I just want an idea of what 3D package people use the most. I'm already a Maya Person.

I still have to go with Lightwave. The Lightwave Rendering Engine is starting to show its age, but still its the only package that you can really use out of the box for broadcast quality stuff without a lot of tweaks.

We use Lightwave because a lot of our potential hire based used it in college and learned how to crete titles and some other limited 3D work. Since we are primarily a video production company, Lightwave work is really second to editing and postproduction. We need to do 3D animation work from time to time for titles or for a true animation, but not on a day to day basis.

The program I am really looking at, and I've used as a hobbist for 6 years now, is Blender 3D. They've made some impressive leaps forward in the past 2 years since going OpenSource and some of the lower end 3D packages had better watch themselves as BLender is poised to take away their market share.

Even 3DS's traditional uses in game design is threaten by Blender since Blender was orginally designed to create NeoGeo games. As the Crystal Space 3d game engine is merged with Blender it should be interesting to see what develops there.

I think maya is pretty good, but I can do alot more in 3ds max than maya can ever do.

Carrara for me mostly i got started on it form Raydream and then form there that was it i was sold on it

I use Blender presently. I was using Wings3D for some time, but then moved on to Blender for its obvious Sub-D conformance.

Another reason I am using Blender is, I cannot afford 3d Max, or Maya or LightWave. 3D modelling is still a hobby for me, and I cannot think of spending my hard earned money on it.

I've tested most of them, and they all feature nice components and plenty of ability. However, I really don't like the interfaces. It's like they put all of their energies into the Engine (and rightly so) but leave the interface on the rail side. I'd find it easier entering all of the co-ords and distances than using the tools.

However, I would go for Blender or Maya. 3DSMax has a lot going for it in the Games sprite world, but leaves little desired for projects.

I did use Lightwave and Blender, but currently my darling is 3dsMax. No particular reasons, it's just that after some time using it to preview my game skins I got used to it, therefore the program was more friendly to start learning to model (well sort of...).
Shouldn't be Cinema4D on this list?
I don't understand exactly what you mean, Hatchman33... wouldn't be both as equally as powerful? Or you mean that you woudn't be able to do it?

This post has been edited by KDEWolf: Aug 14 2006, 12:33 PM

VOTE: 3Ds Max

This is based on the fact that 3Ds max the only 3D programme is I`ve ever worked with.I heard some good things about maya too but the thing is I had a hard time begining to understand 3Ds max and don`t think I`ll have the patience to start all over with a new 3D package.

I vote Wings3d for modeling (as I'm one of devs of it so I couldn't say anything else... it is quick to learn and gives you nice power when we are about polygon modeling...) - for anything else than polygon modeling I say Blender... release 2.42 includes REALLY NICE features that was added after release of Elephants Dream and created in their studio while making that movie

I would have to say Blender. it is good, easy to use, nice simple.