When I decided that the industry of 3D design and animation is the industry that I wanted to be a part of, I was in the same position that you are in and I faced the same dilemma that you are facing right now… which software to choose?
Note: In this article I am focusing only on Maya and Max because although there are other great software that you can use, these two are the industry standard and are the most common.
To be perfectly honest with you, artistically, it does not matter which software you choose, as you will be able to achieve the exact same result that you want using either software. The real question should be which software will help you achieve what you want easier and faster.
Another important point is that although some people say that finding a job will only depend on your skills and that if you are a wonderful artist and you only use Maya for example and they want someone who knows Max they will teach you Max, I have to say that based on my experience this is not always true and you cannot depend on that in finding a job.
Also, I am no expert. Period. So all the information that you will find here is from an extensive research and from various resources. And you will find that the information here is straight to the point and without depending on any personal preference.
So, without further ado, let's begin the comparison.
Modeling:
Note: In this article I am focusing only on Maya and Max because although there are other great software that you can use, these two are the industry standard and are the most common.
To be perfectly honest with you, artistically, it does not matter which software you choose, as you will be able to achieve the exact same result that you want using either software. The real question should be which software will help you achieve what you want easier and faster.
Another important point is that although some people say that finding a job will only depend on your skills and that if you are a wonderful artist and you only use Maya for example and they want someone who knows Max they will teach you Max, I have to say that based on my experience this is not always true and you cannot depend on that in finding a job.
Also, I am no expert. Period. So all the information that you will find here is from an extensive research and from various resources. And you will find that the information here is straight to the point and without depending on any personal preference.
So, without further ado, let's begin the comparison.
Modeling:
As I mentioned before you can achieve the same result in both software, however, although Maya started to introduce some new powerful modeling tools, modeling in Max is easier and smoother, also, Max is undoubtedly the better option if you are interested in architectural visualizations (buildings and interiors). And because of this reasons alone, if the companies that you are looking for a job in are looking for 3D artists who can do architectural work, knowing Max will help you find a job in this field easier.
Animation:
Animation:
You can animate using either Max or Maya, however, Maya is the better option in animation as the software has a huge animation library, and the workflow in Maya is much easier and more customizable especially if you know MEL or Python scripting languages.
Also, you will find that most of the big studios and media companies use Maya for their animation work.
Rigging:
Also, you will find that most of the big studios and media companies use Maya for their animation work.
Rigging:
Rigging in Max is easier than in Maya as long as you are rigging simple models, however, if you are trying to rig complex models, Maya will be the better/easier option using MEL.
Rendering:
Rendering:
No real difference here, if any, in rendering using Maya or 3ds Max. The workflow can be a bit different but you will achieve the same result and many rendering engines can be used in both software like Mental Ray.
Operating System:
Operating System:
Max: Compatible only with Windows operating system.
Maya: Compatible with Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux.
Overview:
Both Maya and Max are used by many people to do all the above, but mostly you will find people using Maya in the film and animation industry, and Max in games and architectural visualizations.
Important links:
What's new in 3ds Max 2016: http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/max/introducing-3ds-max-2016
What's new in Maya 2016: http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/cory/what-new-in-maya-2016
Maya: Compatible with Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux.
Overview:
Both Maya and Max are used by many people to do all the above, but mostly you will find people using Maya in the film and animation industry, and Max in games and architectural visualizations.
Important links:
What's new in 3ds Max 2016: http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/max/introducing-3ds-max-2016
What's new in Maya 2016: http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/cory/what-new-in-maya-2016
Advice: Try both Maya and Max yourself for some time, and you will find yourself liking one of them more than the other. Also, do a quick research in the job market in your country and see if companies where you are prefer a specific software more than the other.