As the head of multimedia development and technical illustration at a global engineering firm, YES Max is very relevant. People think of CGI and they think games, movies, and Arch Viz. These positions are far out numbered by internal CGI departments at virtually every company that manufactures anything. Crane companies, Car manufactures, Razor blade makers, Wrist Watch companies, TV makers, Cell Phone Co. etc... etc... etc... As a senior person in this side of the industry, I can tell you Max is BY FAR the most prevalent main app in use. Easily 80+% of the companies out there are using Max. The rest are using mainly Maya, though I have seen an uptick in C4D adoption.
I agree to this comment. It seems like those people above are talking about a totally different industry. For architecture, product design, 3D prototype, medical illustration...nothing beats Max, especially hard surface modeling and static image rendering. And these skills actually bring in well paid, full time jobs. Now I am moving to VR development. Still find that Max works the best to control the polycount and flow.
My Maya subscription is up for renewal. I'm thinking switching to Max. I'm still a beginner and mostly model. I do set design and I think Max could be fun for is architectural capabilities. I'm just afraid to learn it and then they cancel Max.
@@pascalcreativedesign8790 lol... No one's canceling Max. It's used more than Maya and C4D added together. Even in the entertainment industries, which is the only field Maya really dominates, they still use Max for most of the asset modeling. It's just far better than the other applications when it comes to modeling. That's why Autodesk sells it as a package with Maya. Even when a company wants to use Maya for all the rigging and animating (Maya's real strength) they need the modeling functionality of Max. So all those studios that use Maya still buy Max. The reverse isn't true. Most other industries that use Max as the primary, don't use Maya as well.
@@heathwasson7811the thing is Maya is the main software for VFX as simulations and animation in general. At the end, it all depends what your job is and what you use it for
20 years game dev veteran here and 3 years ago i ditch 3ds max for blender and i am never going back! Greedy corporations need to vanish or to change their business model!
Same. I was a Beta tester for MAX at Digital Domain pre- Max's official release. Switched to Blender a year ago. Not goin' back. Helped bring into our studio this year. Blender is catching on like wildfire.
Totally right! I'm a freelance CGI artist and Blender gave me the opportunity to build a business at no cost. Blender and Unreal Engine are great examples of the future software industry!
Pretty much identical. Max for nearly 20 years. Switched to Blender 3 years ago. Although I've moved from games to collectible sculpting and use Zbrush almost exclusively these days for work, Blender is my 3D hub.
My sentiments are echoed by others in this thread. 3Ds Max's modifier stack, specifically Edit Poly, are game-changing. What's stopping me from moving to Blender (an amazing piece of software), is that their spline tools are garbage. You can't just draw a spline, you gotta create one and edit it, wasting my time. And as far as I can tell, there's no surface modifier to turn a spline cage into polygons, only sweeps and lofts. People underestimate how quick, easy, satisfying, and accurate 3ds Max's spline modeling workflow can be, especially for tricky organic shapes. It's only a shame 3ds Max can't revamp their NURBS flow. With their new Retopology modifier, making complex organic shapes in a non-destructive CAD-like way would give them a significant competitive edge.
Max is like home to me, I know where everything is, I know how to solve most of the problems of everyday archviz in a reasonable and still profitable way.
@@alejomiranda95 coming soon wont cut it when you need to work now. We have been hearing the coming soon argument on Blender since 2012. It took it 8 years to finally be competitive on the level all the "coming sooners" foretold. As for my personal experience in Blender, its a great tool that has fast results and ways to do things. A huge timesaver. But lacks the flow to attention to detail that Max has. Its like comparing Arnold to VRay, making a glowing light in Arnold takes twice the moves, hence time, to set up, yet after that has double to triple the ways you can fine tune results that will make that extra difference. Use the tool you are more comfortable with and works for your needs. Especially in archviz 3dsmax is eons ahead. Blender is ahead in other things. Mix and match and use whatever tool feels more comfortable for each task. If we go down the "Blender will have this and that road", yeah well we can say the same for 3dsmax with all the planned improvements they are already working on. The thing is, we need those improvements now, not tomorrow. So why wait for edit poly on blender (and if that) and vise versa why wait for good rigging in max when Blender and UE etc already do it better? If they come tomorrow, great, all the better, and we are indeed anticipating and waiting for as much. Till then, one may need to use both or more software for their needs. And when the day comes when all tastes can do everything they want in their beloved software alone, all the better. Competition does amazing things.
@@alejomiranda95 i been using max for like 5 years i tried blender for a month and i can see why people switch the UV mode is way more powerful than the modifier that max has because once u apply it u r stuck in the uv mode until u drop another edit poly in the stack and if u want to make modifications u better not forget to tick "keeps uv's" box because say bye bye to your UV if u do. While blender has this mixed system where u can touch the mesh and see what happens with UV the selection let say blackface vertex really need improvement u cant be changing into wireframe every gad dam time u need to select something from behind is beyond me how they didn't fixed it yet. Animation i haven't tried yet, sadly i stopped using it due to Uni kicking my ass and asking me for non stop modeling and animating creatures for the final project but eventually ill be back at it to learn more. Overall blender is easy to learn specially if u quick configure the shortcuts like MAX.
Happy 3ds max user here for life. With the modifier stack and plugins such as TyFLow, Railclone, Forestpack and the pluthera of scripts and amazing renders such as Corona - 3ds max is way more powerful than Blender. And the UI is only sluggish if you haven't used it enough. I love blender though, many features there I love and wished for in Max, but happily blender is free and I can have both.
Corona and vray better then blender? I hope you are not kidding ? Go watch photorealitic render woth blender interior exterior with native . You dont even need corona or redshift ex.... Cycle rock. You are really wrong. Small issue blender has an issue with caustics but teamdev blender already intergrate it soon it wiol be full implemented in core. Dont compare bunch of 3d render or program to blender . By the way i was lightwave 3d user and i was using kray 2 and kray3 i can tell you kray3 is fast cpu render on whole market no one hear of it and plus he has really slow développement so users canot wait for long update. Thats why blender win in every aspect. Blender is like combo wombo free . Sculting animation render rigging montage video editing addons tutroail big community i think max and maya gonna fallin really fast theirs end is quick im not jocking . You should try sometimes download blender export any favorite scn and try to render it . I have like one uear blender i can do any interior or exterior from any pro vray or corona easy af. Blender ots gove you no limite comparing others software and its fking free .
@@abdelkarimkeraressi1418 At what point in my text did I even mention photorealism or compared renders? I even said I love a lot of features in Blender and use it. How about learning to read before you answer instead of behaving like a raging fanboy lunatic?
I use and teach 3ds Max at a private university. I am a Max user since 1996 and I think Max is just awesome. I really liked the last few releases. I'm noticing more and more people praise Blender. From what I've seen it has improved a lot.
I've used Max from the beginning as well. However, unlike you, I've gotten so burned out dealing with all the unfixed bugs and tools that don't work as advertised, or just weren't designed well. Our company has moved to C4D, but we're learning that it's missing some basic functionality (it makes hard things easy, but easy things are really hard!!) Also, Autodesk killing my perpetual license that I maintained for 15 years with my own money was very demoralizing.
The thing about 3ds Max is it will still be relevant for a long time simply because it's Autodesk, and most architecture studios use it. Personally I hate it, it feels and looks outdated as hell, the UI is terrible.
Max's UI is super easy to learn and intuitive, I don't know what your issue with it is. I do agree it could be streamlined/updated a bit - things like curves, track view, material editor etc. could get a visual and functional update at long last, but apart from that, it's very well organised. I know where everything is and where to look for it.
@@F10F11hm I tried to use Max for my first school Architectural project but I couldn't get the result and it is slow for designing fast and easy. In the end, I ended up using sketchup and vray for the rest of my university times. Now I switched to blender and do Arch viz and even some character modeling since I switch to more art career than Architect.
@@ZachBobBob I know but it's just me. I could use the crappy UI of earlier blender 2.7x versions and quickly model using shortcuts but I was so slow when using Max.
Still using Max! Super powerful with plugins like phoenix fd, Tyflow, V-ray, Railclone, Forest pack an more, but Autodesk stopped offering maintenance for my perpetual license, so my last version will be Max2023. Hopefully with updates from the plugin manufacturers that will keep me going for a while.
And for the money, Max can't hold a candle to Blender. Most of the plugins you mentioned cost hundreds of dollars on top of the $1700+ per year Max license. I've never paid more than $60 for a Blender add-on.
@@scatterbrainart if you're making money with the software the cost of licensing can be justified. It comes down to what makes you more effective as an artist. Most of the Blender add-ons I've seen doesn't really compare to fully fledged plug-ins in 3ds Max. That said, Blender is great in a lot of ways!
@@EburdeyGordei4 That's true, but IMO those plugins I mentioned could be essential to Max, depending on what you need to do, and there are no indie options for those, except for Tyflow where you can use the free version which is single core only, or the free beta (older versions). So it is true that Max is a more costly solution. However with 3dsmax you have more options if you can afford the cost of plugins.
@@EburdeyGordei4 Defo thanks to blender lol. Autodesk shat themselves when Blender drew themselves onto the similar level to everyone else and there was the mass exodus.
Max is super powerful software. I have used it for 15 years and I have never thought that UI should be more intuitive or colorful. It's a tool that does the job well. That's it. Gray UI, no distractions, no complications, just tools and features. Blender is nice, but it just can't compete with max, and I really, really hate it's interface. It's far from intuitive. It's just dumbed down and colorful. It's intuitive up to a point, but once you try doing some complex shit, it starts falling apart, and you realize just how well developed max UI really is. I think it'll be years before Blender really becomes a true competitor. And also, without plugins - it's no match to power of 3ds max.
