Which Is A Better 3d Modeling Package For Movies?

[Vamp]

As you know I'm a low-budget film-maker, and will eventually have use CGI in my movies... I can get either software, no problem.

I've MAX 4 and have read the entire introductory tutorial, thing is, that tutorial just scratched the surface and I only really learnt the basics of it, but I am familiar with the way Max works, I have The 3D Studio Max Bible and I'm thinking that if I read that and use the lessons etc, I'll become very profecient in Max.

But, I've heard that Lightwave 7 is much easier to use than Max and is very powerful, I know it's powerful because there is a list of films that it's been used in such as DareDevil etc. I think it's very encouraging to know that you'll be using a program that is used in mainstream films (are there any films that use Max)

I don't know whether I should carry on using Max using the 3DSMAX Bible or get Lightwave and get a book called Inside Lightwave for around $24 on special, (although the book doesn't seem as user friendly as the Bible for Max and expects you to know the basics already)

There are some things that the bible might make clearer than the tutorial such as mapping etc. Are Max and LW equal in terms of power or does Lightwave have alot of advantages over Max and is recommeneded for a just-over-beginner in moddeling or should I just learn how to use Max inside out? Will I be able to create very realistic CGI with max, like I said before, I know it;s possible to make these high-quality CGs in LW because so many films use LW.

What should I do?


Is Lightwave meant solely for movies? I need to learn the program that will give the best results for film CGI...


I also guess the main question is, Is Lightwave more POWERFUL than Max? By the looks of it, it is, seeing as it's been used on almost every blockbuster for the last 10 years. MY friend was an absolute pro in max and he upgraded to LW and says it's much easier. But now that I've started learning MAx I don't know if it's worth my while to just go an learn a whole new program.

5 things that will convince me to use LW

1. It's easy to just jump into and have lots of primitives to start with.

2. Has a nice, friendly interface.

3. Is meant to be used to create stunning CGIs for film

4. Has a very good and easy to use material editor. and is good and easy at animation, lights and cameras

5. IT'S EASIER TO USE THAN MAX!

why would one company choose to use one program over another? Eg, Lightwave over 3D S Max...

I have a photo editing program called Photobrush which I guess is supposed to be like Photoshop, but you can tell that it lacks many of the features that Photoshop lacks. There must be some things that Lightwave has that 3D S Max doesn't that would make people want to use it over 3D S.

Like I said before, on a scale of 1/10 my familiarty with MAX is around 3... I know my way around, I can do some animation and some video post effects, I can modify objects and make some particle effects but this is just from playing around. It would obviously be easier to just pick up a book like the 3Ds max bible and read from that because I have a little experience. Lightwave doesn't make any sense to me, niether does the manual, they've written it for people who aren't absolute beginners and they don't realize that. I seem to enjoy Maxs workflow and interface more, but the thing is I don't want to learn a program that, in the end, Is not going to be able to help me.

Lightwave has all these features like SkyTracer, Hypervoxels, Sasquatch hair and fur creation, Caustics, radiosity etc... These all look like things that would make great additions to films and I'd like to know if Max can do similar things, or I can get plugins that do. Take a look at the Lightwave brochure on www.newtek.com and compare that to MAX and it just seems that lightwave is more powerful.

In other words, which modeler/animator will create seamless looking CGI in a low-budget movie?

Phew!

[Vamp]

bump

[Marius24]

3D max is very powerful and is fully capable of doing what you are asking. I find it alot easier than lightwave and generally the better program

[Vamp]

Thanks for the reply, but like I said, it's so much more encouraging to know that you're using a program (lightwave) that has been used to create all the SFX for almost all the big blockbusters since 1993! It's nice knowing that you're sure it's possible to create mind-blowing effects, because you're using the same program.

I can get a copy of LW of Kazzaa for like 62 megs, but it misses the whole Content part of the installation, what is included in Content?

