3DS Max

When it comes to 3D modeling, there are several software options available, each with its own unique features and capabilities. However, if you are looking to master a software for 3D modeling, Autodesk Maya is widely considered one of the best choices. It is a powerful and versatile tool used in various industries such as film, television, game development, and design. Maya offers a wide range of tools for modeling, texturing, animation, and rendering, making it a comprehensive solution for 3D artists.Various Software Options for 3D ModelingApart from Autodesk Maya, there are several other software options that you can consider for 3D modeling:Blender: This is a free and open-source 3D creation suite that supports the entire 3D pipeline – modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, and motion tracking.3ds Max: Developed by Autodesk, 3ds Max is another popular choice for 3D modeling and rendering. It is widely used in the gaming and architectural visualization industries.Cinema 4D: Known for its intuitive interface and powerful features, Cinema 4D is often favored by motion graphics artists and visual effects professionals.ZBrush: While primarily known for digital sculpting, ZBrush also offers robust tools for 3D modeling and texturing.Houdini: This software is renowned for its procedural workflow and is commonly used in visual effects and animation production.Modo: Modo provides a flexible modeling environment and is often preferred by designers and artists working on product visualization and concept design.SketchUp: Widely used in architectural and interior design industries, SketchUp offers an easy-to-use interface for creating 3D models.Rhino: Rhino is popular among industrial designers and architects due to its focus on creating complex geometric shapes.Each of these software options has its own strengths and weaknesses, so the choice ultimately depends on your specific needs, preferences, and the industry you plan to work in.

Maya is a proprietary scripting language. MEL is highly customizable, and that is one reason why Maya can be found a lot in the film industry because studios like to be able to create their own set of tools that can help them achieve their job much easier. Maya has really been know as the go-to app for 3D animators in the industry for its robust rigging and animation tools and its animator friendly workflow. You also have the choice of Maya LT which is a huge benefit among new game developers as it's a relatively cheap subscription cost, of course, you don't have access to as many of the features of the full version of Maya, but you still have the most important to a game designer, like modeling, animation and texturing.
Where 3Ds Max shines:
3Ds Max has been known for its powerful modelling tools, allowing you to create complex 3D models with a very fast workflow and robust modifiers, with the entire poly modelling tools contained in one area of the UI. It also has some really great architectural visualization capabilities that Maya really doesn't have. If you're brand new to CG 3Ds Max can be a little simpler to grasp, and can seem a little less daunting than Maya, making it a bit more user-friendly.
The big factor:
The biggest factor in choosing between the two actually has nothing to do with the application's toolset, but your operating system. Maya is available for Windows, Linux, and OSX platforms. 3Ds Max, on the other hand, is only available for Windows operating systems, which means if you're a Mac or Linux user, 3Ds Max is probably not the best choice.
The verdict:
You should really know what you're going to use the app for because this can help you decide which program to choose, and each program has different strengths when it comes to the different tasks, like modelling, or animation. If you want to get into character animation, Maya may be the best choice. However, 3Ds Max still has great animation capabilities, but Maya has a slight edge over it with its deeper list of tools. When it comes to modelling, either software is going to get the job done; it really comes down to which workflow you like more. 3Ds Max has a robust modelling toolset, but Maya has recently enhanced their tools as well. 3ds Max has typically been seen as the 3D app for the game industry, and it is known to have a bit more flexibility and options. However, Maya LT is also a great cost-effective choice when it comes to game development.

Autodesk 3Ds Max, formerly 3D Studio and 3D Studio Max, is a professional 3D computer graphics program for making 3D animations, models, games and images. It is developed and produced by Autodesk Media and Entertainment. [1] It has modelling capabilities and a flexible plugin architecture and can be used on the Microsoft Windows platform. It is frequently used by video game developers, many TV commercial studios and architectural visualization studios. So, 3Ds Max is a great rendering program. Modeling in 3Ds Max is something you need to get used to (I come from inventor so it's completely different). You can do Cars/ Interior ect in 3Ds Max. You can even do animation. It is also used for movie effects and movie pre-visualization. For its modelling and animation tools, the latest version of 3Ds Max also features shaders.