So I am going to learn a 3D modeling program for the UDK. I am wondering which program would be the best to go with. Not just for simple models but like intense ones like extreme detail in characters, airplanes, guns, etc. What do you think and why?

Haha i remember when i first asked this question well similar anyways. but to back to the question to be honest their both great packages to use how ever 3ds max which btw is my favorite, cost money of course i believe $3500 is the cost but if your just learning for now then go ahead and make a student account and grab a free 3 year copy and buy it if your comfortable with it and ready to sell stuff, whiles blender is free i get the idea you might have figured this out already soo yeah lets get to the good stuff 3ds max does it all and is pretty dam easy to use they keep it simple and easy to get around it makes modeling a breeze when i started out i just played with everything to see what it does hah i was 14 i didnt know better but then i did what just about everyone should and did loads of tutorials and i fell in love with it sometimes id work from 10 in the night untill 7am next morning hah those were the days but yeh on the other hand blender is a bit hard to get used too at first and can be daunting at times when starting but it does almost as much as max pretty much anything it lacks a few small features but overall is a great program i use it when i get bored of seeing max but yea to the last question when you said extreme details you have to remember this you wanna keep your models pretty simple.. using a bucket load of geometry on you'r models by that i mean polygons will just slow your game down which is what you dont want.. what you will end up doing is using stuff like normal maps which for example would make a flat surface like a plane for example seam to have those little details you see in bricks and the fine creases and i gotta say i love how well udk simulates this effect but just to clarify that last question between the two software they both can do just as much detail its just how well you can model really..start simple really i suggest you go here this guys a great person and really did a great job teaching various 3d software come check it out go to the playlist and see what it offers http://www.youtube.com/user/cannedmushrooms and 3ds max http://www.youtube.com/user/3dsMaxHowTos but you of course mr can do your googling hah id give you all my sites but im getting late for my road trip soo yeh all in all their both great ,gives you the same amount of detail , 3ds cost cash but u can get for free threw student none commercial license ,blender totally free but hard to get used to at first and you just gotta learn learn and love doing it and apply dont just watch the tutorials try out the operations on your own objects next dont reinvent the wheel bud there's a ton of sites giving you free models but if you wanna do the work then knock your self out its pretty rewarding i might add but yea go play with both and see which you like id personally use max and dont forget the big companies probably wont use blender they would prefer industry standards like max or maya soo yea honestly i would go for max but now the rest is up to you

Blender, Gimp and Zbrush

If you're serious about teaching yourself to create high end art, by learning these 3 pieces of software you can create the highest level of art for the least amount of money. Using online tutorials and 10 000 hours of dedication to the craft you'll build a body of work no one can ignore. (it takes 10 000 hours to master anything, it'll probably take you a couple of weeks to wrap your head around each piece of software and a few months to build anything you're happy with)

The skills you learn from GIMP and Blender can carry over to photoshop and any of the Autodesk 3D modeling programs, by figuring out the differences in terminology and interface. Zbrush is like no other software and handles 3D in a unique way. If you're serious about learning high end modeling its the one to spend money on once you understand the basics of modeling, shading and textures with Blender and GIMP.

TheSyfrX,

Take into consideration what Mratthew wrote.

You can also sculpt inside of Blender the last I saw. Sculptris is an excellent alternative to Zbrush if you would like to use similar tools features in Zbrush. Both are made by Pixelogic. You can create "extreme detail" in all 3D modeling applications that allow you to extrude edge, vertex points, and faces.

As SimonForsman said, the tool doesn't really effect the quality at which you can produce models. I've seen great work come from people who use Wings3D. Models that consisted of almost half a million polygons. All extrusions however. Time, and willingness to learn a program and find which programs best suit your available resources will help you determine which program you should continue with.

Note that most programs, Zbrush, 3DSMAX, Maya, Blender, and I would think Sculptris can export normal maps, along with bump, and height maps. Normal maps may be essential for you to make if you're going to be making models for use in the UDK. I'm not sure if UDK supports displacement map rendering for LOD rendering.

You may find that Sculptris, or Z brush are easier for making hard surface modeling which a lot of character assets use, such as clothing. Hard surface, and organic modeling can be done in all the programs listed above. Take your time to familiarize yourself with formats supported by the UDK.

As for images. I agree that gimp is a good program. As is Paint.NET (not Microsoft paint). You don't need Photoshop, but Photoshop is something I recommend having.