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Alias|Wavefront Releases Free Version of Maya 32

Posted by pudge from the free-as-in-you-can-afford-it dept.
Gribflex writes "There's good news today for those of us who are heavy into 3D modelling and animation. Alias|Wavefront has released a free version of their popular software Maya. That's right, free." Maya Personal Learning Edition, for Windows and Mac OS X, offers unrestricted access to the features of Maya, but displays a watermark on images, uses a special non-commercial file format, and plug-ins are not supported.
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Alias|Wavefront Releases Free Version of Maya More

Alias|Wavefront Releases Free Version of Maya

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  • oh great!

    can I now recreate Final Fantasy on my I book?

    Final Fantasy: Bill Gates hunted by the mutant, bloodsucking hounds of the Justice Department....

    Dirk

  • Free Version? (Score:2, Flamebait)

    by Satai ( 111172 )
    Leaves a watermark... doesn't use plugins... non-commercial format...

    Ok, so is this a demo? I'm confused as to what seperates this from, say, CoolEdit Pro Demo or Paint Shop Pro, or any of the other semi-crippled products available for test use.

    Anybody know?
    • well for starters, it's the first time maya has released "crippleware", in an attempt to curb rampant pirating. secondly, it's an unlimited time use licence, unlike other time-limited demos. this means that for the casual user who might want to try out their software, now they can, without dealing with a download of the pirated version that stopped at 96% after an excruciating 6 hour download. maya also can collect user data on their previous piraters, which provides them with valuable marketing data, who, who knows, may possibly lead to a $150 "consumer" version that sits between the two versions offered right now.

      of course, this won't stop the hard core 1337 warez d00dz from downloading it and making hard core pornos of dr. aki ross and a cgi version of themselves, but more than anything, thiw will allow maya to reach out to the "casual", non uber-geek user, or aspiring female technophobe artist in middle school, and once again, provide valuable marketing data.

    • Re:Free Version? (Score:1, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward
      It's basically like free heroin. They're pushing it as a way for students to be exposed to Maya (free of charge) and get ramped up on it....and of course not being able to work without it. They want to expose people to Maya. It's definitely more complex than a drawing app, so a demo of a product like this is mighty helpful. This is all with the hope of increasing sales down the road obviously. It's also a counter to Discreet's gMAX offering.

      The Maya PLE is a crippled Maya Complete setup. The file format is proprietary to this version, most plug-ins won't work (some web export stuff *may* work), and of course the watermark is there in rendered images.

      I don't think it's a bad idea, but they have an uphill battle increasing sales. For one thing, it's hard to find a discounted price (Maya Complete is usually $6,500). For another, the Mac version is pretty much a revision behind their other platform offerings (v3.51 for the Mac, v4 for Win2k/WinNT/Linux; v3.51 is an enhanced v3). They also have next to no free plug-ins for the Mac version (commercial version), yet they have dozens for the WinNT/Win2k version. Why even bother with the Mac version, really?

      (Getting off-topic) I wanted to buy Maya Complete for game development, but held off at the last minute. I found that between Cinema4D/BodyPaint and LightWave, I have a slew of tools and plug-ins at a lower cost. (Getting more off-topic) IMHO, if you want to work with video production (any CG work), Maya is a good bet. If you're looking for good renderings and/or game work, LightWave and C4D are a better route. This is assuming you want to stay on the Mac...
    • I do not think it is meant to be an evaluation version (or just that), but rather a way for more exposure -- get more people using Maya in a non-commercial environment so that they are more likely to recommend Maya to others (friends, the company they work for, etc.) or even buy Maya themselves.

      It also hurts the competition -- are you as likely to buy Carrara [eovia.com], Cinema 4D [cinema4d.com], or Bryce [corel.com] now that you can get Maya Personal Edition for free? What about using/trying/buying Autodesk [autodesk.com] or Lightwave [newtek.com]?

      It's like Solaris x86 -- a great way to get Solaris experience on a tight budget.

    • The non-time-limited thing strikes me as the crucial distinction. Maya is pitching this as the "Personal Learning Edition" with an emphasis on learning. I expect their target audience is -- apart from hobbyists and the curious -- aspiring animators who want to train on the software without dropping several thousand dollars on it.

      Those aspiring animators had better have access to newer Macs, though. The minimum specs call for G4s with half a gig of RAM. Looks like my ol' Wallstreet isn't going to be cranking out Final Fantasy II: This Time We Bought A Screenplay any time soon...
  • There are so many limitations in this version. Like huge watermarking on the renders AND inside the program, total incompatibility with all other file formats... That it's just a demo not a free maya.

    If you want to get started on on 3D graphics you should rather use one of the really free (as in beer or as in speech) programs or a low-cost one. It will be much more better than this Maya demo.

