program used for Animation

[trishakha]

Which is better Autodesk 3Ds Max 9 or Autodesk Maya 8? Just incase you you don't know these are program used for Animation. I wanna know which one is better in price and value for money.

[martygras]

Both are wonderful program suites, but each has its own strengths.
I recommend you review posts from each manufacturers forums to see which one matches the capabilities of your machine and what you want it to be able to render.

Remember, these are not iOS programs and we probably won't see anything on iOS until the next level of faster chips start appearing in the next few generations of iPads.

[Strizbiz]

I used maya years ago but now I use Cinema 4D because it intergrates with Adobe after effects better than anything else out there.

[TedBPhx]

Blender is free.
Http://blender.org

[jgdeschamps]

Just so you know, Maya 8 is way too old. Later versions have "year" nomenclatures after Maya 8.5 (since '07) and they are typically one year ahead of their naming convention (i.e. current version is Maya 2015.)
If you go to students.autodesk.com you can register and get a free 3 year non-commercial license of Maya, 3DS Max, or any other software made by Autodesk. Only caveat is that when you save a file, you'll get a window dialogue telling you that you are saving the file in a non-commercial version. That warning also appears if you try to open the file in a paid version of Maya.

As for which one is best, you are only gonna encounter the same discussions as in the PC vs Mac argument, or the iOS vs Android fights. Like one user said, you should try both and see if one fits your workflow and mindset. For instance, I used Lightwave, 3D Studio/Max, and some other software (I think it was Cinema 4D) when I studied architecture, and I didn't like their workflows. They didn't fit the way I "see things." Few years later, I got a Maya demo (Maya 2008) from a distributor when the firm I used to work for bought an AutoCAD license, and it was the same experience as when you find the perfect piano or guitar for you. I fell in love with it. Animation wise, the set driven keys and connection editors are worth the price (either rental or perpetual) and you just have to love they way you can adjust and customize anything to everything. As for workflow, the hotbox allows you to shut down completely your GUI and work only in your viewport and use mouse or stylus gestures to call up commands and settings on the fly, change views, etc.

Downside: steep learning curve due to the behind-the-scenes modular nature of its workflow.