When first trying to decide on a 3D application, it can seem a bit intimidating trying to figure out what you actually need. There are 3D applications that are better served in engineering. Some might be used architects. So, where do I start if I want to get in game dev. I have a bit of experience in this area and would like to share with you some of my discoveries.
For game developers, I recommend giving Maya a shot. It has a wide range of tools available that you may want to use for game development. Not just modeling, but rigging, animation, UV layouts, texturing, and more. If these terms mean nothing to you, do not worry, just know that they are a part of the pipeline for 3D game development.
So, ultimately, why should you choose Maya? I’m not here to sell you on it. I think Blender and 3DSMax are great software too. These are a few areas that I felt have kept me with Maya for the long run.
Benefits of Maya for Beginners
1. Lots of Training Resources
If things like UV’s and rigging are fairly foreign concepts to you, then you probably are a lot like me when I first jumped into game development. Those are two areas that I really struggled with early on.
In fact, I remember with UV’s in particular, I spent a couple of weeks just repeatedly UV’ing simple models until I feel like I got the process down. I was so scared of it, I tried to find other resources to help the process.
What I am thankful for now though is that there were numerous tutorials available on UV’s that helped me out with the process. In particular, I will link you to one video that truly did help me. It’s not mine and I’m not receiving any kind of payment for placing here. Truly, it was when the UV process clicked for me. I watched it several times, and it helped me better understand it. Although it is for 2018, the process is still relevant today.
Like that, Rigging was very similar. I had to walk through a few tutorials before I felt like I had even a small grasp on it.
I tell you that because I want you to know that you’re not alone. Luckily, Maya is well documented. It has been around for years. There are a lot of great tutorials and resources on the various functions of Maya. A newer software, or poorly documented software, will not have the same level of support of it’s community.
Since Maya has really grown and has a strong base, there are tutorials coming out almost daily. There are quite a few channels out there that really cater to those that are new to 3D design.
2. Good User Interface
One of the largest complaints of some of the 3D applications out there is the user interface. Maya has went through a few different looks over the years. In Maya 2016 it got a totally new look.
The functionality of Maya has not changed that much over the years. They are adding quite a few new features, but once you learn it, it doesn’t seem to totally evolve. Outside of the basics, they simply try to make your life better which I appreciate.
In comparison, Blender in one of it’s latest releases revamped much of how it worked. It likely was a significant improvement to the user interface. It is still software I have considered moving to. That being said, Maya has been good… for years. I don’t see a need to change Maya and certainly wouldn’t expect one anytime soon.
3. Students Can Access It for Free
Some of the software simply isn’t accessible. Take a look at ZBrush. It is quite expensive even for student licenses. If you want to remain legal, which I would highly recommend, forget it if you want to stay within a budget when it comes to ZBrush.
Maya’s downside is that once you are in the industry and doing things commercially it does have a price tag. Luckily, they recently came out with an indie license. Click here to check out pricing for the Maya indie license.
That being said, I would highly recommend checking it out as a student during the initial learning phase. The features you receive with a student license is exactly what you can expect with a purchased license. You are not limited in functionality.
The license lasts up to three years. If it expires, all you have to do is apply for another one. You can install the license on up to two devices. Please note that this is for students only. If you do not meet this criteria, you must purchase a commercial license, such an indie license.
Although they have some strict licensing requirements, it is fairly easy to get your hands on overall. Blender, at a free price point, is obviously even easier. I admit that I have had some students move to Blender after graduating from the program for this reason alone. The good news: most of your skillsets apply pretty closely to Blender too. The jump over is not that drastic.
Those students that have made the move, however, have stated that if Maya was free, they would more than likely return to it. They liked some of the features and UI better than Blender.
4. Widely Used in the 3D Animation Industry
If you haven’t noticed, I am fairly excited about the direction Blender is going right now. Don’t be surprised if I make the switch in the future. That being said, one of the major reasons I haven’t moved yet is because Blender simply isn’t respected as a professional tool quite yet. It’s getting there.
If you look around the professional 3D industry, particularly film, you will likely not see Blender on the list. It’s considered a hobbyist tool still for the most part. I find that most of the jobs are looking for 3DSMax, but Maya is really the standard at this point.
If you want to be considered for a lot of the professional level jobs, simply put, I would rather have Maya on my resume than Blender. I think I will have more opportunities available to me right now.
5. Game Development is Respected in Maya
As of recently, I think Autodesk, the creators of Maya, have really taken an interest in game development. In recent updates, we have seen some tools that are specific to game development.
As an example, there currently is a built-in plugin that allows you to export your models directly to Unity. Although it has been possible for quite a while, it is nice to have a simply easy to use system for making this process happen. They are streamlining the process as we go.
Also, we have seen substance painter incorporated into Maya too. It would appear that Maya is appreciating the interest from our community and putting some time and effort into making game development just that much easier.
Where Maya may have started out as a film tool, used in films such as Toy Story. It is now considered to be just as much a game development tool.
Conclusion
Although I think Blender is making a strong push to being the number one place for 3D applications moving forward, I still believe that Maya holds that title. If I thought the switch was going to happen anytime real soon, I probably would have already made the jump.
Maya simply has some of the best features right now. We know that Maya is catering towards the indie developers, even titling their recent pricing model “indie users”. I think this is a good sign that they want to break some of the barriers that might be keeping indie’s from using their software moving forward. I hope the price continues to drop, but not in sacrifice of some of the good updates they continue to provide.
Do you disagree? I would love to hear your input. These are some of the reasons I love the software, but perhaps I missed out some very important aspects of Maya. If there is anything I missed, please reach out to me. I want to keep this list up to date and make sure that I am giving credit where credit is due.