I’m a 3D Studio max guy, but we have another employee that uses Maya on his mac here as well.

I’ve never used maya, but we’re trying to find the best solutions to “share” files between me and him.  We’re using the FBX export/import but we sometimes have to mess with the end result to make it look and work the same (materials right now).

I’m going to download the 30 day free trial this weekend of Maya and try to learn it so that when I talk with him I can help him more. 

Is there any good links, or books anyone can recommend that might help me make the transition?

Materials (shaders in Maya I guess?) are a big thing… and then little things like the “Show Safe Frame” in max that we can’t seem to do in Maya..

Thanks for all the help in advance.

Intel Quad Core Xeon 2.8 ghz 64 bit
8gigs of Ram

Here’s a good link to star about learning maya

http://www.everything4maya.com

3ds max 2009 and Maya 2009
``_RegI_``

Not any way that I know of to convert materials/shaders between Max and Maya. You should be able to rebuild similair materials - but it’s going to be a manual process.

n8skow [FA]

The PolyTrans plug-in from Okino will do this without a problem (in all the cases I have applied it) (www.okino.com). Once you purchase the PolyTrans plug-in install it for both Max and Maya. Then in Max export the scene using the PolyTrans bdf format. Next start Maya and open the PolyTrans plug-in and import the .bdf file you exported from Max into the scene. Everything comes in. This is the only way to do this without problems. If you have any questions contact support#okino.com. Robert Lansdale the Okino CEO and founder has been doing this for decades and his bdf format max to maya file convert is flawless. It beats the fbx approach/method in my opinion hands down.