What program do you use for modeling?

[BFGfreak]

I'm thinking about taking up modeling as sort of a free time killer, and I'm wondering before I begin what do the modelers here use and more importantly, why do you use it?

I have some experience using built in map editors such as gtkRadiant, but I'd like to see what it's like to actually create those more complex shapes and broaden my understanding of what it takes to create stuff.

So anyway, why do you use whatever program it is you use?

[DJ Curtis]

I use 3ds Max 9 with Service Pack 2.  In the past, I've used Max 7, and more often, Max 5.  I also use Max 3 for porting purposes, but that's about it.

I use Max because it's what I grew up on.  As a student, I was able to get my first copy pretty cheap, and in fact, now students can get it free from Autodesk if they jump through the right hoops.  Max is good because it's an industry standard program, used all over the place, and is very much a general purpose software package that excels at pretty much everything without being terrible finicky.  I like that no matter what I want to do, there are usually multiple ways to go about doing it, allowing me to decide what will be most efficient and effective given any particular situation.

And, frankly, I don't see myself switching to anything else.  I'm too used to using max.  Going and learning a new program might be a good experience, but in many ways, it would be like going from English to French.... same family, but very different.

[Locke]

I also use Max 9, but for starting out (and those that aren't loaded with cash!) I would recommend Google SketchUp, Blender, or Gmax.

The advantages:

SketchUp is relatively easy to learn for those that haven't used any kind of modeling software before.  There are also plenty of readily available meshes on Google that you can download and look at to get references or ideas.

Blender is a very versatile program that can do most anything that some high-end programs like Lightwave can do.  It also has the advantage of constant updating and revision, so that you're continually using the best of what the program has to offer.

Gmax was a wonderful program for it's time (around 2002), since it was the little brother of the Max version at the time.  It can do most anything that Max can do, with the exception of rendering and some of the more complex animation modeling.  I started out using Gmax to model for Microsoft Flight Simulator, and then graduated to Max 9 not too long ago.

The disadvantages:

SketchUp's rendering software is minimal.  The renders tend to be very cartoonish, and have little depth quality.  It also has simplistic modeling, so that something modeled with SketchUp would take a shorter amount of time for someone who knows the ins-and-outs of a payware program.

Blender has it's own onboard game design system, but seems to have trouble going to other platform types to convert to other games that require dedicated model types (like Bridge Commander).

Gmax cannot convert to Bridge Commander right now, and it's possible that it never will, since support for it was withdrawn in early 2004 right after Discreet (the creator company) went belly-up.  Since then, TurboSquid has taken on the responsibility of providing the activation codes and whatnot, but there is no support or development being done for it professionally.  There are several people who create scripts for it, and some may be able to get it to do other things, but not many.  It also has no rendering engine onboard, so you can't get any pretty pictures out of it.

[Mackie]

Lightwave 8.5, its pretty much antique by now but its simple as can be.
Even if you learn that I'd suggest that you go for something else like max, just about all modders involved with gaming use a version or another of max and its hell to try and convert most of the stuff that come along from max to lw and back .
But even if so, lightwave has always been and always will be the more effective of the two, its just that gaming industry has used max for so long that they wont switch in any foreseaable future.

And ofcourse, maxers will say nah max is better.
max vs lw is like chevy vs ford, ati vs nvidia, amd vs intel and so on.

[limey BSc.]

Currently, Max 2011 x64. I get free licences through Uni, so I like to keep up to date

Started in Milkshape, moved to Max 9 SP2, then onto Max 2009, Max 2010 x64.

[MarkyD]

I started out on Milkshape, then onto max v4.2 then v5 and 5.1, then 6,7,8,9,2009,2010 and now 2011 64bit All fully licenced and legitimate. I also have licences on Hexagon and an old version of Silo. Currently I am using max 2011 64bit and learning maya 2011 and mudbox 2011.

My fav has to be Autodesk 3DS Max 2009 I think. It had the best balance for me and was not a system hog. But ask me in six months because the more I use Maya the more it impresses the hell out of me.  ;)

If i was starting from the beginning I would go with BLENDER, it produces work equally as good as any other product but it is completley free. Its got a huge following now too.