracing & radiosity features if you want photorealistic images. Best of all Max comes with mental ray. But from what i can see most of them uses Vray nowadays. Since your university is teaching MAYA, you can try learn MAX on your own and make the best out of those two. Just my two cents

This post has been edited by kevyon6: May 15 2006, 11:15 AM

MMU teaches Maya and 3dsmax on the 2nd year (Beta)

I see... thanks all......
I might try 3Ds Max or Maya then...
but I'll still continue lightwave...
they're not much different,
have to use the same method to make model too,
just the terms and some ways of controls are not the same...

Lightwave has the BEST integreted renderer of all applications.
It's chaep, easy to use, and a LOT of studios still use it although it's not as advanced as the new de facto, Softimage XSI.
Lightwave 9 is gonna be awsome. Newtek is definately far from going bankrupt.

Movie makers still using lightwave.. how can they dying leh? Maya and max is for games and lightwave for movies..

learn Maya first. Learn something got a thorough video tutorial from foundation to professional level.

recently, i get in touch wif Maya. I kinda like it. I learn Maya due to most of the ppl said the Animation setting is more flexible.

Anyway, I still prefer to model in XSI.

You know what is the best 3D Software?

Really...
scroll down to see what it is
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YOU.
It doesn't matter what software you use. If you don't get the basics of modelling, texturing, animation, lighting, it doesn't matter what software you use, you will have sucky results coming out.
If you understand the concept of modelling, I throw you in to the sea of weird 3D software also you can come out with a nice model.

Get the concept of X software is better out of your head. Most commercial software are on par with each other. Maybe some have better advantages than the others like Maya having better Physics advantage, while Lightwave having better lighting advantage etcetc... but it still all boils down to YOU!

I just wanna say out this point!! YA! It's your skills and creativity. Any 3D software will do the same trick. If u dono how to model, what powerful 3D software i give u, it's also useless to u right? I use maya and 3D max. I personally find maya kinda easy. Hehe.. depends on the users

where do you get this fact? care to show me any big production house that use lightwave for films? this is the first time i heard ppl said maya for games and lightwave for films.

^ok don't turn this into a fanboy flaming session. both Lightwave & Maya are used in both games and movies.

an example of a movie which used Lightwave entirely? Joss Whedon's Serenity!
Maya no need to give example lar.

Panic room uses Lightwave. The fire scene was entirely done in lightwave as were the virtual camera scenes.

Probly just some minor shot of it. Panic room was more famous with XSI. Im not saying lightwave is bad, but it wasnt as widely use as Maya or XSI in films.

Digital Domain uses LW with Nuke.
Speaks loads when DD is responsible for lots of postwork/ SFX of films, including LOST.
Actually, to be clearer, the industry likes Maya on 3D animation, and LW on SFX/ composition works.

This post has been edited by X.E.D: May 18 2006, 09:57 PM

yeah, Maya are used a lot on 3d animation, 3ds Max on games, and
XSI on film (mostly I've seen is on game cinematics)....
I've seen a lot of people in the industry(not local) use Houdini on SFX,
very expensive piece of software ($USD17K/license).....

not sure about, LW....

Serious Sam uses Lightwave
Doom3 uses Maya, Warcraft III uses 3dsmax...

Just to add remarks about the softwares which are using different 3d program,
for additional information XD

Hmm, I just got my MAYA 7.0 few days ago. I'm getting CDs of the tutorials or download some from the internet. My ambition is to film animation movie like sharktale/chicken little/etc etc. I hope I make my correct choice to try maya first.

Before using maya, I'm quite an intermediate photoshop user. I can make some banner and poster. Hah, now i am on my way to my chicken little 2

good luck lazo

well, as I know you've made a correct choice since Maya is good in animating... but do remember, a movie production is not a solo job... it requires a large group of crews working on each category of the movie production, like modelling, animating, layout designing, sound editing, music composing, finalizing, marketing etc...

Yes i know about that I just got a CD tutorial, teaching how to modelling a medical lab. from a tiny box to the whole lab, description is saying that la. havent watch yet, waiting school holiday only start my first projecT