Depends on the use case. If you're just making game assets than Blender has everything covered, and the animation tools are fine as well. Of course, for VFX Blender is lacking.
@@lemming77gode Yeah, I agree, blender is awesome for game assets and environments, but when it comes to anything more demanding and precise, max is still one of the best- for vfx, archviz and design - mainly because of it's tools, but also because of interoperability with other software.. What kills Blender for my use case is performance and stability, among other things (that damn UI). Although max is always criticized as unstable, I never had problems with it, and I can't say the same for Blender. Although, Blender does have some nice features that I'd like to see in max. I don't like it, but I have to give credit where credit is due.
@@pouyasaad7218 I use Blender, or at least, I'm forcing myself to use it sometimes. No need to be childish, I'm a professional, I choose software that does the job better and I don't mind the cost. If Blender did what I need better than max, I'd use Blender and save a buck. But it doesn't, and I only use it occasionally, mainly for simple assets. Try working with 40-50+ million polys in Blender and let me know how that went.
From a game industry point of view, there were also huge investments into making unique plugins and exporter tools for 3DS max, so it's hard to abandon. Even if many of our 3D artists use Blender, they're forced to use 3DS max as an exporter...
@@ProjectAtlasmodling There's investors stopping the studio who've poured millions of dollars into the plugin development and who wouldn't want to pour money again for the same task.
@@MrQuantumCodes a studio for the most part is independent and is often contracted to do shots or make assets for a geven production. they dont have "investors" like auto desk has and the few that do the investors dont care what software is used in the studio as long as the studio turns a large enough profit. another thing you do realize that often times 90% of those plugins are just to make the program do whats its supposed to do (ie work a rounds for something that's broken) or just pipeline spacifc. the other 10% are things the the company bought as an add one or had to make in house. most of blender works as is supposed to so the vast majority of "this doesn't work" plugins are not needed. pipeline scrips will still be needed and most of the tools that dont come with blender have an add-on you can get for free or buy. then the in house tools are MUCH EASIER to make because you have the source code for blender. so in reality they may be paying at most 100k to get blender inside the pipeline unless its Hollywood which is a different monster all together. many studios have switch over big and small, its not cost or reliability at this point its getting artist and programmers familiar with blender
User since 1996 and former Max trainer here. I think Max is going to go the way of Softimage. The only thing that seems to be still holding it together is arch viz. The majority of game artist job ads I see today are for Maya and Zbrush. Jobs in motion graphics are mostly Cinema 4D, but with an increasing demand for Blender expertise. One of the biggest issues is the UI. Trying R26 of Cinema 4D recently has really made me realize how outdated Max has become. Character animation tools are also very behind the times. Max has been good to me for over 25 years but it's time to move on, and I would advise other Max users to consider doing the same.
Plus the pricing for a yearly subscription is ridiculous when you have competition offering pricing as low as "free". ($1785 USD/year) Blender is starting to catchup in Archviz presentations and UE5 is also starting to offer modelling tools. I still use 3dsmax for the day-to-day, but have started a few archviz interiors directly from UE5 and it's looking like an credible option.
Just look at job openings at big VFX and animation studios. They all want Maya and 3DS Max. Also 3DS Max is industry standard for architectural visualization. Most big studios don't use Blender in their pipeline. It will take time for Blender to reach there. These videos are very deceptive.
It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If people don't use Blender professionally, no one will be looking for people skilled in Blender because nobody is using it. Also, I didn't feel that this video was deceptive. Can you please point out what's deceptive about it?
There are many tools in 3ds Max that are still great today. Max is the fastest I know for working with high polygon meshes (except Zbrush), I have compared it to Maya, Blender and Houdini in speed of heavy mesh handling. Retopology is also great.
These videos are incredibly deceptive. Max is used to create 10 of thousands of hours of beautiful animated imagery by heaps of the most talented artist in the world and creates billions of dollars of revenue for companies which pays wages all over the world. Blender has had incredible progress work heaps of amazing artist also
Agreed; I've used Max professionally since 1999 .. and this last year ive taken serious steps to investing more time in Blender. I really have seen a big change in my speed since making the move. Max is great for a few things; particles, effects etc ... i still like the modeling tools, but character animation and rigging!! LOL ... i guess it makes sense .. they want to push people over to Maya. Max and Maya just cant compete with the development speed of Blender. In the end, its just a tool, use whichever tool allows you to get the work done more efficiently with the highest ROI.
I've wondered if Maybe Autodesk is killing off Max so that people at autodesk will only have to update one 3d software package. Honestly using one or the other you are just giving autodesk money. If you don't need it to make money I would just abandon it and learn Blender.
honestly... if blender rips off max's particles and makes sure all the functionality of the modifier stack is implemented in their own nodes and modifier stack (cough... edit mesh/edit poly... cough)... but if autodesk is going to kill max like they did softimage dirty, they better take some of the better parts of max's workflow and put it into maya. i cant stand maya's modeling and other workflow issues
learning is inconsistent and incoherent on any 3d package here on youtube. If you want to learn full processes and workflows you need to do some sort of patreon subscription/take paid courses or 1on 1 tutoring. It started also in Blender, people just dont want to share their hard earned knowledge like before.
there are also people who want to gate keep 3d and will find the most obscure thing to say that blender cant be used in the industry for X random reason or use half a truth
I also agree that 3DS Max has been getting more serious because they realized Blender was getting the lion's share of the increasingly profitable indie game scene. I'm a MAX person through and through, but they were definitely lagging for a while, but I think introducing the Indie license along with things like the working pivot, smart extrude, finally getting a proper weighted normal modifier have all been smart moves
I actualy started learning in blender but than switched to 3ds max cause it is used in my company. Max felt wierd at first but i got used to it. Now I have to admit it is in the moment one of the best Software for arch. modelling, with the right scripts nothing can beat it in this field. Also it got some good updates the last few months and the workflow in max 2023 is amazing fast. Also it got cheaper. You dont pay a kidney for it anymore... got down to 25$ a month.
I used Max professionally for almost 20 years in game development. I moved to Blender in 2018 and have not regretted it. I actually found this video because I have nostalgia for Max, but once they went subscription based I knew it was only a matter of time before I got off it. To any Max user thinking of making the jump, go for it. To those that stick with Max and pay for it, I get it. It's a good tool. I hope Autodesk takes care of it and of you.
Autodesk is QUICKLY losing ground to Blender. It really is just a handful of us "boomers" clinging to their overpriced tools anymore. I studied 3DS Max back in the 00s and early 2010s, slowly mastering its basics and some more advanced features, since it was THE tool for 3D game visuals. Come late 2010s, and suddenly EVERYONE is using the Blender now. All the schools teach it, every TH-camr is embracing it. It was less than a decade ago when no one "on the field" even mentioned Blender, yet these days it's hard to find a hobbyist or a pro who'd use anything but Blender. I worked for a small mobile game company just recently, and I was literally the only one with 3DS Max experience, which caused some minor inconveniences at times since we had to convert and double check my 3DS models. I quite welcome this change, as it provides way easier access to a very powerful piece of software. With more and more of the paid software either costing 1000 bucks a piece, or adapting the even more expensive monthly / annual subscription system, less and less people can even afford to use them no more. Unless they sail under the jolly roger flag, of course. Which is kinda shame, as I personally really like 3DS Max' workflow. I truly prefer it over Blender's "piano-play style", centered around endless quick-key combos. Yeah, there are neat alternatives, like the BforArtists fork, which remedy some of these issues, but it's still a steep hill to climb after spending 15 years to master 3DS Max.
no beginner wants to pay 1000s of dollars for a software which not many ppl except for industries use, thats why blender is a great option as its free and there are many resources to learn from online
3ds Max costs me $250 for a year as a solo indie dev(not $1000s as the next guy says). That's hardly expensive for great software. My V-ray renderer costs 3x as much. While I think Blender is awesome, and it may overtake 3ds Max in the near future, the fact is MANY studios have and still use Max for Hollywood VFX. When Blender has a list as long as Max, then you can make that claim. EDIT: I think Houdini is where it's at. I need to dive into it a bit. Ultimately, it's about being talented. The software doesn't really matter.
@@TheMugwump1 Well put. I have been using 3ds max since DOS days. Still in love with it and it gets the job done, and done well. Of course it has its shortcomings but I have not found a better workflow than Editable Poly in it. I had to learn many other tools as 'needed' for some jobs. Never be too arrogant about the tools or machines, they always keep changing/evolving and so should we. We cannot stop learning newer, better, and more optimized ways of doing tasks that are challenging. That said though, I tried my hands on many other tools since then, and only Houdini seems like the most obvious choice to invest my mind and time into. Respect to the awesome devs for creating tools like them so can create anything with them.
@@khalilicf price is not the main reason. I have license payed 3DsMax in my office computer and I`m free to decide to work with Blender or 3DsMax. but I don`t have any reason to wast my time with any of Autodead Junkwares. if 3DsMax or Maya has some advantage to Blender. Blender has thousands more advantage
In terms of hard surface modeling 3ds Max became the most powerful tool among other competitors: chamfer modifier, smart extrusion features. Autoretopoly tools also useful in film industry. Unfortunately, Autodesk doesn't develop Max's VFX and Animation aspects at all. There are little tutorials on OSL shaders, so their potential is not realized. It is sad.
