A new softimage user

[Acrobat]

Hi to all, I'm a student and I'm new in this world.

I have chosen softimage after trying a bit others software (3dsm and maya, cinema appears too coloured to eyes and discarded soon it...
In our school courses our teacher know and suggest maya (and maya 2012 is the software installed into school machines), but for homework we can choice whatever software we want, the important is doing the job (but usually at home we doing only theory, the work is usually done in our classes).

I feel more comfortable in softimage, I feel it more organized (actually we did only modelling and rigging task, either appear more modern and simple in softimage to me), but teacher emphasizes how much better maya is (is a standard, is used everywhere and has more plugin and bla bla bla bla) and also the 2014 release is evident the last release for softimage, to be honest he appears a fanboy to my eyes... In sincerity I don't want leave softimage, I feel I can doing more fast my job, but when I discovered you community I feel a bit bad, in other words, seems your sensations and rants confirm my teacher idea about softimage. I start only now studying 3d, but I see the software and 3d in general a very intimidating and wide field. Knowing well a software is a big task and if my teacher is right about need years of study and practice for becoming proficient with a software (know the strengths, predict a result and develop a workflow)

Now my questions is: Do I wasting my time with softimage and is more smart studying (and becoming used to) maya? I know it is a softiamge users forum, but you don't appear a fanboys community like I found in a cinema or modo forums, but adult (old? ) guys who work with software.

Actually I don't know what will be my future, if I'll work for a big or little company or if I becoming a freelancer (or if I totally leave 3d, but I think I'll continue)

thanks in advance

[brudney]

I say learn both:) If you can afford to spend some extra time doing at least some assignments in both apps, that's great! Knowing both will only benefit you!
Personally, I'd be against NOT learning maya - whether somebody likes it or not, it is an industry standard (esp. in character animation)...
I know it's a Softimage forum, SI is prolly the best all-round app etc., but if I were a student starting out and had to choose between the two (knowing I couldn't, for whatever reason, learn both apps) I'd choose maya.

[Acrobat]

Thanks for your reply!

Agree, knowing both is the best option, but I learn softimage in my spare time, and it cost me a bit of sacrifice (nothing so tragic or hard, but sometime I need to fight against sleep). Also, why learn two software who is practical overlapping with about the some capabilities? Just switching between different hotkeys is very difficult for me...

[azurecgi]

Thanks for your reply!

Agree, knowing both is the best option, but I learn softimage in my spare time, and it cost me a bit of sacrifice (nothing so tragic or hard, but sometime I need to fight against sleep). Also, why learn two software who is practical overlapping with about the some capabilities? Just switching between different hotkeys is very difficult for me...

I think there's an option in SI to make it match the Maya hotkeys for view manipulation etc.

Should make things a little easier ;)

[Acrobat]

thank Azurecgi, I see, yes, now is better (don't exist the some in maya? I mean use alt key and softimage keymapping?

[Chris_TC]

I think there's an option in SI to make it match the Maya hotkeys for view manipulation etc.

Should make things a little easier ;)

Doesn't that introduce all sorts of workflow limitations though? I seem to recall people advising against choosing the Maya controls.
To this very day I use the Maya camera navigation (Left = Orbit, Middle = Pan, Right = Zoom), but with everything else standard Softimage controls.

[Acrobat]

agree, after a bit I realize S key interaction mode is better in softimage.

[biOss]

I'm professor assistant in an animation school. Unfortunatelly, our main 3d program is maya because of industry standarts. I started 3d with 3dmax and couple of years later I met XSI and I love it. There was a short period before XSI with Maya in my life but it was not work for me. I worked for few company with Softimage before my academic career. So if you look carifully I'm sure you can find many company whose main 3d app is 'Softimage when you graduate.
When I started at university I suggested Softimage because of its logical and smooth workflow and many goodies every 3d artist dreamed about. The answer was no, of course. Because we are not living in utopic world. As you know there are many wars going on all around the world. Every day many persons die. Lots of living species become extinction. Millions of people are starving. So where the hell did I get this idea we should use Softimage instead of maya.

Now I'm teaching maya in my class. But every time , when professor is not in class, I show beauty of Softimage to my students. It's not so hard to be familiar to maya if you are Softimage user. But I'm pretty sure you will hate it.

And here is the very useful shortcut map and how to use it videos. Maybe you interest. It's very comfortable at modelling.

https://vimeo.com/23847654
https://vimeo.com/23847887

[Acrobat]

Hi biOss, thanks for your video and keymapping.

Actually I have not hate for maya, I find only a bit too boring, with strange rules and too many windows and menus. If I'll becoming a freelance, for sure maya don't find space on my hard disk.

Learn many software is not a good idea, but I think all of you before remain on softimage started to mess a bit with all the trials you can.

One software very interesting, in my opinion, is blender. Actually I'm strictly a (beginner) modeller and (less than beginner) rigger, but must admit blender is very comfortable and incredible fast in these field (also tried render engine, cycles appear more organic, fast and simple to use compared with my (very poor) experience in mental ray (both maya and softimage). My only fear, learning blender, is begin too used to it and preclude myself employer (seems is not used in professional field by big company), also blender don't work well with import export, so, I think, can be very complex use this in production with others software (but blender appear more like a little suite with sculpt, modelling, composite, rigigng, animation, particle and more.
Everywhere I read "ugly gui" and "out of standard", I think the reason is because I have a "young free mind", without strong habits and with poor experience, but I think blender is very well designed and has a tons of tools and nice idea inside.

[Draise]

For interface sake, I prefer Softimage.

I was a student like you, I am still an intern, more or less. I was placed in an equal position with another intern who had maybe a year experience in Maya. I had zero experience in either software, but the lead animator used Softimage. So I stuck to Softimage. I learnt enough of the software in 5 months time as a student to produce twice the quota over the intern with a year's experience in Maya. It might have been me slugging it out, but it was easier to work with, to me.

I found Softimage easy to use in a more streamlined interface sort of things (after swimming in Maya and Blender for a bit).

I'm a fan of Softimage, but Maya and Blender and anything else won't hurt. Eventually it's all about the end product, the technique, the workflow and the deadline.

[Acrobat]

Agree, softimage gui is one of the best I have tried, but blender one is also good. Maya is good, but I don't like the maya paradigm (as I said, too menus, pie menus, windows and tabs every where)