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Maya instead of max for architectural visualization


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the software you use isn't important... its what you achive with it that counts. if you feel more comfortable using maya than max then stick with it, along as it suits your needs

Sure the software isn't important if you are a hobbyist and have a thousand hour to do a project, but if you are a professional and have tight deadlines you need the most streamlined tool for your project needs.

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As far as architecture goes, their features are pretty similar in terms of power and usefulness. It's going to depend a lot on what you want to do, so I don't think you can use words like "better", just point-by-point comparisons.

 

Workflow:

- Max streamlines just about anything involving going from an Autodesk CAD/BIM package to a visual.

-Maya gives you great functionality with animation compositing, in many situations better than Max.

 

Modeling:

-Maya is definitely better for NURBS modeling. People who use PowerNURBS may say otherwise, but PowerNURBS costs more.

-Max is arguably better at tasks suited to polygon modeling - lots of personal preference factors there. Max also gets an edge when you can import 2D from Autocad files to do your walls etc.

 

Rendering:

-Maya has great mental ray integration, but Max is catching up.

-Max has Vray, but Maya is catching up.

 

X-Factors

-Maya is what the cool kids use, at least in architectural design, so you can find a heck of a lot on scripts, genetic algorithms, parametrics and that sort of thing.

-Max tends to get the new render tech first.

 

Costs:

Maya costs less, unless you need Unlimited, which you probably don't. If you're going to compare working with Vray in Max to mental ray in Maya, you also need to add in the cost of Vray.

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Hi.thanks for your answer.all of them are useful.but I find Maya more interesting an more powerful and also more stable.I think that the beauty of max is because of its plugins.

I can say maya has very nice texturing tools than max!

maya is based on nodes!it's so interesting!it has a great shader like layer shader and ...

but vray is very very wonderful and is my choice in terms of rendering engine instead of mental ray.at last now I prefer to work with Maya!:D

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I am a straight maya user and architect. It is just as easy to take things from cad and put them in to maya, i dont know what gets easier then saving the cad file as a dxf then open the dxf in maya? Also mental ray for maya kicks ass, a little more involved but very cool. I never like the easy way so I picked maya. Also in free time like to build cars in maya nurbs.

 

And I drive a 04' corvette, a little better then a yota gas milage not so good but 0-60 in 3 sec in first gear.:D

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  • 2 weeks later...

ok for architectural visualztion it's highly affected by design process...because architectural design is a changable situation through critiques and approvals...you ahve to make your visualiztion highly connected with drawings....so the most important thing is the compatibility with CAD files

 

so I prefer MAX for the property of file link manager and the flexibilty of changing in modelling and texturing

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the software you use isn't important... its what you achive with it that counts.

 

so true, Ive used maya, alias, soft image, nin-gen, max....all had strengths, all had weakness....but it doesnt change your "eye" for lighting / texturing etc

 

saying that....never had more fun with v-ray than any other renderer !!!!

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  • 5 years later...

I tried moving from 3ds max to maya. Having used 3ds max for almost 10 years now, it's been a bit frustrating at times mainly because of the little things.

One thing to say to everyone attempting a move, is that you have to approach maya in a different way in which you do things in 3ds max. What I mean is, it's not only taking a method of doing something in max and then translate it to maya, you have to learn to do things in a new way.

Also, the way you navigate through the tools is completely different than max. It's learning a new software basically from scratch.

I've been searching for tutorials for architectural visualization in maya and there's not much of that, compared to 3ds max at least.

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Maya isn't as streamlined for basic architecture, but you can customize it to be.

 

I think this sums it up perfectly. It's possible to script anything in Maya from simple import clean-up scripts to Forest Pack Pro equivalents etc...;)

 

I also find that V-Ray for Maya has been a big boost to the situation a couple of years ago to when this thread started.

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Great thread!! :)

 

I was indecisive on whether to open the new thread or post it here, but I hope it will be fine if I post my question here.

I am using Maya and Vray for my architectural visualization(I'm a newbie but thanks to Vray, I've been able to get satisfying results very quickly!), so I wanted to ask you:

 

1.How reliable Maya + Vray is for Archviz in general?

2.Would anyone of you Maya Archviz artists be kind enough to share with me the short description of your average project's workflow?

Where exactly do you start? Do you first receive drawings in AutoCAD or perhaps something else comes first? What are all the necessary software that I will need for the professional Arcvhiz? Do I have to be extreeeemely precise when following those AutoCAD drawings or a flowerpot can be wider/shorter/slightly moved? Is there something else I should turn my attention on? etc etc.

 

Like I already said I am a newbie to the whole world of Architectural Vizualization, but I want to work as a professional someday(whether freelance or in company), so that is why I would LOVE to hear an answer to my questions, because apparently there is a lot more to it than just turning on Maya and Vray and working with just those two.

 

Answers would be appreciated very much! :)

 

-Milos

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Great thread!! :)

1.How reliable Maya + Vray is for Archviz in general?

2.Would anyone of you Maya Archviz artists be kind enough to share with me the short description of your average project's workflow?

Where exactly do you start? Do you first receive drawings in AutoCAD or perhaps something else comes first? What are all the necessary software that I will need for the professional Arcvhiz? Do I have to be extreeeemely precise when following those AutoCAD drawings or a flowerpot can be wider/shorter/slightly moved? Is there something else I should turn my attention on? etc etc.

 

Like I already said I am a newbie to the whole world of Architectural Vizualization, but I want to work as a professional someday(whether freelance or in company), so that is why I would LOVE to hear an answer to my questions, because apparently there is a lot more to it than just turning on Maya and Vray and working with just those two.

 

Answers would be appreciated very much! :)

 

-Milos

 

I) Very! Especially if you ask Vlado for nighly access to the builds. IF there is a problem in V-Ray Chaos can usually fix it within a couple of nights. Support is second to none.

 

2) This is a good place to start.

 

http://www.jamesshaw.co.nz/blog/?p=1325

http://www.jamesshaw.co.nz/blog/?p=1313

http://www.jamesshaw.co.nz/blog/?p=1307

http://www.jamesshaw.co.nz/blog/?p=1300

http://www.jamesshaw.co.nz/blog/?p=1280

 

I like Guthries method of modelling in SketchUp first but I think the most important thing in ArchViz is lighting. It is the single most important element in Architectural renders because it is the main instigator of mood, realism etc...

 

A good lighting setup is paramount. I really wouldn't worry about critically accurate in modelling but a good model helps.

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