[mikhael]

Originally posted by Stryke 9
...that it looks small and plastic?

When one considers that movie models (the real sorts) are 'small and plastic' and still manage to look big and imposing on the screen, 'small and plastic' is a good thing.

Seriously, the vast majority of the users of most 3d software suck. That's not a failing of the tool: its a failing of the guy holding it.

[wEvil]

i agree with Mik, but having said that there are certain limitations with each package that cannot be overcome.

In terms of what is technically the "best", its either Side Effects' Houdini 5.0 or Softimage XSI 2.0

Both of them are more modular, faster and more stable than any of the competition plus the general features available out of the box kick arse.

Mayas' Mental ray connection pales in comparison to XSIs, which exposes about 99.9% of its features, more with a little SDKing

Hair?  XSI already has joe alter Shave And A HairCut and MAX will soon be getting it.  Plus SAAHC doesnt look like a bunch of ropey antialiased lines (remember those stills of Dr.Sid from Final Fantasy the movie?)

SubDees?  XSI's subdee implementation wipes the floor with everything and even MAXs meshsmooth/NURMS?HSDS is superior to Mayas "true" subdees, which just behave like a particularly crap NURBS implementation.

The only area maya is ahead IMO is particles and its MTOR PRman pipe.

But..when you got mental ray who needs renderman?  (well...unless youre doing aload of motion blur and/or dont know C++)

I could go on and on but at the end of the day if you're that good...you'll find a way round it or just simply roll-your-own.

[Fineus]

Originally posted by Kamikaze
Hey Steak why not release it commercially - I'm sure that'd get you some nice green things...

Don't bother - you have no idea how long I've been badgering him to get a copy of that thing running under Windows and shipping it to me... but he came up with excellent reasons why not - formost being that it's constantly changing and I'd have real trouble getting and up to date version...

Still, it's a commercial application in the making!

[Stunaep]

Originally posted by mikhael
I'd buy Maya in a heartbeat. They just lowered the price of Maya Complete to $2000 USD, which puts it on par with Lightwave 7.

That means I ain't gonna be getting Lightwave of Maya any time now.

I wouldn't get that kind of money... for a wayyyyy long time.

The minimal salary here is... about 1200 USD per year

The average is about 4000 USD

[Stryke 9]

Mik: I was referring to the Lego commentary, not the ship.

Though it's true. My best creations were inspired by Legos.



Anyway. It's not a few incompetent users. It appears to be MOST users. And if you're buying a prog at $4000, you're most likely a pro. These. Pros. Can't. Do. ****.

Like I said- there are deviations of supreme quality in almost everything- somewhere, someone's gonna take the time to do something astounding, even if all they have it two rocks to bang together. Maya doesn't seem to get far beyond the two rocks- GOOD modelers make it easy, AND provide versatility. That's the point of a modeler. Were the point to be difficult, we'd all be using direct math equations to produce formula models (believe me, formula modeling sucks ass).

[Kamikaze]

Originally posted by Stryke 9
Mik: I was referring to the Lego commentary, not the ship.

Though it's true. My best creations were inspired by Legos.



Anyway. It's not a few incompetent users. It appears to be MOST users. And if you're buying a prog at $4000, you're most likely a pro. These. Pros. Can't. Do. ****.
 

Well there are always those rich idiots who want to do something with their money. (not saying rich guys are stupic)

[Corsair]

Legos own all! I love those things, have so many over so many years...I still get some. Oh, and great models dude, they're really nice.

[CP5670]

Legos own all! I love those things, have so many over so many years...I still get some. Oh, and great models dude, they're really nice.

As some of you already know, I am also a Lego fanatic (especially Technic- have some 50 or so sets now, dating back to times before I was born ). I'm still working on that model I posted a while ago; at the moment I am trying to get some of those small stiff yellow shock absorbers since the truck is too heavy to be supported by the light gray ones, but I don't want to buy another 8458 Silver Champion just for those and the only other place I could find them was a Bricklink shop, where they are quite overpriced IMHO.

[Zeronet]

I can spend ages making ships. Literally all day when i was younger.

[wEvil]

I LOVED lego.

i would tell you more rousing stories about when i built the longest ship you've ever seen buts its 3:00am and im falling asleep at the computer.

G'nite.

[Zeronet]

I go bed in 2 hours, and i live in the same country as you hehe. Damn jedi knight 2 for messing my internal clock up.

[Kamikaze]

You need sleep, get some of those sleeping pill things

[CP5670]

Hey I'm usually awake for a while too... (until 4AM EST on weekdays and 8AM EST on weekends )

[Kamikaze]

Originally posted by CP5670
Hey I'm usually awake for a while too... (until 4AM EST on weekdays and 8AM EST on weekends )

The most I stay awake is 7:00 AM... Once I played games 'til 5:00 AM and then saw that it was snowing outside - the only reason I stopped games was that the electricity killed itself

(Pssttt, you need like 10 hours of sleep)