Gmax VS 3dsMax

[Mr Saturn64 742]

After years of saying I would, I've started BATing.  My first building has taken it's form, I'd say 1/4 done.  I've been using Gmax, which I got when I first started saying I would BAT.  But with all the BAT threads I've seen here, people seem to prefer 3ds Max (not to be confused with the Nintendo handheld of a similar name) way more.  I decided to look in to 3ds Max and almost hurled when I saw the price.  

 

So I have two questions.  1) Can I get an older 3ds Max for cheaper (or free?)   And 2) Should I continue with Gmax?

 

Also, I'd like to more or less announce my first building.  Here are three hints: Midtown, Van Gogh, Verre.  Take a guess at that if you want.

[Toothless Stitch 2,901]

I guess there are enough threads around. Check out it's pinned

[Jasoncw 11,934]

Next to no one is actually paying for 3ds max. If you go to the autodesk website you can download a full, complete student version for free. If you're a student and have a .edu e-mail address it's best, but a lot of people have reported registering as a "lifelong learner" (that is, a student in only the most remote sense of the word) and getting it without any problem. This is also aligned with their intent for their free programs, they want as much 3ds max saturation as possible among people who may develop into professionals using the program, as well as people who may not become professionals but add to the base of users/knowledge. They prefer for people to not torrent cracks of the program because sometimes cracks don't work as well, there's risk of viruses, there's no official support, and they get no usage information, so they want to present their product in the best possible light by providing the free versions themselves.

 

It's great that you've finally started BATing. If this was just a random building you were making then I think it would be fine to continue with gmax, but for this building I think you'd best restart it in max. You want this version to be the best that it can be, and it's also much easier to make certain things like metal and glass in 3ds max than it is in gmax. Gmax also has a hard time handling big or complex BATs. And finally, most of the work in modeling something is figuring out what needs to be done (what the size of something should be, correcting mistakes, deciding how to go about making certain things), and once you know those things, redoing it tends to go much faster than expected.

[Mr Saturn64 742]

I've registered with Autodesk and was not asked for if I was a student or not.  I did, however, receive AutoCAD 360 for free.  

 

And the building is the Museum of Modern Art, New York City.

[madhatter106 3,905]

While certain things will be easier in 3ds than it would in regular old gmax, the tools will only take you so far.  Put a monkey in front of an easel with an expensive set of oil paints next to Leonardo da Vinci with some brown paper and a box of Crayolas, and I would put money on the idea that da Vinci will churn out a slightly better product.  (Unless you're going for something along the lines of Cy Twombly; then the monkey will surpass him.) 

 

What the tools are is only part of it.
What you do with them is the other part.

[Huston 5,799]

While certain things will be easier in 3ds than it would in regular old gmax, the tools will only take you so far.  Put a monkey in front of an easel with an expensive set of oil paints next to Leonardo da Vinci with some brown paper and a box of Crayolas, and I would put money on the idea that da Vinci will churn out a slightly better product.  (Unless you're going for something along the lines of Cy Twombly; then the monkey will surpass him.) 

 

What the tools are is only part of it.

What you do with them is the other part.

 

That is true indeed, but it is worth using 3ds max to at least know that once you have the basics down (or use easier to learn tools like sketchup), that the material editing which on 3ds Max, is far more advanced, is available, and there are a large base of tutorials and range of BATers that can answer the tough questions. Not to mention that render quality is through the roof compared.

 

So personally, with the large array of options you have at your disposal in 3ds Max, you'll be better of trying it out over GMax, which is the same program but watered down. And there are a lengthy list of plugins and scripts you can also use on 3ds Max to streamline the process of BATing. Prominent ones used by a number of BATers in the community is script to automatically create blinds and random selector scripts for window reflection simulations.

[TCD 123]

There are also thousands of 3dsmax tutorial videos for all kinds of modeling techniques and tricks on Youtube. There are thousands of archived topics on sites like cgsociety that cover all kinds of topics on how to do certain things or how to fix very specific problems. It's so easy to Google a 3dsmax problem/guide compared to Gmax.

[Jasoncw 11,934]

Yeah, I agree, 3ds max is an industry standard product that has an incomprehensible amount of information available all over the internet. Gmax is a very old program that next to no one uses. I feel like with gmax you're fighting the program while with 3ds max you're learning the program.

 

 

I think you only need to explain your "student" status when you're actually downloading/registering the program. You are literally a secondary school student so I don't think you should have any problems getting it. http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/3ds-max

[Mr Saturn64 742]

Alright.  I will begin remaking MoMA in 3DS max as soon as I get it downloaded. 

 

Jasoncw, thanks for all the links.  And the W2W buildings on the STEX.

[PBGV103 729]

Will you just be making the museum or the tower as well?

[Mr Saturn64 742]

Will you just be making the museum or the tower as well?

Probably going to do just the museum, although the tower is among my favorites. It could go either way.

[PBGV103 729]

The tower sticks up right in the middle so it might be difficult to leave it off.

[Mr Saturn64 742]

Eh, that's what creativity is for.