Here are examples of 3ds Max usage in major motion pictures:

Black Hawk Down
Uncharted Territory
Reign of Fire
Thru The Moebius Strip
Undisputed
Xmen 2
The Core
Panic Room
Quo Vadis
Check Into Disaster
The Imposter
Murder By Numbers
Kaena The Prophecy
Minority Report
Equilibrium
Lewis and Clark
The Majestic
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
AntiTrust
Jeepers Creepers
Swordfish
Driven
Tomb Raider
Cats & Dogs
Dr. DoLittle II
The Mummy Returns
Dr. T and the Women
Battlefield Earth
X-Men
Soul Keeper
Mission Impossible II
For The Cause
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
The Green Mile
Inspector Gadget
The Insider
October Sky
Armageddon
Deep Rising
I'll Be Home For Christmas
Soldier
Mighty Joe Young
Return To Paradise
Lost In Space
The Truman Show
Great Expectations
The Newton Boys
A Simple Wish
Con Air
Kundun
The Craft
The Crow 2: City Of Angels
Casino
Johnny Mnemonic
Virtuosity



Here are examples of Lightwave usage in major motion pictures:

Daredevil
Lara Croft Tomb Raider 2
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions
Holes
The Adventures of Pluto Nash
Auto Focus
Black Hawk Down
Blade 2
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Collateral Damage
Death To Smoochy
Bond Die Another Day
FoodFight!
Half Past Dead
Halloween: Resurrection
Hart's War
Impostor
Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees (Imax)
K19 The Widow Maker
Kung Pow! Enter the Fist
Master of Disguise
No Good Deed
Panic Room
Race To Space
Rollerball
Scooby Doo
Star Trek: Nemesis
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
The Time Machine
Undercover Brother
XXX
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence
Behind Enemy Lines
Black Knight
Bones
Corky Romano
Driven
Enigma
Final Fantasy
Going Back
Jason X
Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius
Jurassic Park III
Kate and Leopold
Lara Croft Tomb Raider
Max Keeble's Big Move
Megiddo: The Omega Code 2
Monsters, Inc.
Scary Movie 2
Shipping News
Spy Kids
The One
The Others
3000 Miles to Graceland
Battlefield Earth
The Cell
Charlie's Angels
Dracula 2000
Dungeons and Dragons
Final Destination
Gladiator
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Little Nicky
Mission to Mars
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Pitch Black
Red Planet
Rules of Engagement
Scary Movie
Supernova
The Sixth Day
Supernova
X-Men
Bats
Deep Blue Sea
Dogma
From Dusk Till Dawn 2
My Favorite Martian
The Astronaut's Wife
The Thomas Crown Affair
The World Is Not Enough
Toy Story 2
Armageddon
The Avengers
The Big Hit
Blade
Blues Brothers 2000
Chairman of the Board
Deep Impact
Lost in Space
Octopus
Phantoms
Shakespeare in Love
The Siege
Conspiracy Theory
Contact
Devil's Advocate
The Fifth Element
Flubber
Free Willy 3: The Rescue
The Jackal
Men in Black
Mortal Kombat II: Annihilation
Red Corner
Spawn
Sprung
Star Kid
Titanic
Wishmaster
Courage Under Fire
Goldeneye
Lord of Illusions
Nixon
Waterworld
Freejack
Jurassic Park
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

As you can see, Lightwave just seems so much more powerful and there must be a reason why it's been used so much more than Max.

[Vamp]

anyone else?

[Eat_Some_LSD]

Neither program is used soley for the purpose of film-making; both are used for modelling in general. I'm a poly-modeller, so I stick to ZMod (a freeware program made for modelling cars). As far as 3DS Max vs. Lightwave goes, it's all dependent on taste. Apparently you feel a tendency to use Lightwave; so download it and try it out. If you don't like it, get 3DS Max instead. You could also try Rhino, Maya, etc., though 3DS and Lightwave are the two best modelling programs. If you'd like to see them in action, go to www.gtaforums.com and check out the Picture Post & Commentary thread under the Vehicle Mod Showroom. Alot of the people there use such programs and create true-to-life renders, some of the models reaching as high as 16 million polys (sub-D frozen mesh). But like I said, it's a matter of taste.

[edit]
This guy uses 3D Studio Max:


Lightwave:


3D Studio Max again:

[Vamp]

See, I'd only want to use Lightwave because it's been used on so many films... I prefer the workflow of 3d s Max, but I'd rather have the best program than the easiest.

[Vamp]

bump