Importing Models from other modeling packages.

#1 If you're not making a DIF I'd say go right ahead. Just as long as you can export to 3DS Max some how (.max, .3ds, .drf, .dxf, .dwg) then you're fine. If on the other hand you want to make DIF's then, yes it is possible to do. No it's not worth it :) If you want to know more about this process just ask.

Oh, Autodesk also now owns Alias which produces Maya. There is also a DTS exporter for Maya (I don't think there is a Maya2map->dif method though)

#2 Newb question, whats a DIF??

I've heard from artist friends of mine that 3DS has a steep learning curve, is that true? Of course I also hear this from most of my instructors and their almost always wrong.

#3 DIF's are used for making buildings. They are chopped up by the engine to allow for faster rendering but they follow some strict rules. If you look at Hammer or QuArK they are dedicated to making buildings for this process. 3DS Max isn't really suited for it, but it can be made to work.

DTS Objects don't have the same limitations as DIF's and are easily made in 3DS Max, Milkshake, Maya, and a few other 3D Modellers.

As for 3DS Max's learning curve... I wouldn't so much call it a curve as a cliff. Its interface is different from 99% of the software out there so it takes some getting used to. If you use milkshape you'll get an idea of what max is like (for a much cheaper price). If I recall correctly it has the same sidebar sorta thing going on but with a lot less dodads everywhere to confuse you.

#4 3dsmax isnt too hard, if you seriously stay at it for like a month then you will be making fun stuff in no time. though if you arnt familiar to 3d then I suggest you download Gmax before you even download the trial of 3dsmax. Gmax is basically a free version of 3dsmax with some limits. once you get the hang of gmax you will have few problems switching over to 3dsmax. Once you run out of trial days then you should decide if 3dsmax is truely what you want. I love 3dsmax, and I think that its very well rounded, though i havent tried maya, lightwave, or XSI. When I started 3d this site was, and still is, incredibly helpful:

http://www.3d-palace.com

Go download some 3dsmax video tutorials!

#5 Gmax isn't available from Autodesk anymore. A couple days after they bought Alias they stopped supporting it.
usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=5562445&siteID=123112

#6 I do appreciate the help. I think I'll download the trial of 3DS.8 and give it a wirl. Mostly I'd just like to tinker with stuff like guns and small objects, nothing too serious for now. Thanks Again.
-Bill

#7 I have mixed feelings about this, but here's my 2 cents.

The mixed feelings part:

What I've noticed about the way I work, is that I use a very, very small portion of Max and Maya's toolset. So much of what they can do, I don't use because I don't need it for the kind of work I do, or it's done differently through the engines I use. A specific example of this is particles. I love playing with Max particles, I can twiddle with them for hours. But, T2D has a great particle engine and a proprietary format, so unless I want to make really huge animated sprites from rendering Max particles to image files, I've got no real application for that part of the product. So why do I keep paying my annual maintenance? Umm... well, I guess it's to make sure I always own the tools of my trade in case I start out on my own again. But if all I was doing was modeling, and I had to pick a program all over again, I just might do it differently.

The 2 cents:

I've used Autodesk's program since it was an AutoLISP routine for AutoCAD and there is still so very much that I have no idea about how to use. That said, there's rarely been something I want to do that I can't make work in Max. At work, we use Maya and in 5 years of using it for production I've barely moved away from a very small selection of the poly modeling tools. I've also had very few times when I couldn't get Maya to do what I wanted, and when it wouldn't bend to my will, I went home and did it in Max. The biggest issue that comes to mind that both are very expensive and there are other, possibly better, solutions for what you describe you want to do.

A friend who is Lead Character Modeler for a local studio is very happy with Silo, though I myself have not tried it yet. www.nevercenter.com
I've heard good things about Modo, but again have no practical experience with it. www.luxology.com/modo/
Nendo and Mirai have had a rather interesting history of development, and I've had enough time with Nendo to say I like it.www.izware.com
Lastly, I know a lot of people here talk about Wings a fair amount, and it acknowledges Nendo as inspiration. www.wings3d.com/

Some approximate numbers to weigh into the discussion:
Wings ......................... $0 (?)
Nendo ........................ $49
Silo ............................. $109
Modo .......................... $695 (current special offer)
Mirai ............................$ (unknown, may be dead)
Maya .......................... $2000 (basic version)
Max ............................ $3500

- Don

edit: Clarified what I meant by mixed feelings. ;)

#8 Silo only $109?... I just checked their website, looks awesome. Might be tempted to learn how to use it myself at that price.