Amen.

hey david what do you program in ?

test please ignor

actually, most film companies use several different 3d packages that all do the same thing on the same project.

that includes maya, softimage, and houdini. they all have their strengths and weaknesses, and a group of people who really know what they're doing don't stick with one package exclusively...they use whatever is best for the task.

i like maya overall, but maybe that's because i haven't really tried the others. here's what some of the "big boys" use at the office (off the shelf programs) in a typical production:

1. maya for animation
2. softimage for modeling
3. houdini for particles
4. inferno for compositing

sometimes, if a project is really huge (like shrek) the R&D team will actually come up with their own 3d package...it takes years and tons of money, but i guess if you really want something done right, you'll do it yourself. i know pixar uses maya for the most part, but they also use in-house software like marionette. places like ILM have full development staff to come up with custom plugins and such...hey afterall, they're the guys that made photoshop.

personally i'm more biased towards maya and the friggin hot model that they used in their ad campaign.

3ds max is mostly used for games, because it's not as complex as maya and more people are familiar with it (it's much older). lightwave is mostly for the television crowd, because things need to get done really fast. maya is gaining on both industries very quickly though...people are finding that it has a better workflow and gives better results...oh, and don't forget the massive slash in price! that was probably the biggest factor keeping people away from maya.

i would actually say maya for modelling and softimage for animation as SI has many more powerful tools to do the job, like a better NLA editor :)

Particles
 

And don't forget the supreme particle systems integrated in maya...take a look at Mission to Mars....Maya Particles, Software-Rendered with Renderman.....and some of the best Dymanic-Systems available in commercial programs as well...

b u l l e t

Its a good job we are going to do a simplyxsi.com site then hey nem?

And redirect it here? :D

To mtmckinley post, I hear the same replys, we like your stuff very much but there are no postions at the moment. We will keep you on file if anything comes up.
Fustrating, but I keep on pushing the demo out=). The big break im sure will come soon enough for everyone.

and mikey.... where do you work??? or is there anyone who works for those "big boys" in this forum???

and wait... pixar does not use maya???? what do they use then??

Pixar does use Maya, however many other tools, proprietary, and off the shelf are used to get the job done:)

BTW, I use Maya everyday for work, but I don't work for a "Bog-Boy" yet.

I've been in the biz for more than 7 years, and my reel is not done yet:)

All it takes is time and patience.

You'll get there:)

and practise :)

I don't work for big boys, I work for one studio on makeing a video game as leader animator. So I hope I will become a big boy one day..
Who say that maya is not good for modeling, I use it and I think it's perfect tool!!!

I agree, and I´ll risk saying this one more time (after all the times I´ve saided already). "It´s not the tool but the artist that makes the difference"