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Autodesk Maya

 

I would call Maya the king of 3D animation software, but that would be an understatement. Because the simple fact is that Maya is so very much more. It's a complete 3D modeling, animations and special effects suite.

 

 

 

Ultimate Modeling capability:

And yet the 3D modeling is really Maya's greatest strength. The modeling interface and tools are so exquisitely intuitive they really have to be experienced and used to be believed. Let's say you know nothing of 3D modeling or 3D animation programs – absolutely nothing. Within three hours of going through tutorials or having another Maya user give you some basic instructions on how to use this 3D animation software, you'll (if you have any artistic capability) be creating your own models.

 

 

Within a day or two after that you'll be creating star ships, or cars, or animals or aliens, and other organic and inorganic creations in this 3D animation program, complete with background scenery, plants, weather, lighting, textures, bump maps, and a host of other features.

 

And that's what I call intuitive. And that's just the beginning of what this 3D animation program can do, but it's a very auspicious beginning.

 

 

A complete animation and effects suite:

It only gets better. The Maya suite includes capabilities for beautiful character animation, as well as visual and special effects systems that are little short of astounding. Do you need natural seeming day and night lighting – Maya can set it up for you at the click of a mouse. Do you need plants in your scene? You can paint 3D plants of different types right into your scene with this 3D animation program. Then you can simulate the weight of different bodies for more realistic 3D animations, create liquid, highly realistic cloth, pressurized balloons in which you set the inner and outer pressure, or create beautiful hair for your organic characters. And all of this can be animated using extremely convincing animation physics.

Modeling and animation in Maya

Best of all, Maya comes packaged with Mental Ray, a highly stable and effective rendering engine, and one that can effectively be used for cutting edge animations and movies.

 

Complex, yet Intuitive:

Yes, the 3D animation software is complex to use – but that's only because it's so very powerful, with such a range of capabilities. It's very easy to learn – one of the most intuitive of all 3D animation programs. Start using it, and before you know it you'll be making complex models. Then you'll almost flow into adding lighting. Then you'll add a background world, and perhaps a sun in the sky. Then you'll add snow, or grass growing – and before you know it, you'll have progressed through each of these steps to the stage when you're making full blown, brilliant animations.

 

Maya is complex, but intuitive, with vast capabilities that are very easy to learn to handle. I don't just recommend it – I use it myself, and find the choice worthwhile.