Cinema 4d studio vs. prime software#
Cinema 4d studio vs. prime professional#

Comparing 3ds Max and Cinema 4D’s learning curve for arch-viz Cinema 4D is often used in Western European countries though, where use of Graphisoft ArchiCAD is common among architects and designers (ArchiCAD being owned also by Nemetschek, the company behind Maxon Cinema 4D).

Cinema 4d studio vs. prime software#

In case of arch-viz use, 3ds Max is more popular in most countries – especially in areas where Autodesk software packages dominate in AEC. video game artists prefer 3ds Max for its modeling tools, while motion graphics artists often choose Cinema 4D instead primarily for its MoGraph module. However, both software also have their niche industries, where they’re extremely popular – e.g.

This approach enabled Maxon to provide different versions of the software to different industries, which is – from September 2019 – no longer the case.īoth 3ds Max and Cinema 4D has an ultra-wide feature set, with a significant overlap. Cinema 4D’s development is also characterized by a modular approach, meaning complex software components and feature sets can be detached or added to the software. The more business-driven and careful development attitude helped defining stricter feature scopes, with a more designed progression from release to release. First versions of the software with a GUI were released only years later. However, Cinema 4D’s predecessor, FastRay wasn’t a full-fledged 3D package, but rather a renderer. If you’re interested in software’s history, you can read this interview with Tom Hudson, one of 3ds Max’s initial main developers.Ĭinema 4D’s beginnings also root back to the early 90’s. Adding features to the software was always, and still is somewhat organic, which resulted in an ultra-capable, yet bloated 3D package, used in so many industries. Autodesk entered 3ds Max’s development quite early, but the software’s progression was primarily dictated by its core developers’ ideas and experimentation in early days.

The idea of creating 3ds Max (3D Studio) wasn’t primarily driven by business objectives at start, but rather the curiosity of some of its initial developers to make a more capable 3D animation software. Understanding how 3ds Max and Cinema 4D were designed and created may help us comparing their primary use cases, ease of use, and other important aspects.ģds Max’s predecessor, the 3D Studio was released in 1990. Comparing 3ds Max’s and Cinema 4D’s context of creation and use I’m sharing my experience on the migration process, that may help you evaluate if migrating from 3ds Max to Cinema 4D was also beneficial, and effort-worthy for your business. I’m also running a Cinema 4D training for visualization with 3dhome, a Maxon-certified training institute in Budapest, Hungary. Whether I’m using 3ds Max or Cinema 4D, software puts no limit on the quality of my work. Today I’m using Cinema 4D and Corona Renderer in all projects I’m working on, and couldn’t be more satisfied I made the change. Cinema 4D recently changed its licensing having one package only, still selling one-third the price of 3ds Max.Īt the time I started migrating from 3ds Max to Cinema 4D, there weren’t many guidelines or opinions shared on the subject. Cinema 4D versions' flexibility was also very appealing, the basic, yet also powerful 'Prime' edition being roughly one-sixth the price of 3ds Max. Being already an advanced user of Corona Renderer, the next strong alternative was Cinema 4D, which also supported Corona (even though it was in beta at that time).

Cinema 4d studio vs. prime professional#

After starting my business doing professional architectural visualization I had to revise the tools I used in my workflow from a financial perspective, since being dependent on 3ds Max – one of the most expensive 3D software of all – was a luxury I wanted to validate I can't get around. I've also run intensive arch-viz workshops for companies, teaching 3ds Max.

I've worked with the software as a team player at various arch-viz studios, as well as visualised my own and other architects' designs as a student of architecture. I've been using 3ds Max for more than 12 years for architectural visualization, in different contexts.