    The only use I can see for this version is if you're already a competent 3D artist and you want to add some Maya experience to your resume.

  • Wow (Score:5, Insightful)

    by omega9 ( 138280 ) on Wednesday February 27, 2002 @07:34PM (#3081248)
    What a lot of bitching going on in here. Get some coffee, eat a twinkie and lets break this down.

    A full version can cost over $6,000. How many of us are going to legally purchase a full copy of Maya for home use? Only those who are serious about getting into the field of 3D would consider that. Now, how many of us are interested in production quality 3D and would like to play with the toys the pros use? I certainly am, and I bet there are a lot of others.

    So Alias|Wavefront makes a killer move and covers a lot of ground by making this free version available. First, it makes available to us a close-to-the-original free copy of Maya for home/non-commercial use. More people than ever will be able to see what Maya is all about and perhaps become interested in a career in 3D. Second, they keep it far enough away from their full version to keep their customers happy. If you were a paying customer who just bought Maya for >$6,000 and suddenly it was free, wouldn't you be a bit upset? Third, they kill any legit reason for Maya to hit the warez circuit. The usual excuse is "If it wasn't so expensive we wouldn't have to pirate it!" and now it no longer works. If you're that serious about 3D you either have an employer who uses Maya or you will get it yourself. If you're just a home hobbyist now you've got your version too.

    Yes, it's cripled, and no, there's no Linux version (WTF are you thinking A|W?). But before now it was either the full version or nothing. Just because they didn't release it under the GPL (yeah, right), or they left out some features doesn't give anyone here much right to bitch-n-moan.

    • Re:Wow (Score:3, Insightful)

      by codexus ( 538087 )
      You say you're interested in production quality 3D and want to try the tool of the pros. Fine, as a demo this Maya will let you do that.

      But then in some time, after learning the soft you'll probably want to put some of the images on your website, or simply show them to your friends. But what you'll have to show is an image covered by a big text. That's not going to impress anyone. And you won't be able to export any of your creations, should you decide to use another program.

      After spending many hours learning this program you'll be at dead end. If you don't buy the full version you won't get any result from your work. So unless you're ready to spend $6000, wouldn't it be better to start learning to use a tool that you can afford to buy? Maya isn't magic, you can make pictures just as good with less expensive tools.

      As for stopping piracy, I don't think for one second that a pirate will choose to use this "demo" instead of downloading a full version.

      Now, I think it's great they are releasing a demo so that people can try the soft and see if its really worth the money, but calling it a free Maya is misleading.
      • The poeple that use Maya (full version) fall into one of the following catagories:
        • Professional in the industry
        • Hard-core hobbyist
        • Small time hobbyinst with to much money to spend
        • Warez junky


        Most small time 3D hobbyists will not be using Maya because it is way out of their league as far as price in concerned. I am a big fan of Truespace because it can be had for less than $500 and does nearly everything I enjoy doing in 3D. Having a free version of Maya available lets me see what I can do with pro tools. Who knows, maybe I'd change careers.

        As for stopping piracy, I don't think for one second that a pirate will choose to use this "demo" instead of downloading a full version.

        I don't think a pirate will make that decision either, but I think it will keep potential pirates from downloading a warez full copy. If a lesser version is available for free it is much easier to get then warez. You could argue 'tasting the goods' will lead people to want the full version, but again nobody is going to change a pirate's ways. What this does do very well for A|W is give them clout in any potential court case. Cripled or not, there's a version of Maya for anyone who wants to use it. Remember, it's not your right to run Maya any way you see fit. They're just trying to introduce their product to "potentials".
        • Most small time 3D hobbyists will not be using Maya because it is way out of their league as far as price in concerned

          I fall in that category. I can't afford Maya, so I've no use in spending too much time on the demo. A couple hours to see what it's like yes, but that's all. I'm just not interested by software in that pricerange. I'm quite happy with Blender, Vue D'Esprit, ZBrush and Poser which cost me a reasonable price.

          Remember, it's not your right to run Maya any way you see fit.

          Absolutley, right. I'm not complaining about their choice to release a demo version and I don't think they should have released a really free version. I just wish they had called it a demo rather to try to get free publicity by claiming to give away Maya for free... There's a Lightwave version crippled in about the same way, and they are calling it a demo. Well, that's just a question of choice of words.
      • Maya isn't magic, you can make pictures just as good with less expensive tools

        True, but Maya does make it a lot faster to get good results. My brother-in-law went from Lightwave to Maya. I watched him do stuff with Maya in minutes that used to take hours with Lightwave. He got a good job doing animations for a client that only uses Lightwave. They had already built the models, textures, etc. They just needed a good animator. He bought Lightwave just for this job (it is a long term thing). Lightwave is better than it used to be (from 5.x to 6.x) but it's still no Maya.