Thanks for the video. I started using Max with version 6 almost 2 decades ago. Since then there have been similar debates on comparisons between Max and Maya and ..., and it is still going on. But to me it all depends on how good you can make use of them. After 2 decades of working with Max, I believe there are a lot of unveiled features for me yet to reveal. I wonder how some beginners can complain about them... 😂
Blender abuses the open source license. They have reproduced the proprietary software model with a free software model. The Blender community adds many barriers to pay, thus reducing the free flow of free code. One day the ambiguity will have to be removed. It would be interesting to know what Richard Stallman thinks about this.
I work freelance for C4D and MAX and now more and more client req blender files... When i learn Blender, i never touch C4D and MAX for 2 years now. RIP
Max still be relevant for industry if you don't know just take a look into their new versions. Ofcourse It could be better but is amazing for Many aspects. I hate blender interface
@@nsevv THIS, its just needs a little refinement, mostly cosmetical, starting with QT most of the major part of the UI, ditching the old parts etc. But the UI logic in Max is superior than Blender dumbed down version UI
@@romulino they made it dark Grey, flat style switch the bar from bottom to top but nothing changed drastically. They still rely on the old side bar tabs sistem which really shows all of this has been superficial cosmetics update to catter to superficial people.
This year our office decided to finally cancel our payments to Autodesk. The price has become outrageous, updates are always lackluster and you can no longer own a perpetual license starting this year (meaning it's a subscription service now, so you don't own it). We've been a client of theirs for more than 10 years and we had multiple licenses. We'll continue using our old perpetual licenses for another couple of years or so until we fully transition to Blender. I hope that Autodesk are happy with their poor business decisions.
I completed my masters two years ago, and we were mostly taught around 3DS Max. Thankfully, my teacher took the time to teach the basics of Zbrush to me and I just *love* that program. This, along with the other comments, has been encouraging to at least take on another 3D program... so maybe Blender? I can't afford Maya on top of 3DS Max right now unfortunately. I'll continue to use 3DS Max as it's still good to use but it is time I start branching out
"Is 3Ds Max Still Relevant" Is Elden Ring and GTAV Relevant? Because Both of those use 3DS Max. Armoured Core 6 releases this week, 3DS Max. Rockstar North's hiring page says they want people that use/are willing to use 3DS Max. So there's your answer.
I work in advertising and use 3dsMax for more than 20 years, I already lost count. In our study we have been able to solve all the difficulties that have always arisen. I think it is very robust and I could talk about many wonderful things about it but I can name a few that annoy me. The problem with 3dsMax is that in many ways it has fallen in the middle. It hasn't had a modern interface redesign. They haven't added the ability to work nodally as modifiers might have such a view. It is not easy to customize, in Houdini it is clicks and here with the attribute editor and the attribute holder it is very cumbersome. The cloth simulation, particles and dynamic rigid bodies is deprecated. Polygonal modeling is very good but we don't have the possibility to sculpt. The hair system is very bad. We rely on a lot of plugins, and I think tyFlow has given it a bit of a air. It has things like the Max Creation Graph MCG. That few know and is very powerful and can be compared a bit to Blender's Geometry Nodes. But it was not created for an artist to use. It is very complex to use. Because I have had situations where the effort instead of applying it in the creative part, I have to use it in making things work. It has led me to wonder if we are using the correct program. So for some time I've been learning Houdini and Blender. It has a lot to improve and I hope that the development is promoted to be able to compete with Blender that is growing rapidly. New versions of 3dsMax always leave a taste of nothing. And they are never big changes. Much more is expected from a huge company like Autodesk.
Max with plugins will be really powerful but raw version is only good for architecture, Maya makes more sense to me! as for Blender, they need to improve their technology and stability and performance to catch up! Blender fluid simulation is really unstable and slow I had such a hard times with it!
This, underlying tech , performance etc it's not something you can compete with corporation. Blender is pretty and such but game changing tech needs tons of money and world class software engineers.
@@orphydiancg7759 They have tones of money now, it's not like old days anymore many companies are supporting them! therefore they can make something really powerful no excuses! the whole thing needs better technology.
And studios wanting Maya / Max experience first .. thats just a chicken and egg thing .. they want Maya because their pipeline is set up by people using those programs, because schools teach them Maya .. the schools teach Maya because they assume thats what the industry wants ... LOL .. this requirement is NOT because Maya is doing anything amazingly different to blender or Max.
The answer is yes. It is still relevant and will be relevant years to come. When used with plugins, which is the way to go with max, it is a powerful program that surpasses blender in a lot of fields. Maya and Max are not dominant in industries just because the professionals didn't see the light yet, it is because they do the job. Blender is awesome, and fast developing, with less hype it could be one of three that will lead the way. But the over hype, blinds people of it is shortcomings.
Blender is of course rubbish which has more or less begun to be put in order now. But 3Ds Max is dead, that's for sure, Autodesk just sucks the last juices from the code that was written 25 years ago.
depends on what you doing. Pressing G,Shift+Z really annoying in Blender. I know I can use pivots, but that is not always possible. of course you will be 100X faster in Blender if you need sculpting for example
@@SuperSuperka I would bet you will get faster by using G,Shift+Z if you use Blender for a while. I used Max for years, but after switching to Blender I never choose to use the gizmo. Gizmo is slower than keyboard shortcuts since you need to be accurate with the mouse.
@@robinsquares of course shortcuts are slower, as 3dsMax don't even need them (for this), just grab and drag, no need even to click to select object, or point cursor to pivot. As always, you seems to be one instance of poor knowledge of 3dsMax.
*WHAT I PREFER IN 3DSMAX SINCE 1999 , that NOTHING CHANGE IN INTERFACE DONT TOUCH 3DSMAX I WORK WITH SINCE 22 years !!!!!* Stupid blender will replace by an Other new free soft in some year and all you have learn on blinder will be loose , LONG LIFE for 3DSmax !!!
They should make a version of 3d Max that is accessible to learning and upstarts and price it in the 100 to 500 euro range and allow it to be perpetual. The more expensive features should be what studios need. But other features should be priced at what smaller development units can afford.
over 20 years here, max/zb. I see a lot of my students using blender because its free and has some nice tools - problem is max can do pretty much everything and more - but the more elements are buried deep within and no one makes good content. Blenders marketing has been amazing. Whatever makes you most productive i guess.
It's like Photoshop or Adobe software. Ever now and then they drop a powerful feature (with tech bought from 3rd party) that makes you feel you can't do without it and open source software just doesn't have the resources to top it...
Krita is pretty good, covers most bases of photoshop and the stable diffusion integration is better than the results from photoshop new AI tool. It needs work still but better than being subjected to the subscription system.
I love 3ds Max to death but their pricing model is absolutely insane, targeting basically large companies only. No hobbyists or even enthusiasts can throw 3k dollars a year just to mess around with it. And considering that Blender is absolutely killing it right now, Autodesk is more than ever in trouble. Same goes for their CAD software, theres just so many good cheap or free alternatives out there.
This is a frustrating situation for me in regards to the subscription. Because I started my journey into 3D in Blender, then went over to Unreal Engine. But I still need a piece of software like Blender. However I hate working in Blender. It's a software that I deeply struggled with and it always felt incoherent to me. I am FULLY aware a lot of people love it, but I am not among them. I am currently on the fence about getting into 3DS MAX because I keep hearing its a very easy software to comprehend and utilize, especially compared to Blender. I'm going to have to test it out for a few months and make my decision.
@@indianvfxschool Arkviz at is core is a way to present a room or building that has yet to be furnished or built to a client. All this requires is the ability to import/make models, place them into a seen and render it with a capable render engine. All which blender can do. Yes it may not be able to handle as many polygons but for most firms that really doesn't matter. Adding to that Eevee and cycles are more than capable out of the box. At the end of the day arkviz is just trying to the client to approve a design. They do not care what software you use nor dose it matter as long as it gets done in a timely manner
@@ProjectAtlasmodling no client cares about your software choices that doesn't means you'll start using MS Paint to prove your point. Try working with huge CAD files in blender, it's should will rip apart, it's viewport will start bleeding. It's not just about what a software can do, it's about how efficiently can it do. Nothing comes close to the performance of vray and corona renderer in max. Evee doesn't have Global Illumination so forget about archwiz, it can only do exteriors that too with lots of cheats. Interiors is impossible. Where as cycles is too slow for anything else.
@@indianvfxschool I said in a timely manner not ms paint. Not every company does ultra realistic renders unless the client asks for it. Adding to that are you just importing a the building it's self of are you trying to import trees made in CAD? Not every project is 8 quadrillion polygons nor are most arkviz studios big enough to get clients that have that deep of pockets. Do you need max for a small luxury boat house that's too be made on a lake? No. Do you need max for a rather bland office building? No Do you need max for that small town public library? Nope. The upmost extreme is not the norm your not doing casinos every day
I STILL use 3ds Max. It's Awesome i love its tools and procedural modifier stacks that you can combine to make unique things. i love blender eevee and cycles aswell so i use it to render my work
Everyone complaining about Max are talentless losers who who don't know how to use Max. Sure, Autodesk sucks, but Max is amazing and unbeatable. I have used every modeling software available, but none of them compare to Max.
