   3ds vs Maya
  Hi all...Ok i just want the facts. i want to but a new modler and i want to now the good and bad stuff.Thanks.  
  Dude, if you''re just starting the field of modeling, go for a cheaper program like MilkShape3D or Blender or something! Save Studio Max and Maya until you get really good at it.WikedGamer  ;  yeah, start with free or cheap programs first.you may end up hating 3D modeling, and those 2 programs are a big chunk of money to just throw away.  ;  Ok that may shock you a little bit but i have here a ticket that with him i can take max or maya( i won it in some TV program)and thier is an expiry date so i need to choose!  ;  Hmmmm,    Tough decision.I would go with maya personaly. I have tried it and liked it better than 3ds.  ;  MAYA!!!    Death Smiles Upon Us All... All We Can Do Is Smile Back...  ;  The one that is more expensive. Sell it and buy a new computer. Or a cheap car. Or a surround-sound home-theatre. Or take a vacation. Or..  ;  Both Maya and 3D Studio Max are good at modelling and animating but the stock renderer is awful in both packages. The mental ray (free at alias homepage) for both leave much to be desired. In maya it can''t even handle fur which should tell you how crap it is. Basically, you need renderman if you want anything proper. But that is beyond anyone unless you have plenty cash. Maya personal can be downloaded for free at alias homepage. This is not the case with 3dsmax. XSI also is available free and is better than 3ds max but is head on head with Maya. Lightwave has the best polygon modeller there is hands down. It also has the best features directly from the package and the best stock renderer compared with any other package regardless of price. It however stinks at animating characters. It also does not have NURBS but it has MetaNURBS which is quite similar. Spline curves are available though and by using them you can do almost identical work in Lightwave although not as good as in Maya. Lightwave is available as a 30day demo. But since other companies now offer high end packages for free yu can expect NewTek to follow in the near future. Blender is free and quite good but is lightyears behind the other packages. Pov-Ray(free) has a really good renderer that match renderman and Lightwave but is full textbased and unless you can model in another program it is not that good.This should give you some ideas.  ;  Well, if you get to choose one........Maya would be your best choice!WikedGamer  ;  mmmmm...ya that gave me something to think about.Thanks for everyone who answerd  