If you go through several programs, then what's important is the model's orientation in the last program used. It is common for orientation to change when converting between file formats, and there is no standardization to this; it depends on your exact workflow. You pretty much decide on an art path, and then do a little trial-and-error to figure out specifics like orientation.
Maya uses a right-handed coordinate system with Y pointed up, X right, and Z out of the screen. You do know there is an icon of the axes in every view, right? This is almost the same as Blitz's axes; in Blitz Z points into the screen, for a left-handed coordinate system.
Maya uses a right-handed coordinate system with Y pointed up, X right, and Z out of the screen. You do know there is an icon of the axes in every view, right? This is almost the same as Blitz's axes; in Blitz Z points into the screen, for a left-handed coordinate system.