What is your choice?

[mayito7777]

A quick question, if you had to choose between Rhino, Cinema 4D, Lightwave, Maya, 3ds Max or Zbrush what will be your choice?

[JakalDesign]

What about Softimage|XSI? That program is in the same categoy as any other package up there.

Plus the question doesnt make much sence. Each package does different things. You realy couldnt compair 3DS Max with Zbrush... 2 different applications that are ment for 2 completely different things.

Maybe you should explain why you would like to know what we would choose.

[mayito7777]

I want to know which one is the favorite. I hear people talking about Lightwave, Rhino and Zbrush, but not a lot about Maya, 3ds or Cinema. So I am just curious which would be the best choice as a complete package.

[JakalDesign]

Lightwave, Cinema 4d, Maya, 3DS Max and Softimage|XSI are all complete packages. Rhino, Hexagon and ZBrush are specialty programs that focus on just few aspects of 3D.

I personally use Softimage for everything and ZBrush for displacement painting and some texture work.

Maya and 3DS Max are considered the industry standards though. Most studios use either one of those packages. If you are looking to learn a complete 3D package for a carrer basis.... these would be the 2 to learn.

[mayito7777]

Thanks. I just started a Graphic design degree and want to know towards which package I should foucs my attention. Your answer is very helpful.

[Grendel]

There is also a significant price difference to get into Maya or Max compared to the other choices in your list. And I agree with Jakal that XSI should be listed as foundation has a great price for a so much functionality.

[Thomas]

I added XSI and also.. Carrara!
(mayito7777: please, a less visible sign ^^;,)

[kagi]

Blender, where is Blender?

[jbshorty]

I see there is only one poll but 3 questions being asked. So which one do i answer :

• Which is your favorite program?
• Which one is the best for graphic design?
• Which one is the most complete package?

The only question which can be answered honestly is "which is your favorite program". No program is complete for all user's purposes. Also i don't agree that Rhino and ZBrush are in the same category as Hexagon. Hexagon is a truly specilized app, more similar to programs like Silo and Wings. But ZBrush can do a lot more than just sculpting and texturing. It can be used for modeling, posing, sculpting, texturing, 2D painting, and final rendering... Rhino is not intended for the same purpose as any of the other programs mentioned in the poll... So which question should i answer?

shorty

[mayito7777]

The basic question is which one is your favorite? There are many artists with different choices, but I would like to know which program you like the best and maybe ask why?

[Pete Exxtreme]

Mayito > can you please reduce the size of your banner ? thanks

[Sardtok]

Btw. Jakal, not only Maya and 3DSMax are big in the industry, ILM switched over to XSI many years ago.
Most of the big studios use either 3DSMax or Maya as a base though, and often (secretly, or well, used to be before the merger) the other one to supplement.
ILM used to use just Maya, and then started using XSI.
So now, XSI is the main piece of animation software used for visual effects in many movies, like the Harry Potter series, the new Star Wars trilogy, and so on.

[JakalDesign]

Yes, you are right Sardtok... I wasnt saying that ONLY max and maya are in the industry. I know more studios are moving to supplement with XSI but still as a standard (plus what is tought at schools) Maya and Max are more common. They control 80+% of any 3D industry.

[Sketchy]

Originally Posted by mayito7777

I want to know which one is the favorite. I hear people talking about Lightwave, Rhino and Zbrush, but not a lot about Maya, 3ds or Cinema. So I am just curious which would be the best choice as a complete package.

Sometimes the choice is not about the best but the affordability. I have known long ago, for example, that 3ds Max has the largest userbase, but that didn't make me go for 3ds Max. That's because I cannot afford it, even though I knew for a fact that thousands of those users can't possibly be using a licensed copy of Max. I went for something I could afford, instead, also anticipating upgrade costs. I just can't see myself posting an image made from an illegal copy of the software.

It really depends on what you're aiming for and how much time and money you could invest in. Barring price and if I see myself getting involved someday in film, tv, then I'll go for one or two of the big six: 3ds max, Maya, XSI, Lightwave, Cinema 4D and Houdini. Otherwise, Carrara is more than enough for 2d illustration work. And if you dig deeper, Carrara can be just as powerful when it comes to some animation work. I think Zbrush, too. Many artists can get by without even using a 3d app. Photoshop could do most of the job. Some incorporate Poser.

[bwtr]

Poser5 is available at $50--with that HUGE range of FREE stuff everywhere.
Hexagon at $1.99!!
Carrara5Pro!--my god you have to spend far less than $1000!
Carrara plugins --not $500 but $30?
Close equivalents to Photoshop--FREE!
Blender--FREE--what can you NOT do in Blender?

What a tough life we all lead!