I think blender is on a different level compare to many 3d tools ... it has everything ... autodesk is really lacking big time ... their only advantage is that big studios paid for it and the industry boomers are too afraid to even consider blender. Because they think they will start from zero.... once they find out how easy it is to shift from any software to blender ... it's over
You have some reason. I'm a boomer. I use "max" since it was 3d Studio 4, for ms-dos. Blender was annoying to me. Too many keyboard shortcuts. But max didn't evolve, and I saw Blender doing more and more things. And better. I tested it in version 2.8. I forced myself to learn it. Now I don't want to hear anything from Max anymore. Even boomers finally realize that we have to switch to something that's better.
@@motorfiero6724 I started learning Blender and 3DS Max around 16 years ago, both at the same time. The huge amount of keyboard shortcuts and insanely quick UI made me decide for Blender and never look again at Max.
Thankfully, I just started learning Houdini and I am loving it. If it wasn't Houdini for sure I would stick with blender I will never ever use 3ds max again. Its the most poor 3d package. Its 2023 released and still doesn't have any built-in cloner option. If you want to do particles you need plugin If you do liquid you need plugin Smoke plugin Bla bla plugin
Houdini is killing it. For game developers you have HDA's, live link to Unreal Engine. The modelling tools can be a pain to learn, but you have a procedural workflow mostly. The animation and rigging takes time to learn, but very powerful. It's VFX tools are the best.
I am blender user, what i feel is like Blender is more to know what you like... they setup the node system but houdini will always be ahead. Blender is interesting cause at the end it allowas you to get some knowledge a bit all over the place and eventually sort out. While aside u can push on one of software specility ;)
For GameDev Blender is great and in most cases sufficient. However, in Architecture Visualization Max is still superior which is mainly due to great plugin and render engine support.
3ds max is very suitable for learning the basics of 3d, it has so many tutorials available and resources/models as well, all of it is really useful when starting learning. Its interface is very easy, almost primitive. You don't even have to use the most recent version, even 3ds max 9 will be enough to learn modeling for example. But after 3-6 months it is better to switch to another tool - Blender, C4D, Rhino, Maya depending what you are planning to do in the future. Comparing Blender and 3ds Max is like comparing Linux and Windows, of course Blender can be configured to be the best 3d modeling softwere, but you will sink-in so much time doing it, and you definitely don't want to do it if you don't even know how to model for subd, it will be too much things to take in at once.
I was taught Max in college (4-ish years) and was told it was the industry standard. During my time at college, I found out about Maya and was shown that Maya does texturing better, and later, retopo. After college, I was forced to make the jump to Blender, as I didn't have £3k a year to burn, and now, looking back and seeing that Max looks like an after thought when it comes making characters on the highest standards i.e. big budget games and hollywood, As everyone seem to sculpt in Zbrush, retopo in Maya, texture in substance painter, then rig and animate in Maya I believe. Max now seems like the lesser of Autodesk's two main 3D modelling software. I think perhaps another big reason that this question is coming up (and why people are moving to Blender) is an industry wide one with cost~ Zbrush is just under £30 a month, Substance painter (thankfully) has that £160 version on Steam, Maya and Max are around £3k a year last I checked. All of this adds up and none of them are low in price (minus substance painter) on their own~ Blender can do most-everything a 3D artist needs relatively well with a lot for the add-ons for more advanced being low-cost (not all though) and is completely free. Where as the other software above excel in their one area (zbrush for sculpting, substance painter for texturing, etc) but aren't good/suck at everything else~
using max since 22 years after 2 years of 3ds4, 2 years of lightwave, and four years ago two years of Blender. The core workflow of max is very simple and smart, very productive. That's why i'm still using it, fast to produce and modify huge scenes... Blender is with an awfull workflow core smeling amiga's age (i need to try v3.x), but very light, with more and more of fantastics tools each years... Max had great tools wich had never evolved since it's Autodesk : what about nurbs modeling, character studio, base modelings tools, Video(post) editor... ? Lot of side software buyed by autodesk is now discontinued without any real evolution. Combustion, Mudbox, Char generator, Sketch and motion builder should be in Max since years, and maybe Max and Maya should be now a just new, modern software. Lot of tools in 3Dcoat, Blender - affordable softwares - seems to me lot modern now than in Max...
Logical UIs are not for everyone. But there some very good tutorials at plurasight. I learned the basics in 2-3 weeks. Blender took way longer, cause its not very well thought through. It just happens that Blender has by far the most active community. So its is 'easier' to learn.
Fact is that as long as Blender's clonky user interface remains (why is it not possible to emulate Maya or Max styled mouse without scripts for example) and it doesn't do industry standard renderers like Arnold, Vray and Redshift, it's not going anywhere. In a studio environment it needs to fit into the pipelines and it simply doesn't right now. No matter of how many indie fans it has. I actually like it and use it from times to times but in the end it has to be rendered the proper way and textured for that workflow and here Blender simply fails. Back to Maya or Houdini for bread and butter work everytime, so to say. Blender is trying to be everything and that has never proven a win, something that the proven packages all can contest to. Look what happened to Modo and that was as close to a modern modeller we ever got in the last 10 years. Sooner or later Blender will have to decide what foot it stands on and invest in the R&D to fit into those commercial pipelines or it will become the Gimp of 3D at some point down the line.
And that is the problem, you mentioned a pro-pipeline and 3ds max is usually not in that pipeline. Maya is in the pipeline, but not 3ds max. 3dsmax struggles with archviz, and for everything else Blender fill the niche.
As long as Edit Poly exists, I aint switching. Fuck the haters.
As the head of multimedia development and technical illustration at a global engineering firm, YES Max is very relevant. People think of CGI and they think games, movies, and Arch Viz. These positions are far out numbered by internal CGI departments at virtually every company that manufactures anything. Crane companies, Car manufactures, Razor blade makers, Wrist Watch companies, TV makers, Cell Phone Co. etc... etc... etc... As a senior person in this side of the industry, I can tell you Max is BY FAR the most prevalent main app in use. Easily 80+% of the companies out there are using Max. The rest are using mainly Maya, though I have seen an uptick in C4D adoption.
And that's why Max makes more money than Maya.
I agree to this comment. It seems like those people above are talking about a totally different industry. For architecture, product design, 3D prototype, medical illustration...nothing beats Max, especially hard surface modeling and static image rendering. And these skills actually bring in well paid, full time jobs.
Now I am moving to VR development. Still find that Max works the best to control the polycount and flow.
My Maya subscription is up for renewal. I'm thinking switching to Max. I'm still a beginner and mostly model. I do set design and I think Max could be fun for is architectural capabilities. I'm just afraid to learn it and then they cancel Max.
@@pascalcreativedesign8790 lol... No one's canceling Max. It's used more than Maya and C4D added together.
Even in the entertainment industries, which is the only field Maya really dominates, they still use Max for most of the asset modeling. It's just far better than the other applications when it comes to modeling.
That's why Autodesk sells it as a package with Maya. Even when a company wants to use Maya for all the rigging and animating (Maya's real strength) they need the modeling functionality of Max. So all those studios that use Maya still buy Max. The reverse isn't true. Most other industries that use Max as the primary, don't use Maya as well.
@@heathwasson7811the thing is Maya is the main software for VFX as simulations and animation in general. At the end, it all depends what your job is and what you use it for
20 years game dev veteran here and 3 years ago i ditch 3ds max for blender and i am never going back! Greedy corporations need to vanish or to change their business model!
Same. I was a Beta tester for MAX at Digital Domain pre- Max's official release. Switched to Blender a year ago. Not goin' back. Helped bring into our studio this year. Blender is catching on like wildfire.
@@chrissoares23 Agree same here most of my collegues in various studio are slowly ditching autodesk and i am in Montreal!
Totally right! I'm a freelance CGI artist and Blender gave me the opportunity to build a business at no cost. Blender and Unreal Engine are great examples of the future software industry!
@@lucensius Exactly the way i see it and i also use UE5 for my current game, all the best to you!
Pretty much identical. Max for nearly 20 years. Switched to Blender 3 years ago. Although I've moved from games to collectible sculpting and use Zbrush almost exclusively these days for work, Blender is my 3D hub.
I STILL use 3ds Max. It's Awesome.💯💯💯
👍❤❤
My sentiments are echoed by others in this thread. 3Ds Max's modifier stack, specifically Edit Poly, are game-changing. What's stopping me from moving to Blender (an amazing piece of software), is that their spline tools are garbage. You can't just draw a spline, you gotta create one and edit it, wasting my time. And as far as I can tell, there's no surface modifier to turn a spline cage into polygons, only sweeps and lofts. People underestimate how quick, easy, satisfying, and accurate 3ds Max's spline modeling workflow can be, especially for tricky organic shapes. It's only a shame 3ds Max can't revamp their NURBS flow. With their new Retopology modifier, making complex organic shapes in a non-destructive CAD-like way would give them a significant competitive edge.
ILM generalists dept could choose any software on the planet . They chose 3ds MAX , and with good reason.
Max is like home to me, I know where everything is, I know how to solve most of the problems of everyday archviz in a reasonable and still profitable way.
give blender a chance. I switched a year ago and never looked back. I only miss the Edit Poly modifier but that is coming to blender soon.
@@alejomiranda95 Also 3ds Max has the best material editor hands down.
@@alejomiranda95 coming soon wont cut it when you need to work now. We have been hearing the coming soon argument on Blender since 2012. It took it 8 years to finally be competitive on the level all the "coming sooners" foretold.
As for my personal experience in Blender, its a great tool that has fast results and ways to do things. A huge timesaver. But lacks the flow to attention to detail that Max has. Its like comparing Arnold to VRay, making a glowing light in Arnold takes twice the moves, hence time, to set up, yet after that has double to triple the ways you can fine tune results that will make that extra difference.
