Autodesk 3ds max & VIZ - Release history

1. 3d Studio Max Models
2. Kinetix 3d Studio Max

Autodesk, Inc. debuted 3D Studio MAX(TM), a completely re-architected, Windows NT(TM) version of the world's leading professional 3D animation software. Featuring an all-new real-time interface, support for graphics hardware acceleration and multiprocessor systems, and the first seamlessly extensible architecture in its market, 3D Studio MAX will deliver full workstation-class performance and functionality to the desktop. In addition, Autodesk previewed the first 3D Studio MAX plug-in, a sophisticated application for animating two-legged skinned characters, called Biped (part of Character Studio). 3D Studio MAX and Character Studio software is shipping; pricing information is available.

'In 1990s, the combination of 386/486-based PCs and AutoCAD let Autodesk overtake IBM and become the global leader in design software, with a desktop product,' said Carol Bartz, President and CEO of Autodesk, Inc. 'To date, our 3D Studio product line has been tremendously successful, garnering nearly half of the entire worldwide market for professional 3D animation, on a relatively old operating system and modest hardware. 3D Studio MAX on Windows NT should have an 'AutoCAD effect' on the high-end 3D graphics and animation market: level the playing field in every respect except price, where we will win hands down.'

The 3D Studio MAX software is a revolutionary addition to the 3D Studio(R) product line, the most popular solution for professional 3D modeling, rendering and animation. The product has previously been available only for MS-DOS(R), with the 3D Studio rendering engine also available for Silicon Graphics workstations.

'With 3D Studio MAX, Autodesk has done it again: delivered a robust 'platform' for 3D innovation,' said Bill Caffery, vice president of the Advanced Technologies Groups at Gartner Group, a Stamford, Connecticut-based market research firm. 'I believe Autodesk is the first major 3D software developer to re-architect for Windows NT, a feat which all serious contenders in this market must emulate to remain competitive.'

3D Studio MAX

3D Studio Product Line

Autodesk has 70,000 DOS-based 3D Studio customers. Now it offers technologicaly superior 3D Studio MAX and VIZ.

Technology Advancements

Apr 5, 2018 - Kinetix 3d Studio Max 3.1 Download. / DE 3D live grafix SE 2.4 NeoN 3D live grafix is a fast, easy to use and fairly powerful raytracing program. 12 comments on “ Kinetix 3D Studio Max v2.5 ” DiptraLover on 2016/11/28 at 1:15 AM said: Hey Diptra, can you upload 3D Studio Max v3.5 from Discreet, because it’s my first used 3ds max version. Thanks man, i love you.

3D Studio MAX incorporates numerous technology advancements, which improve functionality and performance, including:

Graphics Acceleration

Using the Heidi graphics design structure developed by Autodesk, 3D Studio MAX software provides greatly accelerated shaded 3D graphics performance without hardware assistance. Through Heidi, 3D Studio MAX supports a wide array of graphic display devices, including the GLINT(R) chip set from 3Dlabs, which can provide TrueColor performance at two to four times MAX's 8-bit dithered performance. Using the Heidi technology, 3D Studio MAX drivers will also work with Open GL-based graphics cards.

Multiprocessing/Multi-Tasking

An extensively multi-threaded application, 3D Studio MAX takes full advantage of the symmetric multiprocessing features of the Windows NT operating system. Thus, PCs with multiple CPUs can potentially apply more than one CPU to a single 3D Studio MAX operation, or assign individual processors to several MAX operations simultaneously.

The highly efficient geometry pipeline provides 3D Studio MAX users with quick wireframe redraw capabilities and the ability to run the product in any or all viewports in a rendered mode, at any screen resolution, with or without 3D hardware acceleration.

Renderer Independence

3D Studio MAX is designed to be rendering-solution independent--multiple software-based rendering solutions will be supported.

