toolset with a huge library of different modifiers which can make the modeling process easier. Depending on how new you are to the world of 3D then modeling in 3ds Max can be a little easier to grasp. If you’re familiar with the Booleon operation, 3ds Max is also known to work much easier and smoothly than in Maya. It may seem like a simple command is not a big deal, but it can actually go along way.
If you’re going to get into the architectural visualization like interiors and buildings, 3ds Max really caters to this type of artist, giving you the option of 3ds Max Design which is a favorite program among architects and designers.
in Maya is a little less forgiving, and some complex models can be a little harder to accomplish, but with the release of Maya 2014 and the modeling toolkit it has brought in some very powerful modeling tools that really begins to level the playing field, with some great re-topology tools and a faster workflow.
Is One Truly Better Than the Other?There’s going to be some mixed opinions about the different applications. Someone who’s used 3ds Max for years might say Maya is not a good choice, and similarly a Maya vet might say 3ds Max is a weaker program. In most cases, that may be true — for them. Once you get familiar with a particular interface and workflow, it can be a lot faster to move around with that workflow than to try another workflow.
But when you’re first starting out and looking to learn something new, it really comes down to personal preference for one simple reason: At the end of the day their purposes are similar and a lot of the tools accomplish the exact same thing. For example, there’s the extrude command in both applications, and you’re able to set keyframes and have access to a curve editor. It’s up to you, the artist, to determine how those tools are used in different ways to achieve great things.
The best option is to try a free trial for both applications, and test the waters, see which workflows you like more. If you’re a more experienced artist who has been learning a specific program, and suddenly you’re wondering, “Have I been learning the wrong program this whole time?” There is no need to be worried, because the quality of your work is the most important thing, not the application you create it with. There’s also many other 3D applications that you have at your disposal, you can learn more about them in this
in-depth post.
It’s apparent that both 3ds Max and Maya are extremely powerful programs. This article should help you decide which one to choose for your project, but one thing is certain; there is no “wrong” choice when it comes to the two, so if you need to, try them both, and check out
Introduction to Maya and
Introduction to 3ds Max to get your feet wet, and be sure to read the
Resources for Accessing Free Creative Software post to find out where to download demos and trial versions of these applications.
SOME DISCUSSIONS:Spiros Mouzakitis:
A big question is what Autodesk is going to do in the future with these products?
Will the updates of 3ds max will target for “Architecture / CAD” world?
And the Maya’s updates on game development?
I think this is a growing fear of most 3ds max users, because even though there is the “tool doesn’t matter” argument switching to another application has cost both in effort and psychological
Phil Winkel:
It seems like Autodesk is pushing Maya. It’s probably their best bet, since Maya is cross-platform and Max is windows-only. In this “post-PC era”, as some other people call it, you probably don’t want all of your eggs in the Windows basket. I’m a windows guy, btw – not biased against windows or anything, it’s just an observation.
They will obviously focus on where the money is. I don’t know what the Max vs Maya numbers are, but if they have more people using Maya then they’ll probably focus on it. 3ds max is still huge and they will probably continue to support it for some time, but I think eventually it might end up getting the Softimage treatment.
A good indicator is how much love Autodesk is giving each product during releases and service pack updates. Maya 2015 seems like it got more love than 3ds Max 2015. Another indicator that they are shifting the focus to Maya is Maya LT. In the past, Autodesk pushed 3ds max as their “game development” tool. Now, they are touting Maya LT as their game development tool.
With the recent focus on an improved modeling toolset it maya, it seems like they are trying to fill in the gaps and get Maya up to par when it comes to modeling. Modeling seems to be max’s strong point against Maya. If Maya’s modeling toolset is brought up to speed with max, that’s another nail on the coffin for max.
