11-26-2013, 09:12 AM
(11-25-2013, 07:57 PM)Vipershark Wrote: You can get 3DS Max and Maya for free if you have a .edu email address
I don't know if it still works, but a couple of years ago I go a free copy of Maya by signing up as a tutor, it's a little janky and I couldn't begin to tell you if that's legal or not, but at the time it worked without any serious questions asked and nobody raised an eyebrow at it.
Personally I like Blender, it's got a bit of a learning curve (not nearly as bad as it used to be) but has the advantage of being a sort of all-in-one solution, and because it's so widely used there's plenty of tutorials and documentation, along with third party plugins and compatibility.
Most software that works with aspects of 3D modelling has either native Blender support or a compatibility plugin for importing/exporting.
The other reason I would recommend it is that it doesn't hold your hand at all or provide quick fixes to rely on, basically if you can wrap your head around Blender you can then migrate to a more professional (read: expensive) software suite without too much head scratching.