      • Yes you can make pictures just as good with less expensive tools, but you cannot make animations just as good. It is the artist not the tools, but there is a level of complexity that cannot be achieved with anything less than the magic five (lightwave, 3ds, softimage, maya, houdini).

        If you don't like it, don't use it and stop whining about how a free trial version of a program has a watermark. The trial is there because of mind share. They want people to learn without pirating the software. When people learn, then they will want the real version. Software this complex demands it, and it isn't all about the cost, it is also about the ability to use it.
  • Can someone post a coherent version of the instructions on how to implement the Maya krack? The damn readme that comes with that krack are so poorly drafted. I mean, where the hell do I put that silly "AW.DAT" file?

    /me awaits visit from BSA. (I'm only kidding, sorta).
    • Can someone post a coherent version of the instructions on how to implement the Maya krack?

      It's an intelligence test. If you can't figure out the crack, you have zero chance of ever figuring out Maya.

      I've had better luck farting around with NASTRAN or SAP than Maya. It's fantastic software, truly amazing, but utterly impenetrable if you don't have the documentation or a tutorial or something.
      • I would assume that, unlike the krack readme, books and manuals and tutorials on Maya are actually in whole sentences that relate to reality. I might be wrong about that, though. I guess that's what happens when PC guys are in charge of the kracking.

  • Just like so many things in life... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by PrimeWaveZ ( 513534 ) on Wednesday February 27, 2002 @11:40PM (#3082267)
    Just like so many things in life, you get what you pay for. When you shell out $6k for Maya, you get a pretty bitchen application. I don't think anyone would dispute this. Sure, there are some bugs and shortcomings, but there are plenty of good reasons to spend that kind of money if it is really worth it to you.

    When you don't have to shell out any money for something, it is only because of the good graces of those allowing whatever it is to be free. The folks at A|W have no obligation whatsoever to provide any of this to anyone for free. They are doing it because they want to, and they really don't have to answer to anyone for it. Anyone who reads the documentation for this program knows what is different between the free version of Maya and the commercial version.

    Frankly, I think A|W put a lot of work into this freebie app that they didn't need to. People who know their stuff would probably go ahead and buy the program for whatever they need it for.

    As for someone's comment that since it is free, it should include source code or be a fully functional app but for noncommercial use, you are really a moron. One thing that the open source and free software communities have a negative effect on is hard work making a profit. I have no problems with dedicating time to open source and free software development, but every person and every company has a right to charge for their hard work. Why would they include source to a $6k program and disclose a lot of proprietary intellectual property? That doesn't make sense at all...

    Lastly, nobody is making anyone use this software. There is nothing that says "If you want to do 3D, you have to use this demo version of Maya." If you don't like it, go elsewhere. The beauty of having a free will is not being constrained by having only one choice. It seems, though, that many are constrained by having too many choices.
  • When I click on MayaPLE351.img, DiskCopy says "Could not mount"

    Anyone else have that problem?
  • Due to an overwhelming demand for the Maya Personal Learning Edition, we are experiencing a temporary slow-down in our server. As we don't want our users to experience long delays, please come back again shortly and try again. Thank you for your interest in the Maya Personal Learning Edition!
  • I will simply have to try it out. I enjoy 3D modeling and have had a blast with Blender. Perhaps if they get enough downloads they will consider changing the crippled features or offer a middle ground product that is under $500.00. I would buy it if it was reasonably priced. I don't mind not having professional features geared for a motion picture production house. I just want to make awesome 3D stills and some small animations. I don't have a renderfarm nor would I need one. I don't have 12 hours to render a production quality frame on my wimpy PC.

    If you simply don't want to pay, look at Blender it is truly amazing. Maya is technically better but you can do quite a bit with Blender and there is a huge community for help and support.

    Blender [blender3d.com]

  • A Better Learning Alternative... (Score:4, Informative)

    by aluminumcube ( 542280 ) <greg@nOsPAm.elysion.com> on Thursday February 28, 2002 @06:40PM (#3087312)
    http://www.dvgarage.com For US$200, you get a full copy of Electric Image 2.9 (no time limits, no dumb file formats, no BS) Modeler and Animator. While that's worth the price of admission for most people, DV Garage's coolest trick are the few hours of video walkthroughs, tutorials, training and other goodies. DVG will soon be offering Electric Image Universe 3 with full OS X compatability. While Electric Image isn't exactly Maya (though EI does have plenty of big time movie credits to it's name), the DV Garage package's training is nothing short of excellent. Maya's 'Learning' edition comes with NO training.

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