Eventually from a business standpoint, max either needs to get ported so it’s cross-platform, or it’s likely going to get phased out simply due to the fact it’s windows only. Autodesk has been enjoying a monopoly in the 3d modeling and animation market for a long time. Competitors are starting to close the feature gap, and offer competitive prices. Autodesk probably wants to eventually focus all of their resources on one 3D suite and blow away the competition, instead of trying to maintain both 3ds max and maya and dividing their resources between the two.
Ultimately Max and Maya do the same thing – they have the same purpose, just with different workflows. For that reason, it doesn’t really make sense for Autodesk to continue to support both of them forever. Max has enough users to warrant updates and attention from Autodesk for a while, I don’t think max will get the Softimage treatment anytime soon. However I think we will continue to see Autodesk push Maya more and more, and probably try to move Max users over to Maya.
Mark Masters:
Hey Phil,
That is a really great point, and it does seem like Autodesk is putting a bit more attention on Maya. While I don’t think they will phase out 3ds Max anytime soon, it’s still a possibility in the future like you mentioned.
However, I do think they will continue improving 3ds Max especially since it’s starting to catch the eye of a lot of designers and arch vis artists. I wouldn’t be surprised if they go cross-platform with Max in the future.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Joseph Azzam
I am 3ds max user for almost a decade, I used maya back in 2011 for a while and here’s my opinion:
-Changing viewport navigation controls was a pain, 3ds max has a maya interaction mode, so moving from maya to max is easy but not vis-versa.
-Maya is more forgiving, when I make a wrong move in 3ds max (specially when you are a beginner) the software used to crash, it still crashes but not like the 2011 edition. While in maya when I made a wrong move, the software would freeze for a short while then work again.
Now with FBX we can use both softwares, I can model in max and animate in maya
David Somers
As being a Softimage|XSI user for the past five years, I’d been putting a lot of thought into which application to move to when support finally ends for it. Off hand Maya always felt more closer (in terms of layout and workflow) but I’d never had a good comparison with 3ds to really tell the difference.
I’m primarily a modeler, so 3ds sounds to make more sense but Maya feels much more familiar. Been trying to get some honest info on the two and which my suit me better in the long run.
Mark Masters
Hi David,
Both Maya and 3ds Max have great modeling tools, and both are really equal when it comes to the modeling possibilities. 3ds Max use to really be the go-to app for modeling, but with the continued improvements to Maya’s modeling toolkit their both comparable.
My suggestion to you would be go with Maya simply because you already feel more comfortable with it because of the similar layout and workflow to XSI. It will make the transition process much easier when moving from XSI to Maya. That being said, if you’ve never given 3ds Max a try I would get the 30-day trial and mess around in it. Who knows, you may gravitate toward its workflow and tools.
Amar Vishwakarma
I am an architecture student and i use Mac for my daily workflow…..
if both the programme are almost same compared to each other than why architecture firm or vizualisaiion artist uses 3ds Max as there key software? As far as i know Vray is available for both the software still architecture people prefer 3ds Max compared to Maya. I am looking forward to start my journey to serious arch visualisation but still i am confused with maya and max!! As a Mac user i have a soft corner for Maya but i am not sure about other aspects of modelling and rendering…!
Mark Masters
Hey Amar,
When it comes to arch vis designers like 3ds Max because it’s easily integrated with other key design packages like AutoCAD, and with the option of 3ds Max Design –
http://www.autodesk.com/products/3ds-max-design/overview it really caters more toward architects. That being said, Maya is perfectly capable of producing great visualizations.
You’re right, Vray is is available for both applications but Vray is just a rendering engine, and while rendering is important, there is much more that goes into arch vis.
I hope this helps you out!
Marcelo Serres
hey, great article.
Yeap, as a Autodesk ACI and ACE for both software (Max and Maya), i can say that your comments are correct. Both apps tends to have a better natural workflow in some topics than others, but overall are really similar and generic enough to support a wide range of task from low poly game development to high end dynamics effects and animation for VFX.
