Maya 2020 fundamentals - modelling the real world
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# 31 16-01-2007 , 07:38 AM
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# 32 16-01-2007 , 02:00 PM
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Talk about irony! I finally get my Manager to purchase Maya 8, and boom! One business day later, this bomb drops! I can't believe it:headbang: !

Anyways, I have a question. What other apps are there that are as intuitive and powerful as Maya? I'd hate to jump ship, but it seems like Autodesk is sailing Maya into dangerous waters. I've tried Max, and I wasn't very pleased. It just seemed tedious to use. So basically, what I'm asking is is there another app that closely resembles Maya, both with the interface, and features?


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# 33 16-01-2007 , 02:02 PM
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Thanks gster...

Erictacti: The closest you'll get to Maya is actually max, Im not sure about XSI as I dont have the exp.

I think the biggest gripe for me with upgrades that come thick and fast is the fact that everyone rushes to get it regardless of their skill in any particular area that Maya has, I mean lets face it how many people actually knows a certain Maya module inside out and use every feature to their advantage? I use modeling tools probably more than anything in Mayas Poly Menu and probably use 8-10 tools out of the vast amount in the menu set


I think its best to get savvy first in 'your' chosen areas before worrying about NCloth and Python scripting etc.

Cheers
Jay

# 34 16-01-2007 , 02:25 PM
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actually the closest [and better than] to maya is def xsi.
and python was available for xsi already. maya is just starting with it. xsi has better modeling tool [modo + silo combined] better rendering speed. and with version 6 its leaving everyone else behind user added image
check it.

https://www.softimage.com/products/xs...ideo_tour.aspx

and fnd is less than 450$ so,
thats a no brainer. i dont think ive used maya in probably months almost...
i dont think ill go back to it unless im getting paid to:p
and ncloth is not as impressive as it seems. and not worth the price tag for maya unlimited when there are other solutions.


Last edited by vladimirjp; 16-01-2007 at 02:33 PM.
# 35 16-01-2007 , 02:42 PM
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Hi Vlad

I was hoping you'd confirm this with XSI, thanks. I wouldnt pay out for Maya again for sure on reading your comments, and XSI is a steal for that price, although thats the lo-end version...no matter!!

Cheers
Jay

# 36 16-01-2007 , 03:26 PM
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Not trying to sell XSI and shout down Maya (far from it), but its in built Hair tools are almost on par with Shave N a HairCut. But the best part is. It's cloth simulator is Syflex. Its built in to the Advanced version.

I started in XSI, and was doing really basic animation, skinning, rigging, modelling within 3 months. I have been 1 year at Maya and have still not got to grips with about 80% of Maya at a basic level...


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# 37 16-01-2007 , 04:52 PM
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Wow, I didn't think XSI would have become such an alternative $$. I usually see XSI at the bottom of many preffered lists. Even CGtalk keeps it low in the listings. I checked out the link that vlad posted, and I wasn't really impressed enough. I would like to see a better demo of it's capabilities before I'm sold on it. I usually go by the way of, "the cheaper the app, the more you have to spend on plugins and versatility".

Thats what you had to do with Max. Although it was alot cheaper than Maya, you had to pay extra for all the plugins just to bring it up to Maya's level, or so I was lead to believe.

# 38 16-01-2007 , 04:59 PM
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Originally posted by THX1138
Wow, I didn't think XSI would have become such an alternative $$. I usually see XSI at the bottom of many preffered lists. Even CGtalk keeps it low in the listings. I checked out the link that vlad posted, and I wasn't really impressed enough. I would like to see a better demo of it's capabilities before I'm sold on it.

hehe. probably 80% of videos are features not readily available in maya. even the stuff in xsi 5. maybe u should watch the videos a little closer :p
lol did u see MOTOR ?

# 39 16-01-2007 , 05:57 PM
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Half Life 2 = XSI


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# 40 16-01-2007 , 06:06 PM
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originally quoted by vladimirjp
Probably 80% of videos are features not readily available in maya, even the stuff in xsi 5. maybe u should watch the videos a little closer

Er, I think you missunderstood my earlier comment, my appologies. It's not about what they showed in those demos.

I have never looked into XSI before you posted the link. I have no idea how the UI works, what the work flow is like, and what all it covers ect. The demos were impressive, no doubt, and yes ( LOL ) I watched the MOTOR demo for crying out loud. The demos didn't show what I wanted to see, and thats not selling me on the product. It only covered the new features of XSI and some of the standard features that all XSI versions come with.Though It looks like XSI has much better animation capabilities than Maya has, but my background is mainly in rendering and modeling, not animation. Sorry for the confusion.

# 41 16-01-2007 , 07:08 PM
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To try to show you how easy it is to pick up, I just did this in 30 mins... Nowt fancy but...

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# 42 16-01-2007 , 07:19 PM
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Just showing some work doesn't sell me on the product. How about doing a vid that shows how the UI, works and show the work flow of the basic tools.

# 43 16-01-2007 , 07:46 PM
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yea. if u scroll at the bottom of the link you'll see videos of the main tools in xsi.
or just get the free version.
both maya and xsi are great. but i think autodesk has more specific markets and audiences its targeting; and likewise softimage

# 44 17-01-2007 , 12:55 AM
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Vlad,

thanks for the link and the insight to what seems to be a reasonable Maya alternative. I'm definately going to look further into it as having just one 3d app under my belt could limit my options.

On another note, I got a reply from autodesk last night after voicing my concerns about what options were available to me if my university were to upgrade to 8.5.

A couple of quotes from the mail I recieved....

"There was no purchase protection offered for the 8.5 release, and typically such purchase protection are on licenses purchased within a 30 day period prior to first customer shipment of the new release."

There are going to be some upset customers, especially since 8.5 seemed to come from nowhere so they weren't given the option to wait a few weeks to upgrade or purchase for the first time.

And....

"The understanding that we have, based on what information is available to us, is that you can move files back and forth between versions. Feature sets, or activity requiring feature sets, that are available only in the higher version would not work on the older version."

If anyone has access to Maya 8 and 8.5 could you please try opening a scene file from the 8.5 in 8. The answer I was given seems a little vague as an 8.5 scene file could be created with the new feature sets or actions that require them embedded within.

I still don't know whether my university is going to be upgrading so perhaps I don't have anything to worry about but I can't help feeling a little on edge that I may have spent quite a lump of my annual budget on something that I will only be able to use at university for the first half of this year.

Cheers,

Mat.

# 45 17-01-2007 , 05:05 AM
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Originally posted by happymat27

The understanding that we have, based on what information is available to us, is that you can move files back and forth between versions.

Thats a bit of a vague statement, do you think they tried???


Jay

Your bang on about upgrading for upgradings sake, especially when your starting out and learning the software. The only time I could see this not being true would be in Mat's case where the uni has upgraded and you might be forced to to stop any problems that you might have between the two.


I might make the jump but not too sure as of yet, gonna wait to see if theres any bugs (al a the extrude tool porblem in V8) saying that I might not as i'm happy with 6.0!


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