Use the tool you are more comfortable with and works for your needs. Especially in archviz 3dsmax is eons ahead. Blender is ahead in other things. Mix and match and use whatever tool feels more comfortable for each task.
If we go down the "Blender will have this and that road", yeah well we can say the same for 3dsmax with all the planned improvements they are already working on. The thing is, we need those improvements now, not tomorrow. So why wait for edit poly on blender (and if that) and vise versa why wait for good rigging in max when Blender and UE etc already do it better?
If they come tomorrow, great, all the better, and we are indeed anticipating and waiting for as much. Till then, one may need to use both or more software for their needs. And when the day comes when all tastes can do everything they want in their beloved software alone, all the better. Competition does amazing things.
@@alejomiranda95 Why you switch ?? for price only ?
@@alejomiranda95 i been using max for like 5 years i tried blender for a month and i can see why people switch the UV mode is way more powerful than the modifier that max has because once u apply it u r stuck in the uv mode until u drop another edit poly in the stack and if u want to make modifications u better not forget to tick "keeps uv's" box because say bye bye to your UV if u do. While blender has this mixed system where u can touch the mesh and see what happens with UV the selection let say blackface vertex really need improvement u cant be changing into wireframe every gad dam time u need to select something from behind is beyond me how they didn't fixed it yet. Animation i haven't tried yet, sadly i stopped using it due to Uni kicking my ass and asking me for non stop modeling and animating creatures for the final project but eventually ill be back at it to learn more. Overall blender is easy to learn specially if u quick configure the shortcuts like MAX.
Happy 3ds max user here for life. With the modifier stack and plugins such as TyFLow, Railclone, Forestpack and the pluthera of scripts and amazing renders such as Corona - 3ds max is way more powerful than Blender. And the UI is only sluggish if you haven't used it enough. I love blender though, many features there I love and wished for in Max, but happily blender is free and I can have both.
Corona and vray better then blender? I hope you are not kidding ? Go watch photorealitic render woth blender interior exterior with native . You dont even need corona or redshift ex.... Cycle rock. You are really wrong. Small issue blender has an issue with caustics but teamdev blender already intergrate it soon it wiol be full implemented in core. Dont compare bunch of 3d render or program to blender . By the way i was lightwave 3d user and i was using kray 2 and kray3 i can tell you kray3 is fast cpu render on whole market no one hear of it and plus he has really slow développement so users canot wait for long update. Thats why blender win in every aspect. Blender is like combo wombo free . Sculting animation render rigging montage video editing addons tutroail big community i think max and maya gonna fallin really fast theirs end is quick im not jocking . You should try sometimes download blender export any favorite scn and try to render it . I have like one uear blender i can do any interior or exterior from any pro vray or corona easy af. Blender ots gove you no limite comparing others software and its fking free .
@@abdelkarimkeraressi1418 At what point in my text did I even mention photorealism or compared renders? I even said I love a lot of features in Blender and use it. How about learning to read before you answer instead of behaving like a raging fanboy lunatic?
of course 3d MAX
That's the problem, Max RELIES on 3rd party plugins and scripts to stay relevant.
@@SuperPhunThyme100 that I agree on - Max would be dead if it wasn't for the community and plugins.
I use and teach 3ds Max at a private university. I am a Max user since 1996 and I think Max is just awesome. I really liked the last few releases.
I'm noticing more and more people praise Blender. From what I've seen it has improved a lot.
would you happen to know any good rigging tutorials for 3DS MAX?
@@peruvianpuffpepper904 rigging in max ??? Use blender for that
It's awesome actually .. i hate Maya btw ... Not into animation so yes and with new retopo it's awesome
@@peruvianpuffpepper904 use instant rig , biped and cat that was awsome to animate char
I've used Max from the beginning as well. However, unlike you, I've gotten so burned out dealing with all the unfixed bugs and tools that don't work as advertised, or just weren't designed well. Our company has moved to C4D, but we're learning that it's missing some basic functionality (it makes hard things easy, but easy things are really hard!!)
Also, Autodesk killing my perpetual license that I maintained for 15 years with my own money was very demoralizing.
The thing about 3ds Max is it will still be relevant for a long time simply because it's Autodesk, and most architecture studios use it. Personally I hate it, it feels and looks outdated as hell, the UI is terrible.
Max's UI is super easy to learn and intuitive, I don't know what your issue with it is. I do agree it could be streamlined/updated a bit - things like curves, track view, material editor etc. could get a visual and functional update at long last, but apart from that, it's very well organised. I know where everything is and where to look for it.
@@F10F11hm I tried to use Max for my first school Architectural project but I couldn't get the result and it is slow for designing fast and easy. In the end, I ended up using sketchup and vray for the rest of my university times. Now I switched to blender and do Arch viz and even some character modeling since I switch to more art career than Architect.
Max's UI out of the all the 3D software I've used is the most intuitive and accessible
@@ZachBobBob I know but it's just me. I could use the crappy UI of earlier blender 2.7x versions and quickly model using shortcuts but I was so slow when using Max.
@@ZachBobBob Facts!!
Still using Max! Super powerful with plugins like phoenix fd, Tyflow, V-ray, Railclone, Forest pack an more, but Autodesk stopped offering maintenance for my perpetual license, so my last version will be Max2023. Hopefully with updates from the plugin manufacturers that will keep me going for a while.
And for the money, Max can't hold a candle to Blender. Most of the plugins you mentioned cost hundreds of dollars on top of the $1700+ per year Max license. I've never paid more than $60 for a Blender add-on.
@@scatterbrainart if you're making money with the software the cost of licensing can be justified. It comes down to what makes you more effective as an artist. Most of the Blender add-ons I've seen doesn't really compare to fully fledged plug-ins in 3ds Max. That said, Blender is great in a lot of ways!
@@scatterbrainart There is an Indie license for 3ds Max that is cost 180$ per year. Probably, thanks to Blender again.
@@EburdeyGordei4 That's true, but IMO those plugins I mentioned could be essential to Max, depending on what you need to do, and there are no indie options for those, except for Tyflow where you can use the free version which is single core only, or the free beta (older versions). So it is true that Max is a more costly solution. However with 3dsmax you have more options if you can afford the cost of plugins.
@@EburdeyGordei4 Defo thanks to blender lol. Autodesk shat themselves when Blender drew themselves onto the similar level to everyone else and there was the mass exodus.
Max is super powerful software. I have used it for 15 years and I have never thought that UI should be more intuitive or colorful. It's a tool that does the job well. That's it. Gray UI, no distractions, no complications, just tools and features. Blender is nice, but it just can't compete with max, and I really, really hate it's interface. It's far from intuitive. It's just dumbed down and colorful. It's intuitive up to a point, but once you try doing some complex shit, it starts falling apart, and you realize just how well developed max UI really is. I think it'll be years before Blender really becomes a true competitor. And also, without plugins - it's no match to power of 3ds max.
Depends on the use case. If you're just making game assets than Blender has everything covered, and the animation tools are fine as well. Of course, for VFX Blender is lacking.
@@hollyc5417 I'm not game artist, I do other stuff in max, and I'd get left behind if I decided to use Blender instead. Performance? lol
@@lemming77gode Yeah, I agree, blender is awesome for game assets and environments, but when it comes to anything more demanding and precise, max is still one of the best- for vfx, archviz and design - mainly because of it's tools, but also because of interoperability with other software.. What kills Blender for my use case is performance and stability, among other things (that damn UI). Although max is always criticized as unstable, I never had problems with it, and I can't say the same for Blender. Although, Blender does have some nice features that I'd like to see in max. I don't like it, but I have to give credit where credit is due.
XD how angry you are cuz you are not usuing blender
@@pouyasaad7218 I use Blender, or at least, I'm forcing myself to use it sometimes. No need to be childish, I'm a professional, I choose software that does the job better and I don't mind the cost. If Blender did what I need better than max, I'd use Blender and save a buck. But it doesn't, and I only use it occasionally, mainly for simple assets. Try working with 40-50+ million polys in Blender and let me know how that went.
From a game industry point of view, there were also huge investments into making unique plugins and exporter tools for 3DS max, so it's hard to abandon. Even if many of our 3D artists use Blender, they're forced to use 3DS max as an exporter...
There's nothing stopping a studio that has decided that they want to use blender from remaking them for blender
@@ProjectAtlasmodling There's investors stopping the studio who've poured millions of dollars into the plugin development and who wouldn't want to pour money again for the same task.
@@MrQuantumCodes a studio for the most part is independent and is often contracted to do shots or make assets for a geven production.
they dont have "investors" like auto desk has and the few that do the investors dont care what software is used in the studio as long as the studio turns a large enough profit.
another thing you do realize that often times 90% of those plugins are just to make the program do whats its supposed to do (ie work a rounds for something that's broken) or just pipeline spacifc. the other 10% are things the the company bought as an add one or had to make in house.
most of blender works as is supposed to so the vast majority of "this doesn't work" plugins are not needed.
pipeline scrips will still be needed and most of the tools that dont come with blender have an add-on you can get for free or buy. then the in house tools are MUCH EASIER to make because you have the source code for blender.
so in reality they may be paying at most 100k to get blender inside the pipeline unless its Hollywood which is a different monster all together.
many studios have switch over big and small, its not cost or reliability at this point its getting artist and programmers familiar with blender
I am a Max user and will be a Max user until I retire but I totally agree to this.