If someone is unsure which app will be better, just choose the one you probably find more resources to learn, after you master max or maya, it’s really easy to jump from one to other. For professional users (with a level closer to the official professional certification) in one of the programs should take between 2 to 6 weeks to be trained to work in the new software.
Josh Aitken
Autodesk will never phase out Maya before Max. Max sells thousands of more seats than Maya does, in particular because of CAD people. Designers will model the objects in CAD for blueprinting, but model the visualization shot in Max.
For a long time, Autodesk has focused more on Maya, despite the fact they sell way more seats of Max. The reason for this, without getting into too much dirt, had to do with internal company politics. The people at the top used to all be from Alias and pushed Maya over Max, but a new management team recently came into effect, and they are going to be evening development. They are planning on pushing Max more because they sell more. Some of the stuff they are testing for 2016 looks amazing.
Also, many of the projects done for feature films that were labeled as Maya projects were actually done in Max. The big studio who did some of the work may have been a Maya house, but most of the international small effects houses use Max, and they were the ones the big studios were farming the work out to.
I don’t have a problem with Maya. It just frustrates me with how much misinformation is out there.
Coming from a technical background. I much prefer Max. Maxscript is a much better programming language than Mel. No TD I know of still programs in Mel. Its all done in Python. This makes it a bit easier because you can use Py in Max and Maya. I also prefer rigging in Max. It’s easier, and there are way more things you can do if you really know how to code. The ability to use maxobjecttabs to create name indepent weak references when rigging is a godsend. No longer do you have to worry about your scripts breaking because a modeller or animator renamed or altered something in the scene.
The reason Max can only run on a Windows machine is because they have integrated Windows .net into the program. This can be great when developing tools that need interfaces, and it keeps the coding down because it can outsource the programming layout visualization. Unfortunately, this limits it to a Windows environment.
Max isn’t perfect by any means. I still use Maya quite a lot. Although I prefer to rig in Max, I much prefer animating in Maya, although Max is getting better. I also prefer the way Maya groups things. I use a script that mimics in Max the way Maya groups. Finally, the biggest mistake Max made was going with a written primary file type, as opposed to Maya’s ASCII and binary types. This is likely why you will never see the largest studios use Max. The ability to run a script that rips apart a file outside of the program and replace lines of code cannot be understated. I can write scripts that do this inside Max, but being able to do it outside of Maya is much more efficient.
Finally, if you end up working at the biggest game or animation studios, it really doesn’t matter. As the article said, they are more concerned about your skill and will train you if they want you. The larger studios’ Maya or Max hardly looks like it does out of the box because they have custom built it from the ground up. Many studios have brokered deals with Autodesk for cheaper seats because they turn over their custom tools after 4 or 5 years which are then integrated into the public versions. All those “new” tools we get are sometimes 5 years older than the ones these studios are using. The biggest studios will have to train you no matter what because they don’t use either but have developed their own from the ground up. You think these programs are complicated? Try looking under the hood of Pixar’s Marionette. The newest versions allow you to click on the surface of any character and animate it. The whole surface of the model acts as the controllers. One look at the underlying code for that almost made my head explode. Its dynamic topology density algorithm is a thing of beauty. It automatically and nondestructively calculates a mesh density based upon the distance AMD requirements of the scene camera.
In the end, it doesn’t matter what software you use. Blender is being used to make amazing films. Just go make something cool.
J
Josh Aitken
>>Autodesk will never phase out Maya before Max
Whoops. Meant to say Autodesk will never phase out Max before Maya. Posted that all on my cell, and the text box is almost impossible to navigate on it.
