Viz 4 or Max 5

[Blake Middleton]

I'm working in an architectural firm right now and I'm trying to convince them to get a 3d rendering package. I have Max 4 at home that I've done a few renderings for them with. My question is are there any key features in Max 5 that are not in Viz and that are pertinant to Arch. visualization? Since Viz is a lot cheaper, I'm thinking they will go for that instead of Max. This is fine with me as long as there aren't any important tools missing that I might need. Thanks.

[Guest Gleggers]

Blake

 

If it's purely architectural rendering then viz 4 will suit your needs. Plus, with the cash you saved not buying max, you'll be able to purchase some nice plugins and utilities such as rpc's real people!

 

Mark

[kainoa]

I agree, VIZ4 should be sufficient. The DWG linking is crucial especially if you work at an Arch firm.

As far as tools the two apps are almost identical. Although if there is something that one has that the other doesn't, I've read somewhere about a Tool Converter Utility (or something like that) by discreet. Its supposed to allow you to copy tools back and forth between the two apps - so I've read.

However, there are a lot of plugins out there that work only with VIZ or only with Max. If any of the plugins you use are one of these then you can base your decision on that.

[Christopher Nichols]

Key things that you will be missing in from VIZ 4 in MAX 5:

 

- Particles

- sub-object animation... if you do any type of animations besides just moving a camera around and stuff, this can be problematic

- Character tools

- The new mesh edit tools

- The new UVW unwrap

- The new animation track

 

etc...

 

Bascially, if you are just going the regular architecture stuff you don't need it.

 

I would get VIZ 4 and as gleggers said, get some plugins, like RPS, and a good renderign engine, like Vray or Brazil.

 

[ November 01, 2002, 05:48 PM: Message edited by: Christopher Nichols ]

[Guest saturnfive]

...no video post either.

[Christopher Nichols]

Personnally, I have not use Video post in Many years... I do all of my post in After Effects.

[nisus]

VP is still an essential tool at our firm. I just love it, especially the netwerk render ability of it

 

nisus

[John Dollus]

If you are trying to convince them and are running into resistance, then I would suggest Viz. The lower price will be more appealing. If the managers are really excited by your proposition, go for Max and Combustion.

 

Viz and Max seem to leapfrog each other feature-wise and Discreet seems to be bringing the two apps closer together again. You can do great things with both.

 

John Dollus

[seismograph]

Viz is somehow limited in animations of objectsparameters and modifier, but if you don't need special animationfeatures then buy VIZ4 + vray.

Viz4 is nice on interior renderings with radiosity and Vray is fast on exteriors... if you are an architect and know the naturelaw that a project can't be finished one or two days before it's deadline , you will be happy about the fast vray.