User since 1996 and former Max trainer here. I think Max is going to go the way of Softimage. The only thing that seems to be still holding it together is arch viz. The majority of game artist job ads I see today are for Maya and Zbrush. Jobs in motion graphics are mostly Cinema 4D, but with an increasing demand for Blender expertise.
One of the biggest issues is the UI. Trying R26 of Cinema 4D recently has really made me realize how outdated Max has become. Character animation tools are also very behind the times.
Max has been good to me for over 25 years but it's time to move on, and I would advise other Max users to consider doing the same.
Couldn't have put it better myself.
Go check blender ui you gonna be surprised .
Plus the pricing for a yearly subscription is ridiculous when you have competition offering pricing as low as "free". ($1785 USD/year) Blender is starting to catchup in Archviz presentations and UE5 is also starting to offer modelling tools. I still use 3dsmax for the day-to-day, but have started a few archviz interiors directly from UE5 and it's looking like an credible option.
all you say its wrong. im 10 years animator and mostly games use max for animations. sooo update yourself bro. if you want to move. move alone,
I said this like 15 years ago, should be rebranded to an arch program, and give it a rest.
Just look at job openings at big VFX and animation studios. They all want Maya and 3DS Max. Also 3DS Max is industry standard for architectural visualization.
Most big studios don't use Blender in their pipeline. It will take time for Blender to reach there. These videos are very deceptive.
It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If people don't use Blender professionally, no one will be looking for people skilled in Blender because nobody is using it. Also, I didn't feel that this video was deceptive. Can you please point out what's deceptive about it?
There are many tools in 3ds Max that are still great today. Max is the fastest I know for working with high polygon meshes (except Zbrush), I have compared it to Maya, Blender and Houdini in speed of heavy mesh handling. Retopology is also great.
Sometimes I need to work with max, depending on the client. Feels like I'm working with a dinosaur.
These videos are incredibly deceptive. Max is used to create 10 of thousands of hours of beautiful animated imagery by heaps of the most talented artist in the world and creates billions of dollars of revenue for companies which pays wages all over the world.
Blender has had incredible progress work heaps of amazing artist also
Agreed; I've used Max professionally since 1999 .. and this last year ive taken serious steps to investing more time in Blender. I really have seen a big change in my speed since making the move. Max is great for a few things; particles, effects etc ... i still like the modeling tools, but character animation and rigging!! LOL ... i guess it makes sense .. they want to push people over to Maya. Max and Maya just cant compete with the development speed of Blender. In the end, its just a tool, use whichever tool allows you to get the work done more efficiently with the highest ROI.
I've wondered if Maybe Autodesk is killing off Max so that people at autodesk will only have to update one 3d software package. Honestly using one or the other you are just giving autodesk money. If you don't need it to make money I would just abandon it and learn Blender.
honestly... if blender rips off max's particles and makes sure all the functionality of the modifier stack is implemented in their own nodes and modifier stack (cough... edit mesh/edit poly... cough)... but if autodesk is going to kill max like they did softimage dirty, they better take some of the better parts of max's workflow and put it into maya. i cant stand maya's modeling and other workflow issues
i was a max user and my biggest problem was the lack of quality tutorials on youtube
@Natsumek I learnt everything about 3dsmax from youtube and tutorial sites/blog for free.
learning is inconsistent and incoherent on any 3d package here on youtube. If you want to learn full processes and workflows you need to do some sort of patreon subscription/take paid courses or 1on 1 tutoring. It started also in Blender, people just dont want to share their hard earned knowledge like before.
@@nsevv I learned alot of 3ds max in videos and by myself too, but there's really no comparison, Blender's community is much bigger.
A common problem I find in these 3d software comparisons is that there are too many Blender simps in the comments
Blender best social media 3d software
there are also people who want to gate keep 3d and will find the most obscure thing to say that blender cant be used in the industry for X random reason or use half a truth
I also agree that 3DS Max has been getting more serious because they realized Blender was getting the lion's share of the increasingly profitable indie game scene. I'm a MAX person through and through, but they were definitely lagging for a while, but I think introducing the Indie license along with things like the working pivot, smart extrude, finally getting a proper weighted normal modifier have all been smart moves
Most of the aaa companies are using 3ds and maya. Blender is very common under indie game studios
This definitely works for anyone wondering, great video man! Very peaceful
I actualy started learning in blender but than switched to 3ds max cause it is used in my company. Max felt wierd at first but i got used to it. Now I have to admit it is in the moment one of the best Software for arch. modelling, with the right scripts nothing can beat it in this field. Also it got some good updates the last few months and the workflow in max 2023 is amazing fast. Also it got cheaper. You dont pay a kidney for it anymore... got down to 25$ a month.
$25 a month? Try $156 a month if you buy an annual subscription which is $1,875.00 a year for a single license!
@@GPadugan It is 305$ annually for indie version (if u make less than 100k usd with it) so ~ 25$ a month
I used Max professionally for almost 20 years in game development. I moved to Blender in 2018 and have not regretted it. I actually found this video because I have nostalgia for Max, but once they went subscription based I knew it was only a matter of time before I got off it. To any Max user thinking of making the jump, go for it. To those that stick with Max and pay for it, I get it. It's a good tool. I hope Autodesk takes care of it and of you.
There's Max indie which is quite affordable. People never talk about it???
shame go hell !
@@pascalcreativedesign8790 I don't know about you but id prefer to pay zero dollars than fork off more money to autodesk
Another example of how competition is the best thing that can happen to a market.
Autodesk is QUICKLY losing ground to Blender. It really is just a handful of us "boomers" clinging to their overpriced tools anymore.
I studied 3DS Max back in the 00s and early 2010s, slowly mastering its basics and some more advanced features, since it was THE tool for 3D game visuals.
Come late 2010s, and suddenly EVERYONE is using the Blender now. All the schools teach it, every TH-camr is embracing it. It was less than a decade ago when no one "on the field" even mentioned Blender, yet these days it's hard to find a hobbyist or a pro who'd use anything but Blender. I worked for a small mobile game company just recently, and I was literally the only one with 3DS Max experience, which caused some minor inconveniences at times since we had to convert and double check my 3DS models.
I quite welcome this change, as it provides way easier access to a very powerful piece of software. With more and more of the paid software either costing 1000 bucks a piece, or adapting the even more expensive monthly / annual subscription system, less and less people can even afford to use them no more. Unless they sail under the jolly roger flag, of course.
Which is kinda shame, as I personally really like 3DS Max' workflow. I truly prefer it over Blender's "piano-play style", centered around endless quick-key combos. Yeah, there are neat alternatives, like the BforArtists fork, which remedy some of these issues, but it's still a steep hill to climb after spending 15 years to master 3DS Max.
no beginner wants to pay 1000s of dollars for a software which not many ppl except for industries use, thats why blender is a great option as its free and there are many resources to learn from online
3ds Max costs me $250 for a year as a solo indie dev(not $1000s as the next guy says). That's hardly expensive for great software. My V-ray renderer costs 3x as much.
While I think Blender is awesome, and it may overtake 3ds Max in the near future, the fact is MANY studios have and still use Max for Hollywood VFX.
When Blender has a list as long as Max, then you can make that claim.
EDIT: I think Houdini is where it's at. I need to dive into it a bit.
Ultimately, it's about being talented. The software doesn't really matter.
@@TheMugwump1 houdini and nuke are truly amazing
@@TheMugwump1 Well put. I have been using 3ds max since DOS days. Still in love with it and it gets the job done, and done well. Of course it has its shortcomings but I have not found a better workflow than Editable Poly in it. I had to learn many other tools as 'needed' for some jobs. Never be too arrogant about the tools or machines, they always keep changing/evolving and so should we. We cannot stop learning newer, better, and more optimized ways of doing tasks that are challenging.
That said though, I tried my hands on many other tools since then, and only Houdini seems like the most obvious choice to invest my mind and time into. Respect to the awesome devs for creating tools like them so can create anything with them.
@@khalilicf price is not the main reason. I have license payed 3DsMax in my office computer and I`m free to decide to work with Blender or 3DsMax. but I don`t have any reason to wast my time with any of Autodead Junkwares. if 3DsMax or Maya has some advantage to Blender. Blender has thousands more advantage
In terms of hard surface modeling 3ds Max became the most powerful tool among other competitors: chamfer modifier, smart extrusion features. Autoretopoly tools also useful in film industry.
Unfortunately, Autodesk doesn't develop Max's VFX and Animation aspects at all. There are little tutorials on OSL shaders, so their potential is not realized. It is sad.
Laughs in Zbrush
Laughs in Modo
Thanks for the video. I started using Max with version 6 almost 2 decades ago. Since then there have been similar debates on comparisons between Max and Maya and ..., and it is still going on. But to me it all depends on how good you can make use of them. After 2 decades of working with Max, I believe there are a lot of unveiled features for me yet to reveal. I wonder how some beginners can complain about them... 😂
Blender abuses the open source license. They have reproduced the proprietary software model with a free software model. The Blender community adds many barriers to pay, thus reducing the free flow of free code. One day the ambiguity will have to be removed. It would be interesting to know what Richard Stallman thinks about this.
So free and most of all open source is a bad thing now?
Hey Peter, can you elaborate? I don't disbelieve what you''re saying per se, but it'd be neat to hear more details.
@@NazzarenoGiannelliCG no they just have a weird license, a few people have been complaining about it.