J
Digimentor Gabumon
I worked with 3DS Max for 6 Year since i was 12
after a while just when i was shining in 3DS i found that most of Animators using maya
each time i have searched for a tutorial or video for my problem for Max i have found it for maya
more user mean more Tutorial and faster learning
the Most Tutorials in Digital Tutors Belong to Maya
yet I’m not comfortable with Maya Move ,Rotate,Scale ,… tools
i realy prefer Max in that
yet i had to switch to Maya
and i hope i see better things after modeling part
yusef ghatavi
if you are an animation enthusiastic do not go with 3ds max because of lacking many essential rigging and animation tools
nobody mentioned the integration of maya and motion builder
yusef ghatavi
to answer josh making a rig that the hole surface acts as controller is not a big deal in Maya as many people do it regularly
Roger Barnes
Both Max and Maya seamlessly integrate with Motion Builder and that is Autodesk’s most power character animation tool. So basically both softwares perform the exact same animation tasks in Motion Builder. Max, however, gives you a much quicker rig with Character Animation Toolkit and Character Studio (Biped). CAT is superior to any rigging system in Maya.
Max is Autodesk’s most used entertainment software with nearly one million seats (I have heard). Yet, Autodesk seems to favor Maya in developing and implementing new ideas. Why?
You have to understand a little about the history of both packages. In the early days, Max was an innovative- cheap, plug-in based software. You could buy Max on the cheap and “improve” it through plugins like Character Studio. You didn’t have to fork out the $1,000s of dollars in one sitting. So naturally many hobbyists moved towards Max.
Maya, on the other hand, started off as a complete package with everything in it. It cost a fortune compared to Max in those early days. The only people who could afford Maya were the big Hollywood houses. So Maya became Hollywood’s choice because it was one package with everything included.
You have cheaper software with lots of users and more expensive software with a few high profile users. In the end the Max model proved smarter because, after-all, Autodesk brought out Maya and SoftImage.
Today, both programs are plug-in based to suit the users and both cost the same. Max still has more users but Autodesk has teamed up with Hollywood’s Pixar to further develop Maya. That is why Autodesk favored the development of Maya, Maya had he interest of a big Hollywood player.
Autodesk also had three softwares that all did the same thing. They had to choose one and that was the one Pixar already supported.
I’ve used both programs and I prefer Max but I must admit that the new development of Maya over the past few years make it a better program, pushing it slightly ahead. Max users have complained and Autodesk has begun to put more attention into Max. Max was the chosen program from game developers for years, but now Autodesk introduced Maya LT targeted at game developers.
It is hard to survive when your parent company may want to kill you (see SoftImage). Autodesk knows it is cheaper to develop one program than three that do the exact thing.
For now it seems they are committed to both Max and Maya but this is only after Max users complained, and Max is, after all, still their best selling entertainment software.
I believe Autodesk want’s everyone on Maya but that will first take moving many of the Max users over or pushing Maya on animation schools, which they have done.
So who knows what the future holds.
Which is better? Well, it’s political.
Vinod Kumar
Hey all,
I am a 3D modeller and I have worked with both 3ds Max and Maya. Initially I felt Max was easier but as the days passed and started working on Maya, I really started to feel like Maya is really great!!
Now, I feel Maya a lot easier than Max.
It’s just my opinion.
César Salas
If u want to make animations for a new video game, where u only want to show what the video game is all about, u must use MAYA. MEL is what makes it happen.
I bought two books on 3ds max, but it was not what I needed. I can not believe I wasted $150 usd!
Thank god I found a very good MAYA pdf book on the internet.
Now I am making a character that crawls, walks and runs, carrying different weights.
So, do not waste your time on 3ds max: u better try MAYA.
P.S. Any one wants to buy my 3ds max 2013 essentials and mastering autodesk 3ds max 2013? I sell them cheap!
yusef ghatavi
max integration with motion builder!? no it’s not integration you send your character into motion-builder with skeleton bake your animation and send it back to max you can do the same with any other software that is able to send your skeleton with fbx or other formats
but in Maya you have the same rig as motion builder “human IK” which is obviously better than old fashioned character studio!
even you can have the same facial rig in Maya and motion-builder and no baking is required you can have your key frames intact in both applications
even the same custom rig with your IK chain cause motion-builder supports Maya’s IK and constraint systems
isn’t that enough? why not making your animation in motion-builder and having your character animated in Maya in real time with live connection?
