Whats the best way to animate with 3ds max?

I have 3ds max 2011, I also have tons of other programs that Ive not yet learned, Zbrush, Cinema 4d, Maya etc…

Ive been modelling for the past few weeks with 3ds max and get great results with the VRAY renderer, I like this because it makes my models look the most real (providing lighting and texturing is good enough), but when I tried to animate a scene it took 5 hours for 9 seconds of animation!!??

Surely thats not right?

I just want to do some character animations but at the best quality.

Also, im trying to learn toon boom studio and Anime studio for 2 d animation but i find it hard going, is there any better software outthere?

Here is my Specs

IntelCore i7 980x 3.33GHz (12MB Cache)
Dual 1GB GDDR5 ATI RadeonHD 5870 Crossfirex
24GB Tri-Channel Memory
* Exclusive “Active Venting” thermal management system

No, that sounds about right for your kind of render quality. V-ray is one of the best external renderers on the market due to its photorealistic rendering capabilities, but unfortunately this will detract from the quick renders you are used to. Most professional 3D modellers have computers with at least 4GB of RAM and they usually use net rendering to speed up the process, that is, splitting the rendering of one file between a network of several computers.

If you want a shorter render time there isn’t much you can do, except perhaps reduce the resolution of the video, turn off anti-aliasing, use hard shadows instead of raytraced ones, use lights rather than Global Illumination, and trying to keep your characters as low-poly as possible.

3ds Max tutorial – Vray Studio lighting

Realistic Architectural Visualization with 3ds Max and mental ray, Second Edition (Autodesk Media and Entertainment Techniques) $28.79 Revitalize your architectural visualizations by bringing new levels of realism to them with an enhanced command of the mental ray toolset in 3ds Max. Full-color step-by-step tutorials give you a firm understanding of the processes and techniques needed to create impressive interior and exterior visualizations. You’ll learn how to prepare materials, light a daytime interior scene, use mr Physical S…

Architectural Rendering with 3ds Max and V-Ray: Photorealistic Visualization $25.69 Create high-quality photorealistic renders of architectural visualizations using 3ds Max and Vray with the project-based tutorials in this book. Learn how to combine lighting and rendering options to end-up with the most realistic final renders possible at a professional level. The tutorials in this book are filled with beautiful full-color images and they teach you how to light both interiors and…

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