Hi! I just recently got more involved with 3DS Max 6, and I am trying to transition from Blender to Max. 
Max is a rather difficult program to work with(took me an hour to make lips for a character, which were deleted anyway), and I still don’t know all its functions. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop visiting Elysiun, I love all you people here! 
More on my transition progress later.
~Suu999
So you are going to start using a program that makes you work slower? Good move.
How about not bothering. I don’t think people here would like to hear about stories like that. It’s as if you are saying you are better because you use a popular commercial product. That’s insulting to both the community and the developers.
if you’re reading these lines now it means that you’ve most likely been reading the retarded and pointless reply above, banged your head to your keyboard, slapped the neighbour’s dog with a trout and well…
now the best thing you could probably do: ignore that 
would be rather interesting to know why you’re making the switch, can you give any details?
good luck anyway!
i made the same switch 5 years ago… in the other direction 
.andy
I think the main reason for making the switch is because programs like 3ds max are more widely accepted if you’re looking for a career in 3d graphics.
If you’ve allready paid thousands for your new program, I’d say keep going.
But, if you’re using just a demo/liberated version, and you don’t have aspirations for a job in this field, why bother? You can achieve similar results with blender, so why not stick with something you know better?
I have the student version of Max, I changed my mind from Maya and went ahead and ordered Max instead some time ago. The reason I’m switching to it is because there’s this CG movie I have in my head that I want to do for a film festival next year, and Max seems best suited for the task. Plus, I can do more complex animations with it(for what I know), the Rigging seems faster, and I can store an unlimited number of Morph Targets.
The reason it took me so long to model some lips was because I’m still trying to find my way around the program…it took me better than a week to make my first-ever simple figure in Blender was for the same reasons; I was new to 3D and didn’t know the program.
I’m not going to quit using Blender anytime soon; it’s an excellent program for making 3D games, and I want to use Blender and Max together for this one game idea I have. Max for the FMV’s, Blender for the game itself.
Thanks for the encouragement, @ndy.
Like Andy… I too made the switch from 3dstudio max to Blender
several years ago…
…best thing I ever did!
But hey, it´s your choice and I´m sure you have your reasons
So you are going to start using a program that makes you work slower? Good move.
How about not bothering. I don’t think people here would like to hear about stories like that. It’s as if you are saying you are better because you use a popular commercial product. That’s insulting to both the community and the developers.[/quote]
I’d rather like to know what he’s got to say about 3DS Max. People seeing reasons why 3ds max is unintuitive might make others think twice before switching to it.
Suu999: If you really want to switch from blender because you need something more powerful, I would’ve said to look into Softimage|XSI or Lightwave, they’re just as if not more powerful than 3dsmax and are far more intuitive. Cheaper I believe too.
Remember however not to become to emotionally attached the software you’re using, like certain others here. It’s pointless, only makes you looks obstinant and often times you’ll be rude to others because that have a different paradigim and viewpoint than you.
Keep an open mind, use what works best for you because it’s likely worth it and remember that it’s the art, the artist and not the tool or medium.
I’m also trying to cooperate with max…
I must say it is a pain having to remap all the hotkeys in your brain, to be as efficient as in Blender (I know max’s got custom hotkeys but going through all of them to re-assign them eats up too much time, I think it’s easier to learn new ones… I have a brain, let me make good use of it 
)
Well I’m still VERY far from getting how it all works, but I’m gathering some tutorials, and I’ve always have my bottle of air near me : Blender
Ciao and have fun!
Dani
Like others, I switched from “licensed” (cough!!) MAX to Blender two years ago.
Apart obvious money reasons, I prefer blender’s modeling speed, I miss Vray quality.
“But, if you’re using just a demo/liberated version, and you don’t have aspirations for a job in this field, why bother?”
I agree with that (but only in that case)
I model OK in Max, as I do in any modeler that can move vertices.
(3D is all the same) I don’t see any package as such terrible. maybe I’m uber comfortable with Wings3d, but by no means I’d suffer modelling in another.
Dani, you can simply configure once the keys in Max, till each and every command, menu option, etc, etc, and save the *.kbd or as txt, and then reload in another max machine in your team, or if you reinstall, etc. No need to reconfigure a single key when a new max is in ur hands.
BTW, for you that are making the -not the switch, as I have read, you are just using more packages, and, IMHO, that’s the key to learn better 3D, it gives flexibility to your mind, and adhere more to the concept of 3d than an specific UI, that anyway will change with time and authors- max learning now, I’d recommend you install some Maxscripts for moedlling. I actually think for modelling Max is not as strong as other packages (I don’t model intensively with Blender, but I know Wings well, and I know is faster in some areas ) , I’d recommend Meshtools 2.5 script, and several others. You can grab them for free at www.scriptspot.com .Oh, and free plugin at www.maxplugins.de
I use equally Wings3d, Max, UltimateUnwrap, Metasequoia, Photoshop, gimp, Open Canvas, Deep Paint3d… etc(Blender,a bit, also). I never understood really the concept of “switch”…I just use what is better for the task, project, or specific action/moment in a project. I have used very comfortably oldies like Npherno NST md2 uv mapping/skinning tool , or its version for Unreal mods…Quake modeler…Amorphium…Zbrush…It just forces to open your mind, but probably that’s not bad.
BTW, is really exciting to read the work being done right now in animation features in Blender…who knows, I may end up doing some of my animation work with it.(in the late years, I’m largely more interested in animation, maybe as was the latest area I “attacked”…and as I said, modelling can be done OK with maany packages.)
BTW, someone mentioned XSI, yep , I have it, but beware is really deep , even if you are experienced in 3d …gotta love that pin bone at key shortcut…
BTW, did u purchase max 7 or 6…If is 7, you’re gonna make me really jealous…well, even if it’s 6… or even 5…
Much good luck with both packages.
Anyone who knows me also knows that I am a raving LightWave fan. The built-in renderer is beautiful, and if you’ve never modeled in LightWave, you’re truly missing out. I don’t think I can even model in Blender anymore.
Anyway, I fully support and encourage experimenting with commercial packages when possible. The more knowledge you can gain, the better. Blender is a fantastic application, but if another program feels more “right” to you, then that’s what you should use.
Good luck.
And indeed I’m eager to have the chance to test its modelling tools a bit more in depth.Been told it’s a wonder.
Well, the thread sounded similar to the other guy who came around here (fudge maybe?) who then switched to Max and came here posting a 3DS Max tutorial as if he was saying, this is how 3D should be done and suddenly because he was using Max, it’s as if he turned guru overnight.
I’m not saying that people shouldn’t use other software - there are plenty of reasons to. I’m just saying that some people switch with the wrong attitude.
From suu999’s follow up reply, I realise my judgement was perhaps too hasty.
Why? Since there is a demo, anyone with Windows can get the program and use it and find out if they like it. Software as you pointed should be chosen for individual reasons and there is no way suu999 can weigh up all the good/bad points about 3DS in order for others to make a decision if they want to switch.
I’m guessing that was directed at me. As it happens, I’m not emotionally attached to Blender - I use other software to make up for Blender’s inadequacies too. But I just didn’t think it was appropriate to post a thread on a Blender forum about it that’s all. I seem to recall one of the first posts I made was about Blender vs Maya because I was making the switch to Blender and I got my ass flamed. But now if someone goes the other way everybody’s all nicey nicey. That doesn’t make sense to me.
if someone needs a pro app - why not look at c4d and finalrender? or if you need to do things fast, c4d and vue? from freelancer pov, you can’t get lower in price and pictures tend to look nice and sharp, with that buy me, buy me undertone.