CAT is not superior to any rigging system in Maya , because definitely a custom rig capabilities are endless and a custom rig can be superior to any auto rigging system , by the way Maya’s auto rigging system (human IK) is superior to other systems it is the same motion-builder’s rigging system.
how quickly can you rig your character in 3ds max is it possible in 2 minutes? but you can do it in Maya just place your joint and hit the skin button no further modification is needed with heat map or geodesic voxel skinning methods (depending on topology) and hit the create rig from hik menu and finished. of course you can copy your skin for other characters as well.
3ds max is popular because not every 3d artist is animator most of them aren’t and the reason why Maya has used for almost every animated movie and every animation school uses Maya is not the history
so which one is better the answer is simple for merely animation Maya for architecture and other purposes 3ds max
3ds max is the best software for any 3d related purpose other than animation
Roger Barnes
Yusef, Max has BOTH custom and two auto rig systems.
You can build a custom rig in Max using bones just like Maya- but who has the time for that?
You can also customize an auto CAT rig as you like and then you also have a biped rig in Max.
Biped and Max was used in the latest Star Trek movie.
http://www.pixomondo.com/pixomondo-vfx-for-star-trek-into-darkness-using-3dsmax/ so don’t say ALL Hollywood studios use Maya. Max to MotionBuilder is a one click transfer forward and back. That’s very different from sending an FBX model from some other software.
Many game cinematic studios like BLUR use 3ds Max for animation, modeling and special effects.
yusef ghatavi
I know both has custom rig I know 3ds max very well
just mentioned the custom rig to clear that a custom rig could be better than an auto rig for who has enough time and knowledge and maya has also an auto rig system which I think is better
although you can send your character from 3ds max to motionbuilder with one click but there is no integration , it is just like you export your character from blender to motionbuilder but probably with more that one click anyway what you get is the same but in maya and motionbuilder there is truly integration they know each other elements they use the same rig etc and the most important the same coordinate system , as you know max’s UP axes is Z which in maya and motionbuilder is Y
and I don’t say maya is the best software but I think we should accept those software are good for different things as you mentioned BLUR uses 3ds max and it is essentially a game studio
and obviously I didn’t say every Hollywood studios use maya this is nonsense
but definitely most of them use maya probably 90% of those that are only animation studios
and as I know there is no any animation school using 3ds max
game field is a good example of what 3ds max is good for the reason AAA game engines such as cryengine and unreal use Z UP axes is that most of their users are using 3ds max
if someone asked me which software is the best for animation field I would say maya and if he asked me about AAA game field I would say 3ds max
but for indie game field the story is a little different especially since Maya LT has come
yusef ghatavi
sorry for typo
I know max has both custom and auto rig system
Fahd Alasamri
Simply this is 3ds Max :
Done on 3ds Max 2008.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHD8Xf5RnvoI’m 3ds Max user, and I’m sure Maya is powerful too.
Jocelyn Simard
You should talk also about VFX. In my opinion Max is a bit ahead in term of vfx even if maya is still very powerful in that field too. And max have most of the time the latest and more advanced version of V-Ray and Krakatoa. Max users have access to many different particle systems, like pflow, thinking particle and Stoke. Max has many more advanced plugins available than maya. Which is useful for freelancer cause they can get better support form plugin developper than from Autodesk.
