In My first year as a Video Game TA I worked Maya and Python (which I loved), Since 2012 I’ve been at an exclusively 3DS Max studio, gaining skill with Max Script and C# (which I love less.) I feel like my 3DS Max chops now exceed my Maya skills.
But Looking around Tech-artist.org it seems that the TA ecosphere heavily favors Maya. I fear my Maya / Python skills are getting dusty. My home life is such that there is little time for extra curricular studies, and I have no opportunity or excuse to pursue Maya knowledge on the job.
I sometimes fear that my career may suffer, or my options be limited by “too much Max”. Is this a legit fear?
To be honest, learning new software is not the issue. And a technical artist ( in my opinion) is a fast learner anyway, so you would learn what is necessary to support the project.
I worked before on a project before that was only Max and now they put me on one that is Maya. You just adapt and go with it.
I would not worry about it, your process as a tech artist for solving problems and developing solutions is more important that specific knowledge of individual software packages.
ha, I struggle with this at least once a month. I work in maya and python primarily and worry i’m too specific to that environment. Like i need more c# to be more suitable to things other than maya or i need to learn HLSL better, or should i get better at rigging? My biggest fear is python. I love it, but i fear it’s “too easy” and becoming a saturated skill
It’s a very good idea to be able to say “I have worked professionally on both”, and maybe even a little side-project now and then to keep you hand in so you can talk about current features if it becomes an interview question. You probably want to polish your python skills regardless of which package you use: it’s a very generally useful thing outside of Maya, and if you get good at it then other modern languages (eg, Javascript) become pretty easy too.
I think when you specialize you will always run into this situation. I work a lot with pipelines and I’m worrying that my knowledge about rigging and engines withers away.
At least with Max you’re now in a nice position to get back into Python: Max now supports it.
> My biggest fear is python. I love it, but i fear it’s “too easy” and becoming a saturated skill
Yes and no. Python is easy to learn but hard to master. While it’s probably easy nowadays to pick up a “Python guy” it’s still difficult to find someone who is a Python guy who knows software engineering (i.e. the topics Rob Galanakis posts about: testing, TDD, architecture, dev lifecycle, etc.) in the context of 3D production. i.e. somebody who can design robust, maintainable, scalable and future proof systems. Those people are rare, vs. the masses who can clobber together quick throw away scripts. I know pragmatism is important but imho we’re still programming in a way too wasteful manner where the wheel is reinvented on a daily basis.
Haha I’m in the EXACT same situation, i was always a Maya-guy for my own projects, but then when joining the industry I had 3 3dsmax jobs in a row, making me subconsciously think Max was the pro option. Lately however I’ve started to realize that’s was just a co-incidence.