Tell me more ×
Ask Ubuntu is a question and answer site for Ubuntu users and developers. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 20 down vote favorite
3

These are my software needs:

  • 3DS Max 2013
  • Maya 2013
  • Photoshop CS5
  • TopoGun RC1
  • Zbrush 4r4
  • After Effects

I want to install Ubuntu onto my Asus Laptop, but worried that the above software will not work in Ubuntu even using WINE. What opinions or suggestions could you give a Linux beginner. Should I stay with Windows 7 or is Ubuntu a possibility?

Thank you for all the great responses. I realized I forgot to mention that I have a newly built up desktop computer I built myself to go beyond the recommended requirements of the above mentioned software. I hear and read great things about Ubuntu and figured I would see if it would be feasible to install Ubuntu onto my laptop and use the above software if I am up and about.

I guess Linux will have to wait until the software above is made for it. Too bad though, Linux sounds like a really good OS.

share|improve this question
You can try Ubuntu Studio, a Ubuntu variant specifically designed for audio, video and graphics enthusiast (also for professionals). – Emerson Hsieh Aug 5 '12 at 10:21
2  
That industry is saturated as it is, so if one is looking to survive, they should spend time focusing on what it is they want to specialise in (animation, modelling, visual effects, etc.), rather than wondering if every package in the field will run on *nix. :) – deizel Aug 5 '12 at 14:44

closed as not constructive by Jorge Castro, Jo-Erlend Schinstad, Call me V, John S Gruber, Mitch Aug 23 '12 at 19:48

As it currently stands, this question is not a good fit for our Q&A format. We expect answers to be supported by facts, references, or specific expertise, but this question will likely solicit debate, arguments, polling, or extended discussion. If you feel that this question can be improved and possibly reopened, see the FAQ for guidance.

5 Answers

up vote 61 down vote

No you can't.

If you need to use these tools as an enthusiast, wine is great but if your life depends on it then I won't recommend that you use wine. Its important that you chose the right tool for the job, in your case the software you list runs natively on windows and you should chose that. Linux is awesome, it has its own set of advantages such as security, speed and also being open source.

People will suggest alternatives like wine and virtualbox or vmware player and for enthusiasts it is just fine but for someone who makes a living using those tools, it might not be the best case. You are unlikely to get any support for Photoshop on wine if something was to go wrong.

If you do use any linux distro, then I'd suggest that you use alternatives that run natively on linux, some of them are really good and the others are slowly but surely catching up and with most software being available on the cloud, the linux platform will be easier to use for all pc users.

In the end its your life and your choice, all the very best.

share|improve this answer
+1 for practical answer – Tachyons Aug 6 '12 at 2:30
+1, short and great answer to the above question – Frederik.L Aug 6 '12 at 3:20
+1 Sad, but true – Laurent Couvidou Aug 6 '12 at 3:23
up vote 7 down vote

You can check Wine compatibility in their site: http://appdb.winehq.org/

  1. 3DS Max 9.x is rated Silver, 2011, 2010 are rated Garbage, 2009 is rated Silver.
  2. Maya is rated Garbage for the 2009 and 7.0 versions, 2010 is rated Bronze.
  3. Photoshop CS5 is rated Gold.
  4. Zbrush 4R4 is rated Platinum.
  5. After effects CS5 is rated Garbage, CS4 is rated Silver and version 7.0 is rated Platinum.

Most of your software has a good rating, but I'd recommend you to use alternatives, such as Blender for 3D, GIMP (I know is not as powerful), KDenlive for Video, etc. For the software that doesn't work I also suggest you install Virtualbox and create a Windows VM (this of course requires your Laptop to support Virtualization, which most likely does and that you have plenty of RAM and a nice CPU).

By the way, I don't know if you haven't heard of Ubuntu Studio?.

Ubuntu Studio is a free, open, and powerful operating system for creative people to create their art. [..]Whether your focus is audio, video, photography, or graphic design, Ubuntu Studio is both productive and rewarding to use.[..].

As an officially recognized derivative of Ubuntu, Ubuntu Studio is supported by Canonical Ltd. and an amazing and continually increasing community.

You can take the tour here.

Wine Ratings

  • Platinum: Applications which install and run flawlessly on an out-of-the-box Wine installation
  • Gold: Applications that work flawlessly with some special configuration
  • Silver :Applications with minor issues that do not affect typical usage
  • Bronze: Software with major Issues
  • Garbage: Unusable software
share|improve this answer
I am not an artist in anyway, but I am very glad you showed me ubuntu studio(for I do some stuff for myself) +1 – Dr_Bunsen Aug 5 '12 at 11:49
Good research on wine compatibility, but I wouldn't suggest running such intensive applications under virtualisation as rendering times would go through the roof.. – deizel Aug 5 '12 at 14:36
Wine is not virtualization software. Under good conditions, wine should be just as fast as running directly on Windows, though for other reasons, it usually isn't. They're more focused on making things work correctly than optimizing for speed. – Jo-Erlend Schinstad Aug 6 '12 at 15:54
Maya 2013 is officially said to be working on Linux. They only have rpms for download, though, and they don't specifically say which distros they support. But you should be able to install it without using wine. – Jo-Erlend Schinstad Aug 7 '12 at 9:48
up vote 2 down vote

