3Ds Max

[Ticklepink]

I'm thinking of getting 3Ds Max *once I've saved enough $$$.

But I have a few questions for people who have tried it out.
Is it moderatly easy to learn and what are the best feautures and tips? Does anyone have an example of what they have created with the program?
Thanks! =)

[Sardtok]

I've tried it once (But that was back during 3DS Max R3 now it's R5)...
There are cheaper solutions out there.
I for one just bought Carrara Studio 2.1
www.eovia.com
You get a 50% discount if you're a student, and the license doesn't limit you even if you are.

Also it depends on what you are supposed to use it for.
3DS Max is good for modelling, not so much for rendering, though the results look good it's a slow renderer (at least it used to be).
Maya is used a lot for film production, while 3ds max is used a lot for game modelling and such.

[Marble]

I would suggest going to Maya's website (also maybe check out a few others.) They have free trial versions that you can use, but the output is watermarked. It will give you a good idea on how different they are compared to software that is 2d based. I dont use 3d, but have checked them out a few times and found them very counter intuitive, coming from working with PS and Illustrator. There are also a few free ones out there, namely the open source Blender that comes to mind. Might give you something to play with to get the concept of working with 3d down. I dont know.... just a thought.

[Sardtok]

Also POV Ray is free,
but kinda hard to work with,
it uses a procedural language that kinda looks like a mix of C and VRML...
Here's some websites to check out:
www.eovia.com -> 2 3D studios, one made especially for NURBS modelling and another that has Spline, Metaball and Vertex modelling.
www.tgs.com -> They own Eovia, but have a different product line on that site.
www.aliaswavefront.com -> Alias Wavefront, the people who made Maya.
www.discreet.com -> I guess you already know of this one if you were going to get 3DS Max...

There's also products like Truespace and Lightwave to consider...
Truespace costs about $700, so if you don't want to spend too much money that is a good choice, the interface is quite similar to 3DS Max'.
I can also recommend Carrara Studio from Eovia, which has been made to have an intuitive interface,
you can download a 90 days trial from their website,
but you can save files or render animations...
Still worth taking a look at...
It's got a very nice Global Illumination renderer, with caustics and indirect lighting... ;)