I work freelance for C4D and MAX and now more and more client req blender files... When i learn Blender, i never touch C4D and MAX for 2 years now. RIP
Max still be relevant for industry if you don't know just take a look into their new versions. Ofcourse It could be better but is amazing for Many aspects. I hate blender interface
MAX UI is more logical to understand.
@@nsevv THIS, its just needs a little refinement, mostly cosmetical, starting with QT most of the major part of the UI, ditching the old parts etc. But the UI logic in Max is superior than Blender dumbed down version UI
Have you tried blender after 2.8? I used to hate it but they completely redid the ui/ux and now it's my favorite.
@@romulino they made it dark Grey, flat style switch the bar from bottom to top but nothing changed drastically. They still rely on the old side bar tabs sistem which really shows all of this has been superficial cosmetics update to catter to superficial people.
i think max is still relevant more than maya. i'm more curious about maya future... because of the late release and minor update.
I want to make Lo-Fi soft and today i started to soft soft tutorials. I see that you are teacNice tutorialng us very carefully and simple, i like that
This year our office decided to finally cancel our payments to Autodesk. The price has become outrageous, updates are always lackluster and you can no longer own a perpetual license starting this year (meaning it's a subscription service now, so you don't own it). We've been a client of theirs for more than 10 years and we had multiple licenses. We'll continue using our old perpetual licenses for another couple of years or so until we fully transition to Blender. I hope that Autodesk are happy with their poor business decisions.
I completed my masters two years ago, and we were mostly taught around 3DS Max. Thankfully, my teacher took the time to teach the basics of Zbrush to me and I just *love* that program. This, along with the other comments, has been encouraging to at least take on another 3D program... so maybe Blender? I can't afford Maya on top of 3DS Max right now unfortunately. I'll continue to use 3DS Max as it's still good to use but it is time I start branching out
"Is 3Ds Max Still Relevant"
Is Elden Ring and GTAV Relevant? Because Both of those use 3DS Max. Armoured Core 6 releases this week, 3DS Max.
Rockstar North's hiring page says they want people that use/are willing to use 3DS Max.
So there's your answer.
I work in advertising and use 3dsMax for more than 20 years, I already lost count. In our study we have been able to solve all the difficulties that have always arisen. I think it is very robust and I could talk about many wonderful things about it but I can name a few that annoy me.
The problem with 3dsMax is that in many ways it has fallen in the middle. It hasn't had a modern interface redesign. They haven't added the ability to work nodally as modifiers might have such a view.
It is not easy to customize, in Houdini it is clicks and here with the attribute editor and the attribute holder it is very cumbersome.
The cloth simulation, particles and dynamic rigid bodies is deprecated.
Polygonal modeling is very good but we don't have the possibility to sculpt.
The hair system is very bad.
We rely on a lot of plugins, and I think tyFlow has given it a bit of a air.
It has things like the Max Creation Graph MCG. That few know and is very powerful and can be compared a bit to Blender's Geometry Nodes.
But it was not created for an artist to use. It is very complex to use.
Because I have had situations where the effort instead of applying it in the creative part, I have to use it in making things work.
It has led me to wonder if we are using the correct program. So for some time I've been learning Houdini and Blender.
It has a lot to improve and I hope that the development is promoted to be able to compete with Blender that is growing rapidly.
New versions of 3dsMax always leave a taste of nothing. And they are never big changes. Much more is expected from a huge company like Autodesk.
Max with plugins will be really powerful but raw version is only good for architecture, Maya makes more sense to me! as for Blender, they need to improve their technology and stability and performance to catch up! Blender fluid simulation is really unstable and slow I had such a hard times with it!
This, underlying tech , performance etc it's not something you can compete with corporation. Blender is pretty and such but game changing tech needs tons of money and world class software engineers.
@@orphydiancg7759 They have tones of money now, it's not like old days anymore many companies are supporting them! therefore they can make something really powerful no excuses! the whole thing needs better technology.
@@makanansari144 there is no parallel, I refuse to think you are that naive.
Um last I checked blender and Maya both use bullet physics engine, blender tends to be way more stable and Maya is 95% open source code
I've been with blender, 4D cinema etc etc, always went back to 3dsmax...
It really worked for me after I look and try some tutorials, yours is the one that worked. Owe you a lot.
you're welcome!!
And studios wanting Maya / Max experience first .. thats just a chicken and egg thing .. they want Maya because their pipeline is set up by people using those programs, because schools teach them Maya .. the schools teach Maya because they assume thats what the industry wants ... LOL .. this requirement is NOT because Maya is doing anything amazingly different to blender or Max.
I can feel how happy you are because of the update.
27 years in 3dsmax right from the days of 3D STUDIO..in DOS ..dumped it .
yo bro, really thankya. Big respect
Thank you for explaining this thoroughly!
Thank you
Thanks for your easy to follow explanations, one step at a ti. It makes learning less overwhelming!
3ds Max best generalist 3d software, Blender best social media 3d software..
The answer is yes. It is still relevant and will be relevant years to come. When used with plugins, which is the way to go with max, it is a powerful program that surpasses blender in a lot of fields. Maya and Max are not dominant in industries just because the professionals didn't see the light yet, it is because they do the job. Blender is awesome, and fast developing, with less hype it could be one of three that will lead the way. But the over hype, blinds people of it is shortcomings.
no hype makes people forget the tool exist.
Blender is of course rubbish which has more or less begun to be put in order now. But 3Ds Max is dead, that's for sure, Autodesk just sucks the last juices from the code that was written 25 years ago.
I used to TEACH 3DS Max
from 2010 to 2012
at a private tertiary school.
Now, its all about Blender. AutoDesk dropped the ball really hard on Max.
Only media software they care about at this point is Maya. Sad what they are doing to 3ds Max.
I use Max at work and Blender at home. I work at 10x speed at home.
depends on what you doing. Pressing G,Shift+Z really annoying in Blender. I know I can use pivots, but that is not always possible. of course you will be 100X faster in Blender if you need sculpting for example
@@SuperSuperka I would bet you will get faster by using G,Shift+Z if you use Blender for a while. I used Max for years, but after switching to Blender I never choose to use the gizmo. Gizmo is slower than keyboard shortcuts since you need to be accurate with the mouse.
@@robinsquares of course shortcuts are slower, as 3dsMax don't even need them (for this), just grab and drag, no need even to click to select object, or point cursor to pivot. As always, you seems to be one instance of poor knowledge of 3dsMax.
@@SuperSuperka Hey man, no need for that stuff, it's all good. I guess people have different preferences, yeah?
@@robinsquares That what you should start from, sure
Ima download it thanks for sharing!!
thanks, it actually let me through so i could download it.
If Corona Render would be fully supported for Blender, I would never touch Max.
*WHAT I PREFER IN 3DSMAX SINCE 1999 , that NOTHING CHANGE IN INTERFACE DONT TOUCH 3DSMAX I WORK WITH SINCE 22 years !!!!!* Stupid blender will replace by an Other new free soft in some year and all you have learn on blinder will be loose , LONG LIFE for 3DSmax !!!
They should make a version of 3d Max that is accessible to learning and upstarts and price it in the 100 to 500 euro range and allow it to be perpetual. The more expensive features should be what studios need. But other features should be priced at what smaller development units can afford.
over 20 years here, max/zb. I see a lot of my students using blender because its free and has some nice tools - problem is max can do pretty much everything and more - but the more elements are buried deep within and no one makes good content. Blenders marketing has been amazing. Whatever makes you most productive i guess.
12 years of max, and I'm also thinking to move to Blender... Only thing that is keeping me with max is tyflow and phoenix fd
I've been working with 3ds MAX since 2000. In the last few years I've tried to learn Blender a few times, but I'm too stupid for that.
tried too, but it's hard to become again a beginner (on blender) when you are experienced on max
Don't call yourself that, its taken me years and years of small steps m8 but it always gets easier, I feel your pain don't get discouraged
Tomorrow I have a Physics Exam. Yet I am here learning soft soft. I don't even know what I am.
It's like Photoshop or Adobe software. Ever now and then they drop a powerful feature (with tech bought from 3rd party) that makes you feel you can't do without it and open source software just doesn't have the resources to top it...
Krita is pretty good, covers most bases of photoshop and the stable diffusion integration is better than the results from photoshop new AI tool. It needs work still but better than being subjected to the subscription system.
I love 3ds Max to death but their pricing model is absolutely insane, targeting basically large companies only. No hobbyists or even enthusiasts can throw 3k dollars a year just to mess around with it. And considering that Blender is absolutely killing it right now, Autodesk is more than ever in trouble. Same goes for their CAD software, theres just so many good cheap or free alternatives out there.
You can get max indie for $290 US as long as you make under $100k/ year
This is a frustrating situation for me in regards to the subscription. Because I started my journey into 3D in Blender, then went over to Unreal Engine. But I still need a piece of software like Blender. However I hate working in Blender. It's a software that I deeply struggled with and it always felt incoherent to me. I am FULLY aware a lot of people love it, but I am not among them. I am currently on the fence about getting into 3DS MAX because I keep hearing its a very easy software to comprehend and utilize, especially compared to Blender. I'm going to have to test it out for a few months and make my decision.
So how is it?
For big projects and studio work - Houdini.
For small freelance and small studios/archwiz - 3ds max.
For animation/rigging - Maya/blemder.
You would be surprised how many arkviz studios use blender
@@ProjectAtlasmodling I've seen people doing animation in houdini too.
Is it worth it? NO
Can you do it anyways? Why not!
