Why not Carrara Studio???
Carrara Studio can do almost everything Maya can, and also save in formats like 3ds, etc.
And it is cheaper, and has a nicher support user base that is very helpful. For someone who is wanting to do indie work, a purchase of Carrara Studio (now 3.0) Is the place to be. Learning is not hard either. Just like anything else, takes time to do stuff!!!
I myself have a purchased copy of Carrara Studio 2.0 and plan on using it in my game developments. Anyway good luck in whatever path you choose!
|