Product Innovations

Following are some of the key areas of innovation and improvement within 3D Studio MAX that provide artists and animators with new levels of efficiency, control and creativity:

Seamless Interface

To make the product more intuitive to computer artists and animators, Autodesk has created a single environment within the 3D Studio MAX software. This means that even modeling and keyframing operations are seamlessly integrated, their results are apparent on-screen immediately, and those operations can be accessed without exiting other core MAX commands. In addition, all objects have an editable 'data history,' so earlier creation and editing commands can be accessed and nondestructively modified at any time and the changes will automatically be reflected in the current object state.

TrackView

TrackView is a comprehensive timeline environment which enables precise manipulation of all the animatable tracks within MAX. An alternative way to view and control objects, TrackView provides a vertical 'flow chart' of any subset of the objects in a scene, and all of the actions, effects and processes applied to those objects. TrackView lets animators bring sound files in to 3D Studio MAX and animate to music, and its function curve editor provides very advanced time editing controls including unlimited timing curves and notation tracks.

Space Warps

To facilitate the animation of scene-based special effects (i.e., black holes, explosions, etc.), a class of core component plug-ins called 'Space Warps' has been incorporated into 3D Studio MAX. These plug-ins let users define sets of objects and modify them collectively in real-time, in shaded mode, as users transform them.

Advanced Modeling and Animation Tools

3D Studio MAX software's object orientation enables sophisticated referencing and instancing capabilities, thereby letting users work easily with highly complex scenes, and create deformation effects without the need for morph targets. 3D Studio MAX will offer full sets of both polygonal and spline-based modeling tools. Additionally, inverse kinematics (IK) is now a built-in core feature, accessible from an icon in the toolbar, and new IK features such as position and orientation pinning assist in character animation.

MAX Plug-Ins

3D Studio MAX software will support plug-ins developed specifically for it, as well as a new category of highly integrated plug-ins known as 'core components.' Although it will not support plug-ins for previous (DOS-based) releases of the product, 3D Studio MAX has been enthusiastically embraced by all of the top 3D Studio plug-in partners, who are committed to delivering 3D Studio plug-ins and core components. Core components are Windows Dynamically Linked Libraries (DLLs) which are fully integrated with 3D Studio MAX itself. Because 3D Studio MAX is implemented as a series of DLLs, this method of 'plugging into' the product effectively lets third-party developers build seamless extensions to the 3D Studio MAX software's core, using Microsoft's C++ class libraries and compiler. The API for 3D Studio MAX software will ship with each copy of the product.

By using the core component approach to plug-in development, developers can create tools that function mode-lessly inside 3D Studio MAX, without 'suspending' the product's normal operations. 'In the past a plug-in that involved some amount of graphics editing would have to supply its own editor. Core components will be able to interact seamlessly with 3D Studio MAX software's own editing, keyframing, modeling, and rendering capabilities, which is a much more intuitive, efficient way for customers to utilize these third-party tools. This is a major breakthrough in plug-in technology,' said Bob Bennett, senior product manager for 3D Studio MAX.

'With its revolutionary product 3D Studio MAX, Autodesk has further refined and dramatically expanded its extensible architecture to make 3D media more accessible to both users and plug-in developers than ever before,' said Tim Forcade, president of Forcade & Associates and author of the book The 3D Studio IPAS Plug-Ins Reference. '3D Studio MAX offers seamless interaction not only with its native processes but also with plug-ins created by 3rd party developers; in fact it will often be difficult to discern any difference -- one of the primary goals in plug-in development.'

System Requirements

3D Studio MAX software operates with fast Pentium III or Pentium 4-based computers and 100 percent compatibles equipped with Windows 2000 or higher, 256MB of RAM, an high-resolution SVGA graphics card, and a hard disk with 500MB of available space. 3D hardware accelerators are supported, but not required.

(Ceny v CZ viz ceník firmy XANADU).

3D Studio MAX Release 1.1 - What's new in Release 1.1 ?

• Far better and improved import/export functionality (.DWG, Adobe Illustrator)
• New modelling possibilities (Meshsmooth, Editablemesh, Bevelling)
• New special effects (Combustion, Sound Controller)
• User SDK contained in 3D Studio MAX
• Windows 95 compatibility
• Allows to play and use (not modify) Character Studio files

3D Studio MAX Release 1.2 - Whats new in 3D Studio MAX R1.2 ?

• Official support for Windows NT 4.0
• SDK - software development kit included
• 3D Studio MAX 1.2 update can be downloaded from Discreet Web site
• Matrox Millenium HEIDI driver can be downloaded here

3D Studio MAX Release 2.0 - Whats new in 3D Studio MAX 2.0 ?

• More than 1.000 (!) new features and enhancements
• Three-times more functions than in R1.2 !
• NURBS surfaces, selective Raytracing, particle systems, RT inverse kinematics, dynamics, lens effects, drag-n-drop materials, OpenGL and Direct3D support...
• Lots of plug-ins shipped with MAX 2.0, other free plug-ins available (see our links page)
• More information about 3D Studio MAX 2.0 on Discreet Web site

3D Studio MAX Release 2.5 - Whats new in 3D Studio MAX 2.5 ?

• Trimmed and additional NURBS, better Booleans, 3D Motion Tracking, displacement mapping, QuickTime 3.0, VRML-97, Kodak Cineon, SGI RGBA, VRML import, etc.
• More information about 3D Studio MAX 2.5 on Discreet Web site
• CZECH version of MAX2.5 by CAD Studio localization

3D Studio MAX Release 3.1 - Whats new in 3D Studio MAX R3 ?

• faster and easier; nestable external references; application-wide scripting and macro-recording; a customizable work environment; a completely redesigned renderer; powerful organic modeling capabilities; NURBS; IGES import; and several features designed to enable creation of next-generation 3D game titles.
• More information about 3D Studio MAX 3 on Discreet Web site

3ds max 4 - Whats new in 3ds max 4?

• New inverse kinematics, bones as parametric objects, skin deformers, polyobjects, motion blur, depth of view
• Realtime Direct3D, support for Intel MultiRes (MRM), HSDS by Mental Images
• New features of user interface, Visual MaxScript, license manager using C-Dilla software key
• New application name...
• More information about 3ds max 4 on Discreet Web site

3ds max 5 - Whats new in 3ds max 5 ?

• New character animation, new generation of environment for game development (with support for DirectX 8 and DirectX 9), enhance workflow
• Radiosity (LightScape), Toon Shading
• Seamless support for 3ds max 4.2 plugins
• Includes reactor 1.0 (dynamics)
• New licensing available (network licenses, trial...)

3ds max 6 - Whats new in 3ds max 6 ?

• Schematic views
• Integrated mental ray® renderer 3.2 and Paint Studio for textures
• Integrated reactor 2 with ragdoll dynamics
• 3D patches modelling
• Support for AutoCAD 2004 and Architectural Desktop 2004, DWG format support
• AEC tools and materials
• Layer manager, commandline render, VC++ 7 API....
• More information about 3ds max 6 on Discreet Web site

3ds max 7 - Whats new in 3ds max 7 ?

More information about 3ds max 7 on Discreet Web site

3ds max 8 - Whats new in 3ds max 8 ?

More information about 3ds max 8 on Autodesk Web site

3ds max - Whats new in 3ds max 9, 2008, 2009, 2010 ?

More information about the latest versions of 'Autodesk 3ds Max' and '3ds Max Design' on Autodesk Web site

3D Studio VIZ - New designer's tool based on MAX technology

• New Windows vizualization and animation tool from Discreet (Kinetix). Based on 3D Studio MAX, targeted on CAD (AEC, MCAD) users. Free plug-ins (Drag&Drop, Sun...), reads R13 and R14 DWGs. Creates 2D-sections, parametric door/windows. Camera match - fit your model with existing photo. New feature - AutoSnap to existing geometry. 50 new AEC materials.
  
• Does not contain inverse kinematics, subobject animation.
  
• Upgrades from 3DS R4/Classic, upgrades to 3DS MAX.
  
