which is best maya or lightwave?

# 1 19-06-2004 , 12:46 AM

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hi i was wondering weather any1 could tell me what maya compairs to lightwave.

the lightwave community seems rather well empty so i was wondering weather to get a learning edition of maya and learn maya for a bit see what compairs with it but i carnt for a couple of days so i was wondering if maya still has these tools i use most common user added image

ps im a noob at 3d art.

most of these are probably 90% in maya but im gona put em down any way user added image

knife , bandsaw , bevel extrude extender thats practically all the tools i use in lightwave , i havent got on to the renders really user added image

lightwaves seems rather very easy to learn which i have been, two weeks awhile back then my bro went away so i couldnt go on lightwave user added image

then the last month l8ly i havent really goten much time so im still looking for a good program to use user added image

all in all is maya better then lightwave user added image

main reason im asking is because i looked through a few books on maya and it looked well, rediculous it was going through things like pots and pans all the way through lol

i know maya is powerful when you know how to use it because i have been looking through this site user added image

but lightwave also looks good. to user added image

reason im asking is because im only 17 and wornt be able to buy a full copy of either lightwave or maya for about a year so im going to focus on just 1 of the with the learning edition user added image

Last edited by Sharp; 19-06-2004 at 12:52 AM.

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# 2 19-06-2004 , 05:48 PM

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ooo i babbled on user added image

sorry about all the writeing

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# 3 19-06-2004 , 06:04 PM

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never mind i was going to get it until i noticed you have to be on xp user added image

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# 4 19-06-2004 , 06:08 PM

The Maya Mountain
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Location: Seattle, WA

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Maya will run on XP and NT. Won't run on Win98 or ME.

Both are very good. Both apps have their pros and cons. According to some, Lightwave has better modeling tools, while Maya has better most everything else. :p

But truthfully, both are good programs.

-Mike
The Maya Toolbelt

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# 5 19-06-2004 , 06:15 PM

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ok thanks mike user added image

i use win Me user added image

i have win xp but not professional edition user added image

and it says you need professional edition on maya site.

i carnt remember what edition it is i have never installed it, ill ask my dad when he gets home. it begins with C i think its not home editon or pro will maya still run on this user added image

also is maya learning edition ok to work with to learn on user added image

it would be better for me to go on maya because i can only use lightwave after 6 when my bro gets home with his laptop user added image

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# 6 19-06-2004 , 06:15 PM

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Which program is "better" depends entirely on the user. There is no definitive list of why one program is better than the other. It is simply a matter of personal preference or professional needs.

I, personally, prefer Maya over Lightwave, because I like its workflow, UI, and scripting abilities better. Lightwave's dual-application approach is annoying for me. I like doing everything in a single program.

I also do not like LW's interface. It feels too cluttered for my tastes. For the way I work, I do not like a lot of extraneous stuff in the UI. I like it clean, relatively empty, and customizable.

Customization is a huge part of how I work. I use a lot of custom MEL scripts (written by myself and others) to aid in my production, and I also have many custom marking menus and shelves. I have even edited the standard menus sets to show what I want.

For me, it is about flexibility. I like to work how I want to work. Maya allows me to do that. I will be honest and say that I don't have much experience with Lightwave. My brief time with it left a negative impression, though. It didn't "feel" right to me. But that is just me. Others will tell you differently depending on their experiences.

You'll notice that I didn't talk about the features of the two programs. That is because, when it comes what a program can do, it really doesn't matter which on you use. They all do pretty much the same thing. What's more important is *how* those features are implemented. It's a lot like cars. All cars do the same thing. They have doors, steering wheels, windows, etc. You get in, you start the car, and you drive. What sets different cars apart is how they are constructed, how they handle on the road, what they feel like, etc.

The best advice I can give about deciding which program is better for you is to actually try them out for yourself. Download Maya PLE and give a whirl for a few weeks. See how it works compared to Lightwave. Then you can decide which one you think is better and then focus you learning on that particular program.

(BTW, please take it easy on the smileys and type with proper grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. Your post was unbelievably difficult to read.)

Danny Ngan
Animator | Amaze Entertainment
my website | my blog | my job

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# 7 19-06-2004 , 06:21 PM

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thanks dan,

sorry about the english and smileys it gets into habbit.

im terrible at writeing ill try my best.

i just like to be able to see what im doing clearly, so i think either will do for me .

only thing wrong now is if i can run it

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# 8 19-06-2004 , 06:28 PM

The Maya Mountain
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I'm pretty sure Maya works on both XPs... I think so anyway.

-Mike
The Maya Toolbelt

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# 9 19-06-2004 , 06:37 PM

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Mirai beats them all.

user added image

messiah for animation!

Image dump

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# 10 19-06-2004 , 06:46 PM

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ill buy "the art of maya" next week it come with the learning edition, but for now im going to finish off my model for this months challenge in lightwave. user added image

1 thing i dont like about that book is the front cover, its a picture off a game i used to play all the time user added image

lol

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# 11 19-06-2004 , 08:24 PM

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why do you not like it? The game models WERE made in maya. user added image

-Mike
The Maya Toolbelt

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# 12 19-06-2004 , 08:26 PM

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lol i play legend of mir for almost 2 years it took away my life lol

it was too adictive i saw the front cover and nearly wanted to play the game again user added image

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# 13 19-06-2004 , 08:42 PM

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Hey Guys

The question of all questions 'What is better....?' Its so annoying that I just had to answer this one. At the end of the day it is down to you what you use, and how you use it, also Maya comes in a couple of versions so you have a choice of Unlimted if your budget allows or you have Complete, Lightwave comes as a stand alone package in one version. I myself am a user of Maya, but I learned my trade using Lightwave. I love Lightwave as it is a robust package and you can do a hell of a lot in it, its rendering speed is undoubtedly one of, if not the fastest out there.

I have been using Maya for probably since Lightwave released version 6.0b and I have not looked at it since for anything as I find Maya as an overall package, the best. The list of advantages Maya has is unsurpassed and I know people are gonna disagree with me here at somepoint.

But.... at the end of the day its the artist that count not his tools.

By the way Vlad, Mirai, although not that well known is just coool, its the package that Bay Raitt used for Gollum, but I dont think they make it anymore though, do they?

_J

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# 14 19-06-2004 , 10:19 PM

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Jango, IZWare is back in business and working hard on Mirai release 1.5 user added image

*hoping for a PLE version*

Kim Rotbøl-Larsen

www.rotbol.dk
Jan/Feb Challenge 2006 W.I.P

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# 15 19-06-2004 , 11:24 PM

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Hi - Just to clear something up here - Maya 4.5 - 6.0 works on "XP HOME" with no problems.

Like the song say's ..... " It ain't what you do it's the way that you do it~" I think that sums it up Pal. also £'s or $'s are a good incentive.

Personally I live here. Scraggy

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which is best maya or lightwave?

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