@@indianvfxschool
Arkviz at is core is a way to present a room or building that has yet to be furnished or built to a client.
All this requires is the ability to import/make models, place them into a seen and render it with a capable render engine. All which blender can do.
Yes it may not be able to handle as many polygons but for most firms that really doesn't matter. Adding to that Eevee and cycles are more than capable out of the box.
At the end of the day arkviz is just trying to the client to approve a design. They do not care what software you use nor dose it matter as long as it gets done in a timely manner
@@ProjectAtlasmodling no client cares about your software choices that doesn't means you'll start using MS Paint to prove your point.
Try working with huge CAD files in blender, it's should will rip apart, it's viewport will start bleeding.
It's not just about what a software can do, it's about how efficiently can it do.
Nothing comes close to the performance of vray and corona renderer in max.
Evee doesn't have Global Illumination so forget about archwiz, it can only do exteriors that too with lots of cheats. Interiors is impossible.
Where as cycles is too slow for anything else.
@@indianvfxschool
I said in a timely manner not ms paint. Not every company does ultra realistic renders unless the client asks for it.
Adding to that are you just importing a the building it's self of are you trying to import trees made in CAD? Not every project is 8 quadrillion polygons nor are most arkviz studios big enough to get clients that have that deep of pockets.
Do you need max for a small luxury boat house that's too be made on a lake? No.
Do you need max for a rather bland office building? No
Do you need max for that small town public library? Nope.
The upmost extreme is not the norm your not doing casinos every day
TNice tutorials video really helped! Thank you ❤
I STILL use 3ds Max. It's Awesome i love its tools and procedural modifier stacks that you can combine to make unique things. i love blender eevee and cycles aswell so i use it to render my work
cycles, so much noise..
Everyone complaining about Max are talentless losers who who don't know how to use Max. Sure, Autodesk sucks, but Max is amazing and unbeatable. I have used every modeling software available, but none of them compare to Max.
I think blender is on a different level compare to many 3d tools ... it has everything ... autodesk is really lacking big time ... their only advantage is that big studios paid for it and the industry boomers are too afraid to even consider blender. Because they think they will start from zero.... once they find out how easy it is to shift from any software to blender ... it's over
You have some reason. I'm a boomer. I use "max" since it was 3d Studio 4, for ms-dos. Blender was annoying to me. Too many keyboard shortcuts. But max didn't evolve, and I saw Blender doing more and more things. And better. I tested it in version 2.8. I forced myself to learn it. Now I don't want to hear anything from Max anymore. Even boomers finally realize that we have to switch to something that's better.
@@motorfiero6724 I started learning Blender and 3DS Max around 16 years ago, both at the same time. The huge amount of keyboard shortcuts and insanely quick UI made me decide for Blender and never look again at Max.
Whenever I use GMS, it softs notNice tutorialng like yours, even though it has the sa settings... It's just a buzzing noise. Weird.
Your tutorial videos are amazing. I decided to go back to creating soft after 16 years. soft soft is so easy to get into, but also offers
you are so helfull man god bless you love from india
Thankfully, I just started learning Houdini and I am loving it. If it wasn't Houdini for sure I would stick with blender
I will never ever use 3ds max again. Its the most poor 3d package. Its 2023 released and still doesn't have any built-in cloner option.
If you want to do particles you need plugin
If you do liquid you need plugin
Smoke plugin
Bla bla plugin
Houdini is killing it. For game developers you have HDA's, live link to Unreal Engine. The modelling tools can be a pain to learn, but you have a procedural workflow mostly. The animation and rigging takes time to learn, but very powerful. It's VFX tools are the best.
Every 3d program is better then blender
Houdini is very good but not really friendly user, and it's not a very good generalist 3d software
@@peterblake988 very true, there's a plug in for 3d that adds some functions. But its not up to 3ds Max standards.
I am blender user, what i feel is like Blender is more to know what you like... they setup the node system but houdini will always be ahead.
Blender is interesting cause at the end it allowas you to get some knowledge a bit all over the place and eventually sort out.
While aside u can push on one of software specility ;)
For GameDev Blender is great and in most cases sufficient. However, in Architecture Visualization Max is still superior which is mainly due to great plugin and render engine support.
I still use max, since DOS R2, so it's partially out of habit. And it's a host for Corona/Vray. Although I'm learning Blender and UE.
Now tNice tutorials was truly an aweso video. I love your thorough style
Glad you liked it!
Max is the greatest ever
No one can convince me to ditch 3ds MAX I just can't it's the best and must have software for me.
Blender is for hypebeasts who like free products.
good work king, love you
Yes it is -- Very! Next Question!
thanks so much man
3DSMAX USERS NEVER COMPARE 3DSMAX WITH BLENDER BUT BLENDER USERS ALWAYS COMPARES BLENDER WITH 3DSMAX , WHAT DOES BLENDER USERS WANT TO SAY ?
The fact the compareson can be made means alot
3ds max is very suitable for learning the basics of 3d, it has so many tutorials available and resources/models as well, all of it is really useful when starting learning.
Its interface is very easy, almost primitive. You don't even have to use the most recent version, even 3ds max 9 will be enough to learn modeling for example.
But after 3-6 months it is better to switch to another tool - Blender, C4D, Rhino, Maya depending what you are planning to do in the future.
Comparing Blender and 3ds Max is like comparing Linux and Windows, of course Blender can be configured to be the best 3d modeling softwere, but you will sink-in so much time doing it, and you definitely don't want to do it if you don't even know how to model for subd, it will be too much things to take in at once.
help to get the basics and I'll jus move from there. Thank you!
that was so use full! !
I was taught Max in college (4-ish years) and was told it was the industry standard. During my time at college, I found out about Maya and was shown that Maya does texturing better, and later, retopo. After college, I was forced to make the jump to Blender, as I didn't have £3k a year to burn, and now, looking back and seeing that Max looks like an after thought when it comes making characters on the highest standards i.e. big budget games and hollywood, As everyone seem to sculpt in Zbrush, retopo in Maya, texture in substance painter, then rig and animate in Maya I believe. Max now seems like the lesser of Autodesk's two main 3D modelling software.
I think perhaps another big reason that this question is coming up (and why people are moving to Blender) is an industry wide one with cost~ Zbrush is just under £30 a month, Substance painter (thankfully) has that £160 version on Steam, Maya and Max are around £3k a year last I checked. All of this adds up and none of them are low in price (minus substance painter) on their own~ Blender can do most-everything a 3D artist needs relatively well with a lot for the add-ons for more advanced being low-cost (not all though) and is completely free. Where as the other software above excel in their one area (zbrush for sculpting, substance painter for texturing, etc) but aren't good/suck at everything else~
Max and Maya have indie options for aprx $250 US / yr. As long as you make under $100K/ yr very minimal limitations if any
@@pascalcreativedesign8790 Huh? I did not know that Thank you for telling me, I'll have a look at that
*MAX ISN't FOR KID ONLY FOR PROFESSIONNAL*
Hello I would like to contact you but don't see how even from the website. Thank you
There's an Indie subscription for max and maya within Autodesk Area web page. Not for all countries .
Thanks so much
using max since 22 years after 2 years of 3ds4, 2 years of lightwave, and four years ago two years of Blender. The core workflow of max is very simple and smart, very productive. That's why i'm still using it, fast to produce and modify huge scenes... Blender is with an awfull workflow core smeling amiga's age (i need to try v3.x), but very light, with more and more of fantastics tools each years...
Max had great tools wich had never evolved since it's Autodesk : what about nurbs modeling, character studio, base modelings tools, Video(post) editor... ?
Lot of side software buyed by autodesk is now discontinued without any real evolution. Combustion, Mudbox, Char generator, Sketch and motion builder should be in Max since years, and maybe Max and Maya should be now a just new, modern software. Lot of tools in 3Dcoat, Blender - affordable softwares - seems to me lot modern now than in Max...
Stay safe everyone
Looking at 3ds Max 's UI makes my eyes bleed. I tried so many times learning that software and it's just not fun to learn, feels more like a chore.
Logical UIs are not for everyone. But there some very good tutorials at plurasight. I learned the basics in 2-3 weeks. Blender took way longer, cause its not very well thought through. It just happens that Blender has by far the most active community. So its is 'easier' to learn.
Im a Maya user myself and i would say absolutely fucking yes!
3d max should have supported mac OSX. I think its user base and dev would have been through the roof…but no, they didn’t 😒
Can you tell which artist is on 3:40 ?
Fact is that as long as Blender's clonky user interface remains (why is it not possible to emulate Maya or Max styled mouse without scripts for example) and it doesn't do industry standard renderers like Arnold, Vray and Redshift, it's not going anywhere. In a studio environment it needs to fit into the pipelines and it simply doesn't right now. No matter of how many indie fans it has. I actually like it and use it from times to times but in the end it has to be rendered the proper way and textured for that workflow and here Blender simply fails. Back to Maya or Houdini for bread and butter work everytime, so to say. Blender is trying to be everything and that has never proven a win, something that the proven packages all can contest to. Look what happened to Modo and that was as close to a modern modeller we ever got in the last 10 years. Sooner or later Blender will have to decide what foot it stands on and invest in the R&D to fit into those commercial pipelines or it will become the Gimp of 3D at some point down the line.
And that is the problem, you mentioned a pro-pipeline and 3ds max is usually not in that pipeline. Maya is in the pipeline, but not 3ds max. 3dsmax struggles with archviz, and for everything else Blender fill the niche.