Which is better?

Ligt Wave or 3ds max? What is the difference b/w the two? What do you like better, and which do you own?

 

*sigh* im not going to say much here but the best you can do is use both program's trial version and judge for your self.. weather or not someone else thinks these or other prorams are better is irrelivant. the point is you're the one going to spend the money to purchase and use each program so its best to get the one that works with you best, dont you think?

 

Asked and answered a bajillion times over. THERE IS NO ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION. What you need to ask is, which one do YOU like better?

 

there are like 50 old threads on this topic. search for them, get the answer that there is no answer... or just read that above.

the only reason i would lean more towards max is that it is more widely supported/used on these forums, so that might be a nice advantage to that program... but both are great, complicated/complex CG apps... do some research thru google or something.

this is just such a repetitive question, can we just let it drop to the bottom of the board, please?

 

I prefer Lightwave because it has a modeller.

 

I prefer max, because I've allways used it. I don't think it matters as much as what lies between the keyboard and chair.

 

In this field, namely computer graphics, where lots of research is being done to get an edge on the competition, I think it's fair to say that the leading software in the industry is shifting place with the others during the course of time. For instance, when Jurrasic Park was out in 1993 (is it?) Softimage was the real revolution, a few years ago, it was Maya mania, now I don't know which one is the new best soft, but my advice would be to try them, see which one fits your abilities best and also your goals best. That'll be YOUR best software, when you master it. When you master one of them, the others are not THAT different, still, it's a matter of taste.

For instance, I use 3D studio max because

1) I had access to a copy
2) the models I wanted on sci-fi 3d were in max format

So go... get... any.

 

Q: "Max or lightwave?"
A: "Maya"

 

>>>>Q: "Max or lightwave?"
A: "Maya"

Heh hehe. Nice...



I think this is the kind of question that, as is usually the case with an "X or Y" question, depends entirely on what you want to do with the software.

For example, if you're working professionally, then the chances are that you're going to be a part of a team, so the obvious answer is "whatever the rest of the team uses."

If you're working on games, then the best bet is probably to pick your favourite game, then get whatever software is most compatible with the SDK.

If you're working on your own, then the question will probably be "how much do I want to spend" or "what can I get hold of"...


I've just started learning with a program called Milkshape, which you can download a 30 day trial version of (I got it off the cover of a magazine), but it only costs $30 to register, which is a tiny fraction of the cost of Lightwave, Maya or 3D Max. It seems to be ideal for games, as it was originally designed to be the model editor for Half Life, and now understands the formats that many other games use.


>>>>this is just such a repetitive question, can we just let it drop to the bottom of the board, please?

Surely a better place for it would be at the top of the board, so that it doesn't get asked again?

Everybody knew nothing at some point, and although there's the problem that if you're an expert on the subject then you'll probably be too busy working to spend your time giving free advice to people who don't understand enough to ask a basic question, there's also the fact that todays noob is tomorrows guru. (At least, that's my plan!)

 

I would use Maya just that because I work better with it and it has a lot more things in my opinion then other programs.

if you want to take a look Maya. Alias has a free Maya complete version except the only difference is when you shade the object it will say over the object in transparent words "not for commercial use."

for more information go here
http://www.alias.com/eng/products-services/maya/maya_ple/index.shtml

 

Direct quote from the sticky thread at the very top of this forum:

4). APPLICATION POLLING - Another thing we get TIRED of seeing is "which app is best" threads. This is like asking is Coke or Pepsi better? It's all a matter of preference. If you want to talk about the features of an app fine. But please avoid direct negative comparisons from one app to another. I KNOW there are some rules in this universe like... SI and MAYA's character toolsets are more robust than TRUESPACE's. But lets leave alot of this to the pros to compare apps. professionally. You can buy any CGI or video magazine and search their review articles on their websites to find product reviews. Very few of us here can offer a better opinion. KOOL article about all the apps available 3/5/04: http://www.insidecg.com/feature.php?id=136

 

I hate to see so many people waste their time on a thread like this. I can understand why people ask this question tho. I think at least sometimes people are just looking for a place to start. The best place is to read the FAQ. I wish in the future somebody would just say "read the FAQ" instead of the rest of this. But if people want to answer the question and spend their time on it feel free.