George Varbanov
Autodesk just announced Maya LT 2016. Mudbox and 3dsMax are no longer needed.
moon gray
im hoping the reason why we dont see much in the new releases is because they are working on something big, i have been trying to get into maya but it just lacks in terms of modelling, its mainly silly little things but my god you miss them when you dont have them, plus i have been working with max for 3 or 4 years as that is what i was taught. im hoping they are working on a lt version or some form of cheaper alternative especially seeing as they are moving to a subscription only package soon
sourav 1350
i have been learning max for 2 month and now i know a lot about 3ds max but my friends are asking me to leave max and join maya cause maya is industry standard,easy to use,lot more tools and with the new toolkit released in 2014 makes it easier than ever and because maya is getting better everyday, i am really confused right now.
should i really start max from now ?
sourav 1350
sorry about that. i mean should i learn maya?
Kevin chandler
which program should i start with i want to learn everything about how to use the programs to make games but i see a lot about 3d max and maya im confused help me please
anthony carriero
Please take my opinions as just that , opinions… but my perspective may help out a bit.
Ive been using Maya since version (5/6?).. a long time.
Ive worked in film, TVC/ advertising illustration and games.
I have also taught Maya for over 9 years both in a studio as an Art director and as a lecturer. I also teach 3dsMax and have used in production on a MMO project.
Ask your self if you are a Sculptor or an Architect. if your a sculptor go with Maya.. the latter.. go with Max.
Maya is looser and more aggressive with no roof and no limits. its very very fast, nice to look at highly customisable with top end tools for FX, modeling,Rigging and Animation ..The days of Maya having sub par !POLYGON! modeling tools to 3dsMax are long gone, people should get used to that already.
Maya is a film/screen based piece of Software not CAD.
Nurbs meshes were king for a long time in VFX/Animation and so was Maya when it came to Nurbs modelling.
Polygons where for low poly/architectural content that’s why 3dstudio had better low poly tools.
Maya is still the industry standard in VFX and 3d animation and equally games, and it will open up more avenues for employment outside of archvis.
3ds Max is comfortable and is said to be easier for beginners with tools access which doesn’t confuse those who get daunted by large menus and GUIs . Its tools just work and are straight forward and very solid, with a forgivable and handy modifier stack. it is the industry standard in ArchVis.
It is a very good modeler and great for lighting.
It can do everything Maya can do in terms of general DCC, but runs out of legs at the high end where Maya can live very comfortably.
Its still a very good program, with lots to offer.
In the end , 95% of my game students ( not to mention animation students) I bring over from max, prefer Maya by far. Maybe its because their confidence has built up enough to try it out, maybe its the way I teach by example..A lot wish that they learned Maya first.
The “arty” types jump straight in and never look back.. and the programmers/non-artistic modelers stay longer in 3dsmax for some reason but come around when they get used to it..
I think its the safety issue/ plus learning another 3d program doesn’t really bug them. So 3dsmax is fine.
If they had started with Maya or even blender it would have been those programs they prefer.
FYI.. its really hype that Maya is hard to learn, its really not hard … its quite logical.
Just don’t try to learn everything at once….; and in the end, ask any long term Maya user ( and only those users will know this)..Your knowledge of “technical 3d” in general will benefit.
hope this helps.
Mario Dupuis
I am just discovering Maya LT 2016 after have been for a long time a 3DS max user. The thing that really sold me to Maya is their UV mapping system. That thing that is one of the most dreadful thing for 3D modelers around the world is a blessing to use in Maya. In a couple clicks you can set up UV maps very quickly without worrying much about overlapping vertices and stuff like that. I was kind of surprised to see a UV layout already made for me when I first created a simple beveled cube. The UV was all cut out for me. Not that it wasn’t easy to unwrap a cube in Max, but I still had to use pelt settings, relax, until it was satisfying. In Maya, it was all done automatically. So I went for a sub (and got stingray and scaleform as a bonus). Since then I tested the UV mapping with a real character model, and it was stilll amazingly fast to cut perfect seams and unfold the UVs. I can concentrate more on modeling and much less on tweaking a UV map.
arnel taps
Nice comment! Imagine if 3ds Max runs also on other platforms, there will be no contest :)
arnel taps
IF ALL ELSE FAILS, RUN 3DS MAX …
