Maybe Maya 2017?

[wesserbro]

sculpt to curve and deform with that curve should be a real improvement in a toolset, but its still not there

[Mathaeus]

sculpt to curve and deform with that curve should be a real improvement in a toolset, but its still not there

I think this one needs a huge resolution and topology changes. So it is a bit too ambitions for Maya, imho. Some modeling tools are really not so fast, welding, UV and such. Also, since Maya 2017, together with update 1, I don't remember modeling session longer than 20 minutes or so, before crash, or interesting phenomena of 'decomposing the software', where HUD become non-responsive, then Attribute Editor refuses to update, so on... It can rig and animate for hours, but when it comes to modeling..... all that efforts in last few years are really close to turn into disaster. Old bitch simply don't want any topology change and that's it, nobody can fight against it.
Ironically, it's just fine for some modern re-topology methods, like manual 'fitting' of pre-defined topology to imported zBrush geo, in wrap style - instead of endless, stupid drawing around, proposed by another disaster called QuadDraw which creates a new node for each extrude. Some UV methods are fine too, at least for low resolutions.
But, Maya as general modeling tool, possible competitor to Max, or Modo for former Lightwavers... forget it. Borg cube which pretends to become a house for normal human life...
Also, ideas in these movies, put brushes all around so you'll become artist and not 'modeler' (what to hell this mean...), this is exactly approach which does *not* creates money, from my experience. Modeling is, modeling, boring and hard work full of exact numbers and procedures. First, first what they have to do is usable, predictable modifier stack, not escapades of people who probably newer saw other modeler than Silo, small neat joke.

[wesserbro]

I think this one needs a huge resolution and topology changes. So it is a bit too ambitions for Maya, imho...

Well, somehow they've managed to make that demo and it looks like maya environment But i agree, Maya is not capable of regular dense mesh sculpting, let alone dynamesh or voxels or whatever they have in the demo. At least they could put those tools into mudbox, but seems like we should forget about that too.

P.S. That Wrap retopo is pretty impressive! Never heard of it before. Do you have some other examples of interesting software most people aren't aware of? (or is it just me living in a cave ^)) )

[Mathaeus]

I think this one needs a huge resolution and topology changes. So it is a bit too ambitions for Maya, imho...

Well, somehow they've managed to make that demo and it looks like maya environment

Who knows what else in Maya is disabled in that demo, or fits into 'don't touch' category. Anyway I'll stay with Maya at least LT, this software makes the people stronger . I don't believe we will see 'full' sculpting in classic 3d app, any time.

[nodeway]

... Anyway I'll stay with Maya at least LT, this software makes the people stronger ...

Your physiatrist told you this?
My told me to put down the axe and use Houdini next time ;)

[Hirazi Blue]

When dealing with Maya, a psychiatrist won't be able to help you much.
What you really need is an exorcist...

[Mathaeus]

... Anyway I'll stay with Maya at least LT, this software makes the people stronger ...

Your physiatrist told you this?
My told me to put down the axe and use Houdini next time ;)

Not yet
while yes, mentioned 'decomposing effect' somehow raised my motivation for modeling in Maya, as an interesting surprise. Now I could analyze when and why it is going to start. App is still running with this thing, by the way. I've exaggerated about time to crash, sometimes modeling session takes a hour or two .
Now seriously, there's nothing I wasn't be able to solve, until now, at least in rigging - animation field. To say directly, positive or negative opinion about Maya in exactly that area, could be an indicator, is someone ever animated in 3d, or not. And it's literally only one 3d app able to compete against SI, or surpass it, simply as that. And I don't see anything able to go even close, here.
About modeling, already have Modo, I think I'm quite good with Blender, but never used both even for fraction of Maya modeling time, in last few months. MoI for nurbs, Maya for polygons, that's the choice.
Will see for 'big' Maya, this depends more on budget, well ... Some solvers seems to be really strong, like nCloth or Naiad. Don't know for anything comparable to nCloth in Houdini....

By some tradition, Maya always seems to be a set of strong engines, some of them strongest on planet, and... not that much to make these things friendly to average people. Somehow brutal, but also a formula for success.

[nodeway]

By some tradition, Maya always seems to be a set of strong engines, some of them strongest on planet, and... not that much to make these things friendly to average people. Somehow brutal, but also a formula for success.

Which is strange because Autodesk development of new features wasn't to fast in last 10 years, so they had enough time to polish everything. But then physiatrists and exorcists would be making less money

[Mathaeus]

After more than two years after SI eol, it was only Maya to offer a feature comparable to SI animation mixer. Nobody else. It's called Time Editor, it is coming with Maya 2017, including LT, it is in very SI style. Other than that, it again depends on what someone is doing. For dealing with a lot of animation, gamdev and such, one would like to have let's say three tools, beside basics: mentioned high level animation editor, something for motion re-targeting, decent FBX export.
Maya (including LT) offers all three, second is FBIK. Max has own way, Biped and such, which I don't like that much but it's sort of widely used standard, recognized as user friendly. SI has, well we all know what. And that's all, nobody else even tried to compete seriously, in last twenty years.
In some parallel world, perhaps SideFX is mega corporation and Autodesk is a promising, always small hope for all supporters of alternatives. But we are not living in that world.

[wesserbro]

After more than two years ....

Whats wrong with blenders NLA editor? And you already mentioned max has something similar, so i think we should name apps which doesnt have it instead )

[Mathaeus]

After more than two years ....

Whats wrong with blenders NLA editor? And you already mentioned max has something similar, so i think we should name apps which doesnt have it instead )

If I'm correct, Blender NLA is one object = one clip, where bones in Armature are a kind of sub-objects, so one clip is able to take the entire skeleton. Local animation has a precedence. In SI or Maya (since Time Editor), one clip is arbitrary set of parameters/channels collected all around, usually keyable parameters or channels on selection are taken (but this is not a rule), while Mixer animation has a precedence. Blender option is simple and nice if you want to be protected against possible errors (while both SI and Maya could be an animation - rig killer when storing the clips), but this is not enough if you want to mix a parts of skeleton, separated upper body, separate this or that - unless you run into complications like multiple armatures, together with possible chain of consequences of that decission. Also, at least last time I've tried around Bl 2.71, there were a bit too much of inconsistencies, let's say animated bend modifier is displayed in clip, but does nothing.

In short like with everything else, let's say there are tons of GPU path tracers around, but they are not the same...

Anyway to stop with detailing, I've mentioned these three just as an example, I think it's overall of basic tools and all three mentioned, that counts. I don't see a built in, robust motion re - targeting in Bl , so there is no that much to do with Mixer, then. Bl evaluates just fine with so so simple rigs, but I've noticed unpleasant slowdowns, too. While Maya or SI are ''stupidly'' linear and 1:1 predictable, once you get some feeling what's fit, and generally are a way stronger in evaluation than anything else.

BTW, C4d also have some Mixer, but no motion re-targeting, there's one UV allowed per material, and it's somehow out of games. Who knows, maybe just that old decision of one UV per material, it was a show stopper long time ago, then things went more and more wrong for them in that field.
And btw there's tradition, after all. Why I should spend two months learning the software, not having a best reputation in field. Where I'll get a job with this. Nobody has unlimited time....

[wesserbro]

I don't see a built in, robust motion re - targeting in Bl , so there is no that much to do with Mixer, then.

Well, fair enough )

[Draise]

Yeah, you can only have one clip on one object at any time. You can blend clips - but you can't layer them. Making it kinda hard to do offset animation... which is one of the main reasons I'm still not into Blender fully yet.