Architectural visualization is a relatively new development for Max. It comes out of abandoning 3D Studio Viz
Now we’re just hashing out our different perspectives on the industry. Some of this depends also on what decade you’re talking about. If Viz has been abandoned, then it was only a temporary diversion. 3DS Dos was accompanied by no other such product, and plenty of architectural visualization tools continued to be a part of Max, even while Viz was being offered. It grew out of and included the features of a technical visualization tool.
I get your distinction about Hollywood vs video games. Again it depends what decade we’re talking. But the general point stands no matter what forms of entertainment you bring in. Non-entertainment animation jobs vastly outnumber entertainment jobs.
It was my impression that most of the non-entertainment applications for 3D were videos and print images, typically of buidlings, machines, processes, reenactments for litigation and such. I’m skeptical how many such applications are made with proprietary software or are something analagous to a game interface, but I don’t know.
Plug-ins, now there’s a magic word. That’s actually where I think Maya’s strengths lie, their extra tools, dynamics, hair etc have all been extended as you say, and its the plugins, Havok for physics, Ornatrix, whatever in Max that have basically been duct-taped on. Their physics, atmospherics and hair work better.
I take your meaning about the need to re-compile plug-ins. Its bugged me that the tools I’ve tried to add go missing after a while, but Lately Max has gotten pretty good about including the stuff I would have gone looking for. But as for the things that should make me sit bolt upright or the stupid programming tricks, I really cant’ relate to any of it.
I’m not a programmer, I’m an artist. And from the end-user standpoint I can only judge how badly a program is put together by how badly it performs. And from my limited experience I discover that Maya crashes about as often as Max does. And considering that I’m new in Maya, and am using it only for rather simple scenes compared to what I’m doing in Max, I’m not sure if thats any indication that Maya’s programming is any better at all.
I was aware that Discrete bought Maya. Everyone in my circle, and that includes some hard-core Maya users, thinks that this is great news. We all optimistically hope for a new program one day that has the best of both worlds. I think its a year or two away though.
