I hate Maya. Hate it, hate it, hate it. I love max. So I paid US$900+ for the educational versions 3ds max4 and character studio. If I want to make a profit off of any of my work, I have to pay another US$3000 for the right to do so. I get no new functionality, just a license. For three thousand fecking dollars.
However, unlike this Maya PLE, I can use any plugin I wish with max and I truly have full funtionality with no hitches.
gmax only has support for it's native file format and, through game packs, specific formats such as md3. It lacks the advanced features of max (IK, for example) and cannot import or export common file formats such as 3ds (or even other max files). Maya PLE has a *much* larger feature set than gmax.
3ds max educational version: full functionality, can use any plugins available. Can import and save assets in any number of formats. Plus it's max.
gmax: castrated and crippled version of max with *very* limited functionality. Still max, but very limited due to the fact that it requires specific developer support. If a game does not have a pack for gmax, then you can't use gmax to create assets for it.
Maya PLE: "full" funtionality, with watermarks, limited file formats, and no plug-in support. License must be renewed anually. Plus it's Maya. :\
This a good idea in theory, but it's not what people are looking for. Learning the tool is only part of the process. People need to be able to show what they can do with the tool, they need exposure. It doesn't look like Maya PLE can provide that.
(Okay, I'm really hating that there's no way to disable graphic smilies here...)
This comment was edited on Jan 11, 17:51.
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Still Redwood's Comment Slave
Fu