I am not a 3D artist, but I have used Blender for simple 3D stuff. Blender is a professional 3D suite comparable to Maya with 3D support.

share|improve this answer
1  
+1 Blender is REALLY awesome, but it takes some time to master it. – Emerson Hsieh Aug 5 '12 at 10:19
3  
I can't downvote, but Blender is in no way any of the software listed in the question and doesn't answer this question. If you think it is, you don't know what the actual industry requires. If they require Maya, they aren't even going to listen to you tell them how great Blender is ( and it isn't ). – Jarrod Roberson Aug 5 '12 at 14:04
3  
Downvoted because it doesn't answer the question. – Only Bolivian Here Aug 5 '12 at 18:55
2  
upvoted, because ppl should know about alternative way to do things. This list is means nothing, because OP can just check if software from the list is supported on linux by vendors. – eicto Aug 6 '12 at 1:14
up vote 1 down vote

Yep, I think you sure can but before you turn over to Ubuntu please check the Ubuntu HCL (Hardware Compatibility List) to ensure your hardware is supported to make full use of your system. I would look for the Graphics card the ASUS laptop and check if it's in the HCL to ensure it works best for graphic designers. If you can't find your ASUS laptop on the list, look up the individual Graphics Manufacturers & Models in the HCL and check if your ASUS graphic card is on it. You'll have to hit Start > Run and type in msinfo32.exe to open up the system information page in Windows and look for the Graphics card manufacturer & model on your laptop.

You can find the HCL here http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/desktop/

Ubuntu would be absolutely great for designers and artists as it uses very little memory as compared to Windows (Being a Microsoft Certified System Engineer/Administrator believe me I know). So basically the applications can have all the free memory as compared to Windows which restricts to less than 4GB on the 32-bit Windows 7 version.

Please note: I do agree with Nikhil though. If it's something you make a living from I wouldn't recommend to move completely. Instead it would be better to install Ubuntu on a system with Wine or VirtualBox and test your options out. If they meet your requirements and you are happy with the system, go for it.

share|improve this answer
up vote 1 down vote

As you say "These are my software needs:"

3DS Max 2013
Maya 2013
Photoshop CS5
TopoGun RC1
Zbrush 4r4
After Effects

With this list, Linux ( regardless of distribution ) isn't going to meet your needs in anyway.

None of the not natively supported software is going to run at any kind of performance or stability required for professional work. As someone who worked professionally in the 3D and Video editing industry, I know how important stability and workflow is. I would never consider trying to use software that wasn't exactly the version and OS that my clients were using.

Hobbyist will push stuff like Blender or Gimp as ( just as good ), a professional knows this is just not true. Margins are just to thin to waste any time trying to deal with converting assets from one format to another, or having software crash constantly or not redraw the screen correct, etc. You can't afford to waste even a second on trying to get things to work with some partially compatible software like Blender or Gimp.

If you are doing this professionally, or want to, then stick to the native operating system that your software runs on, anything else is a waste of time. You will probably need to have a more powerful machine than a laptop either way.

Linux is great as a headless 3D render farm OS where there is a render farm node available for it. As for working with the software you listed, it is an exercise in a waste of time if just one piece of that software isn't available natively.

If you really want to use Unix then use OSX.

Every package on that list except 3DS Max 2013 has a native version for OSX. OSX is Unix, it passes the Unix certification since Leopard. There are ways to use OSX on that ASUS laptop if you want to put some work into it, probably the same amount of work it would take to get Linux running on it as well.

share|improve this answer
3  
This is not a real answer. He does not mention Unix a single time. Your claim that no professional can use Blender or Gimp, is false. Using OS X on non-Apple hardware is a violation of the license agreement. His current OS supports all his tools, whereas the OS you're pushing only suppory supports some of them. Following your advise will make the situation worse. That makes your answer very unproductive. – Jo-Erlend Schinstad Aug 6 '12 at 15:47
THe entire question is about *nix like on a Ubuntu stackexchange, what else isn't about *nix like I don't know. OSX has been a true Unix for years now. Ubuntu isn't a real Unix is my point. I have worked in the Animation and Video production industry since the late 80s. Not a single professional I know, uses Blender or Gimp to do their work. Most don't use 3DS Max either, it has an entrenchment in games. Maya, Lightwave and Softimage dominate the professional circles still for everything else. 3DS Max is the only thing that isnt OSX native. – Jarrod Roberson Aug 7 '12 at 6:08
So your recommendation is that he switch from a completely supported operating system to one that is not fully supported and cannot legally be used the way you tell him to? Why? It doesn't seem to make any kind of sense – unless your goal is to promote Apple, which is not what this site is for. (We have had a few of those before) – Jo-Erlend Schinstad Aug 7 '12 at 9:44
The OP wants something other than Windows, so Ubuntu ( or any Linux distribution ) isn't appropriate, I was giving him an alternative that was mostly appropriate and a true non-Windows Unix experience. – Jarrod Roberson Aug 7 '12 at 18:04

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.