I've definitely decided to work in Unreal Engine 4; it's already installed and I'm learning it more with each day, but for 3D modeling, texturing, rigging, animating, simulating?

• Cinema 4D?
• HoudiniFX?
• MODO?
• Maya?

So far, I'm leaning towards Cinema4D due to its rich animation, modeling, and physics features. All for a reasonable price in one package. Anything from Autodesk is inordinately expensive, and lighter versions are heavily crippled.

Please consider only one package, as people don't have money to buy multiple software packages just so they can get marginally better features in one area. The cost of necessary hardware is high enough already.

The software would be mainly used for:

• creating big dynamic environments
• elaborate animations, mainly of machines
• simulated projectile weapons, destruction, etc.
• 3D modeling of machines, weapons and buildings, including interiors

I understand that later on I would have to use something like 3D Coat or Substance designer, or plugins, but those are polishing tools. I need to decide which core tool-set to buy. And yes, I can download and install trials of all of them, which would take 4 months at least, 1 for each, without guarantee of any accurate judgement.

Thank you for any advice you may offer.

As long as they all export a format Unreal can consume (e.g., FBX) I don't really see that it matters much: pick the one you are most comfortable using and which fits into your budget best, would be my advice.

Blender also works fine, and is free.

Yup, Cinema 4D natively supports FBX.

But I'm still looking for info for these 4 before embarking on a hefty financial investment.

Is anyone here actually working with C4D and UE4?

How come 3ds Max is not in the options?!

I would cast my vote to that, there is also a student version I think, though I don't know what the limitations are...

3 minutes ago, MarcusAseth said:

How come 3ds Max is not in the options?!

I would cast my vote to that, there is also a student version I think, though I don't know what the limitations are...

Because it's not full-featured like C4D is, and I don't like half-assed solutions like crippled and stripped software so then you have to go outside for plugins, buy new smaller software, etc.etc..

1 hour ago, Armantium said:

Because it's not full-featured like C4D is,

Cinema C4D has a lot of features yet almost none for game development.

Rendering and game development are completely different. Consider how long it takes Cinema C4D to render a single image. Even taking 1-2 seconds per image is to long because games need 30-60 images rendered every second. So many of the features it has just doesn't work in 3D games.

Although you can use it for 2D renderings if you plan on a 2d game.

Cinema C4D is known as the worst 3D software to use for making games. It took them 3 years after 2nd UV maps where standard to create proper support for 2nd UV maps. Not only that, there focus on effects, rendering and animation has caused them to fall behind in the 3D modeling department. It is rated sixth in 3D modeling for games.

The top for game design is 3ds Max, ZBrush, Maya, Blender , Mudbox followed by Cenima C4D and Modo.

In my opinion Blender should be second on the list, Maya doesn't have half the 3D modeling tools Blender has. 3ds Max's auto tools is what gets it first place and it's spline modeling.

HoudiniFX is for effects like Adobe After Effects, with better 3D support; it isn't made for games.

Give Blender a try, it's difficult to learn yet amazing once mastered. It's also 100% free, so you can pare it with say Cenima C4D to cover the stuff Cenima can't do.

Well, I do have an academic license for Maya, should I count on it for 3D modeling too then?

Is the academic license downgraded or is it just  a temporary legal issue until you upgrade to commercial?

5 minutes ago, Armantium said:

Well, I do have an academic license for Maya, should I count on it for 3D modeling too then?

Is the academic license downgraded or is it just  a temporary legal issue until you upgrade to commercial?

As far I remember Maya academic should be fine for non-commercial usage and if you do not care about watermarks on rendering..

3 minutes ago, Alessio1989 said:

As far I remember Maya academic should be fine for non-commercial usage and if you do not care about watermarks on rendering..

Those watermarks would be removed after the commercial upgrade?

Also, should I really look for a specialized 3D modeling software if it is purportedly a complete package, in terms of all the listed features?

And what about the UE4 importation issue?

Like everyone else I prefer Blender. I prefer free tools and only spent maybe $200 on tools for game development. Bought FL Studio 12, Pro Motion, and a few cheap programs. Blender has a TON of tutorials online and I stumbled upon this video while deciding what to say: