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Maya

Any Maya users out there?
I taught myself CGI over the past 15 years. First with 3D studios then Maya. I consider myself an intermediate user who has a pretty good overall understanding of the way the program does things. Mostly, I like organic modeling, painting and animating creatures but I have some experience with Ncloth, fluids, hair and other physical simulations too.

So, If you're a Maya user and you want to talk shop. Let's go!

I also use:
NukeX
Fusion
Photoshop
Syntheyes
Premier pro CC
Sound forge
Zbrush
Mari
and too many others to remember right now....
 
That's true. Maya is not easy but it does allow you to do just about anything you're willing to take the time to figure out. Somebody once told me the difference between Lightwave and Mays is that Lightwave is like buying a box filled with bottles of paint while Maya is like buying a box filled with raw ingredient and instructions on how to make your own paint. I've been working on and off with Maya for 15 years or so and although it is not very intuitive, it does make sense. I think what freaks most people out about Maya is that it has advanced controls right there next to the basic controls. Beginners don't know the difference so they sometimes switch to a more user friendly program like LW or 3Dmax.. They are all good programs but I chose Maya long ago because most of the pros were using it.... Still are.
 
Took some lessons in art school.
Not to become a pro user, but to be able to communicate with Maya animators.
It is indeed a program with a heavy learning curve.

(I also took programming classes. I still benefit from exploring the fringes of filmmaking as it makes communicating with experts in those fields easier.)
 
Maya for a scientist, Poser for an artist

Agreed.. but when the scientist is also an artist or when the scientist is working with artists - THAT is when Maya begins to glow!

WalterB, that is a great way to look at it. You may not be a very good user of the program or the technology but having some understanding of it is not only wise, but I think the people who do work in the world of CGI appreciate when an outside at least tries to communicate in their language. Kind of like going to a foreign country and trying to speak the native tongue. You get more respect than people who show up and want you to speak their language.
 
Agreed.. but when the scientist is also an artist or when the scientist is working with artists - THAT is when Maya begins to glow!

That is very true Velusion.

... but since a scientist is rarely an artist, and vica-versa, you need a handful of directors to get the Maya scientist to do his job.
 
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... but since a scientist is rarely an artist, and vica-versa, you need a handful of directors to get the Maya scientist to do his job.

lol, it just happens to be the case that I quit studying aerospace engineering to go to art school :P
(Looking back: that part of my education might have helped me to realise that one needs to be able to connect to the fringes of your own field of work in order to be able to collaborate effectively.)
 
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