Max, or Maya?

[Rez007]

What Daniel said is pretty much spot-on. I think that is a very logical way to go about it.

[FXDude]

Indeed all points made can all be perfectly valid.

It's a question of time before XSI wont run on newer machines (quickly!), although XSI v4 runs fine on Win 10, and Soft 2015 is just as likely to run fine on Windows 20 (2025)
(otherwise it would mean that so many things (not just older things) wouldn't run on Win20)
but it's certainly a risk.

Except apart that even after becoming accustomed to new tools you would likely not find anywhere near similar levels of productiveness or at least not until an emerging system geared for that purpose from it's beginnings would come about,
(given how precious your time is, and how much of a feat single handedly producing entire episodes can be),

in the event where what may be perceived as the (mostly materially) logical, pragmatic, or 'the safest', thing to do is being artificially handled as means to steer masses and maximize dividends,

then you, (along with countless others that make logical choices) become like an instrument in yet furthering such a 'cause'.


If none of that matters to you, then I would suggest 3DS Max.

It's the most widely used, it's made to abstract lots of complication you would otherwise find in Maya or Houdini (or Blender for that matter), and you would feel most comfortable with it's explorer and it's animation tools (now mostly SI like)

Then as everyone gets moved to the cloud (or become subject to other creative measures), you could then seek comfort in the fact that it would be yourself along with countless (logically thinking) others that would be stuck in the same brand name boat that has incrementally positioned itself as a sole owner of what are currently the 'best choices'.

[Shredder565]

I really, REALLY do hate to reward such companies for obvious corporate espionage..

but I AM already familair with max.

there was another program i wanted to try and learn, Z Brush. but i know that is mostly for building models

[Shredder565]

the one and only time i tried z brush, i couldn't begin to tell you how i did it. this was for another idea i had that has since been put on the back burner for the jones files.