General Beginner's dillema - which modeling program should I choose to create a racing track?

[MAXS0600]

Hello there!

I won't be long on this because it's a pretty simple thing, yet I'd love to have an any kind of advice from more experienced people than me.

Since early 2017 I'm getting excited over making my own racing track and did some the reserach about it.

(even made a simple, pre-alpha version for rFactor but soon I've realized it would be nice to follow the times and BTB has its limits)

The simple question is: Bledner or 3ds Max? I've managed to get free student license for 3ds but as soon I've opened the program I also realized it's as huge as I worried. I've heard many people recommending 3ds in general and I know that the payware program must be in many ways better. However, I've found a lot of Bledner tutorials on the internet and it's way much simplier for me, when well explained. (Bledner Guru is like Bob Ross of the program and I was almost able to create a mug just after a few hours).

I would very appreciate any kind of help!

 

[Cyneo]

Hello Max,

I use both, Blender and 3d Max, but i prefer Blender, because IMO, it's easy to learn and intuitive and it's very powerful too, so i would recomend that use Blender, besides, as you say, there are a lot of tutorials for Blender.

I use Blender for modeling my car for Assetto Corsa

 

[GT VIRUS]

3ds max user here. Go for Blender

 

[Ryno917]

I'd say go for Blender. More tutorials, and for game stuff it seems to be every bit as powerful as 3DS. Some of the best track guys here, like Lilski, use it.

I've recently started learning it myself. Steep learning curve, but you'll find that with any 3D program.

 

[AccAkut]

And according to the top guys it's a lot more stable in use, 3DS crashes more.

 

[Johnr777]

Another 3DS Max user here, go for Blender

It’s not that it crashes often anymore, the later versions are very stable! I just see the track guys having a much easier time doing the same tasks I do when building. Also seems it can do more with its built in tools while I have to use a dozen of buggy scripts lol

I just have too much time invested in it to try and learn Blender. Cant re-wire an old brain

 

[Ryno917]

Cant re-wire an old brain

Well that's not good for a Solid CAD veteran like me trying to learn this crazy poly modeling business

 

[Kyuubeey]

I'm fairly new to serious 3D modeling, so take it with a grain of salt, but I use, and recommend Blender.

Never tried 3DS, but I used Lightwave of all things before! A serious, professionals only program. I couldn't make anything worthwhile because of how difficult it was to pick up. Blender is the opposite: really intuitive and easy for most of it and good for beginners.

Very skilled people use Blender as well nowadays, for some kinds of professional work as well. Seems quite capable even if my personal image is that 3DS and Maya are the "industry standard" game-asset polygonal modeling softwares. Blender can still import successfully into a 3DS and Maya Subdivision based pipeline I believe, so I don't see an issue.

If 3DS is even half as hard to use as Lightwave for a beginner, I'd recommend Blender.

 

[MAXS0600]

Thank you so much for replies! I'll keep with learning Bledner. However, I'm gonna keep 3ds max as well, since I've figured out the plugin made for importing ripped Need for Speed World mesh. Might wanna try to do something with it

 

[Johnr777]

Hoping you are planning to use this mesh for reference and not a conversion...

 

[MAXS0600]

I assume you thought that I'm going to make a conversion of the whole map or something. Well, I am a beginner but I did some reserach and I do have a little of common sense I think It's obvious that an arcade game from 2010 have a very poor mesh, even for roads, so putting it into AC would be a total disaster.

I wanna try remaking the college campus of Rosewood city and just reference to the mesh from NFS:W. I have an idea for it to make it not that much boring and hopefully I'll have enough of motivation to do that It does have some potential for me as for a playground map, and I hope it's not the worst idea!

PS. Also I'd die for some iconic area taken from an older game and put into this one. I think that the campus would be one of those spots.