[Hawkeye_a]

What are the free/cheap good 3D modelling and animation applications for the Mac? I used 3D Studio max almost 10 years ago in university, and havent done any 3D animation stuff since, and was looking to get back into it.

I'd prefer somethign with a UI similar to 3DSM, but am willing to learn something new.

I checked on getting 3D Studio Max but the price is prohibitive. This is just for a personal hobby.

Cheers

[demani]

Blender is your friend.

blender.org - Home of the Blender project - Free and Open 3D Creation Software

That's going to do an awful lot of what you want.

[bluedog]

If you have an eligibility for student status, Autodesk has most of their products available for a free temporary license. I checked Maya 2014 and it was a three year license. I'm not sure of the requirements, but if it applies to your situation or you can find a 'student' to help you out these are compelling offers.

Blender is one of the only totally free (opensource) 3d softwares for the bulk of the animation processes.

It has come a long way, although has its own idiosyncrasies.