I have extensive 3D CAD modeling experience from my work as an industrial designer - however I learnt fairly quickly that this was in fact not in any real way helpful. If anything this actually proved to be a massive hindrance - in CAD modeling programs you work with solid shapes - everything you create has a depth; but in Maya everything you make is just a series of surfaces. That changes the the entire way you even think about how to create your models. 

To start with, I wanted to see how transferable my skill set would be. I downloaded and opened up Maya, and very quickly discovered they were in fact not. I spent a not insignificant time with some online tutorials, and began to learn the basics. 

Wanting to make the most of time (read: trying to find an easier and quicker way to do this) I considered creating my models in a more familiar software package and transferring these into Maya. After a little research, it seemed this was in fact possible (if not widely recommended according to the Maya and Unity forums). I wanted to experiment myself and see what kind of results. 

Unfortunately, this was not as smooth as process as I had hoped (pun fully intended). After bringing the model in and trying to reduce and smooth to get something that looked as intended, I was not successful. The biggest issue I came across was the extremely high poly count on the models I was exporting from Inventor to Maya, which would be difficult to render later. I decided that although this might be possible in some cases, it would probably be a better use of my time to concentrate on Maya.

Model created in Inventor

Model exported to Maya

Poly count reduced by 20%

Poly count reduced by 25%

Poly count reduced by 30%

After returning to Maya, with the help of some more online tutorials and spending time getting to know the basics, I was able to create some nice low poly assets for my environment. I would like to spend the time required to improve my skills and create the Player Character and Bear NPC assets myself, however I feel this may be outwith the time constraints I have, so I am also considering purchasing some assets to complete the rest of the game.