• More information about VIZ

3D Studio VIZ R2 - New version for architects and AEC

• DWG-Link: hot link to ACAD drawings
• SmoothMove renderer
• AEC objects and materials (dynamic stairs, rails, trees...)
• WalkThrough Assistant, DGN in/out, ...
• Now available with localizedCZECH environment for VIZ 1.01 and 2.0!
• More information about VIZ R2

3D Studio VIZ R3i - New version for architects and AEC

• Most new functions from MAX R3
• AutoCAD 2000 support, incl. new DWG-link
• Inverse kinematics
• AutoCAD-like UI, layers
• Hidden-line rendering with DWG output
• Direct printing
• Modelling Content, Asset Manager
• IGES in/out
• Now available with localizedCZECH environment for VIZ R3!

Autodesk VIZ 4 - New version with Global illumination

• Most new functions from MAX 4
• Integrated functionality of LightScape
• New Global illumination renderer (radiosity) for natural lighting environment
• Improved DWG-link

Autodesk VIZ 2005 - New version with Mental Ray

• Most new functions from MAX 6
• Integrated Mental Ray renderer
• Architectural materials (as in VIZ Render)
• Render to texture, commandline render....

Autodesk VIZ 2006 - New version with interoperability

• Most new functions from MAX 7
• Integrated Mental Ray renderer 3.3
• DWG Link to AutoCAD, Architectural Desktop 2006, Revit Building and Inventor
• Toolpalettes, content browser, batch render, 3D DWF...
• More information about VIZ 2006

Autodesk VIZ 2007 - New version with Vault

• Most new functions from MAX 8
• Integrated Mental Ray renderer 3.4
• Xrefs, Asset Tracker, OpenEXR, AutoCAD 2007 compatibility, Toxik compatibility...
• More information about VIZ 2007

Autodesk VIZ 2008 - New version with Vault

• Most new functions from MAX 9
• Integrated Mental Ray renderer 3.5
• Select similar, architectural shaders, DirectX optimizations, AutoCAD 2008, Revit 2008, Inventor compatibility, Vista support...
• More information about VIZ 2007

Lightscape* - New renderer plug-in for 3DS MAX and VIZ

• Raytracing and Radiosity add-on renderer which can be plugged in 3D Studio MAX or VIZ. Detailed configuration options, photorealistic renderings.
• More information about Lightscape

Designer's Utility Pack - KINETIX add-on for 3D Studio MAX

• Contains:
• 3D Props (architectural library) models in .max format
• Texture Universe CD
• Drag and Drop plug-in for easy placing of models and texture to the scene
• Sunlight plug-in for placing of Sun according to geo-location and time
• Map scaler plug-in for adaptive texture scaling

Character Studio - A major MAX R3 plug-in for character animation

• Easy character animation by footsteps, motion capture, Biped (animation) + Physique (skinning)
• More information about Character Studio

Autodesk 3ds Max, formerly 3D Studio and 3D Studio Max, is a professional 3D computer graphics program for making 3D animations, models, games and images. It is developed and produced by Autodesk Media and Entertainment.^[1] It has modeling capabilities and a flexible plugin architecture and can be used on the Microsoft Windows platform. It is frequently used by video game developers, many TV commercial studios and architectural visualization studios. It is also used for movie effects and movie pre-visualization. For its modeling and animation tools, the latest version^[which?] of 3ds Max also features shaders (such as ambient occlusion and subsurface scattering), dynamic simulation, particle systems, radiosity, normal map creation and rendering, global illumination, a customizable user interface, new icons, and its own scripting language.^[2]

• 1History
• 4Modeling techniques
• 5Predefined primitives

History[edit]

The original 3D Studio product was created for the DOS platform by Gary Yost and the Yost Group, and published by Autodesk. The release of 3D Studio made Autodesk's previous 3D rendering package AutoShade obsolete. After 3D Studio DOS Release 4, the product was rewritten for the Windows NT platform, and renamed '3D Studio MAX'. This version was also originally created by the Yost Group. It was released by Kinetix, which was at that time Autodesk's division of media and entertainment.

Autodesk purchased the product at the second release update of the 3D Studio MAX version and internalized development entirely over the next two releases. Later, the product name was changed to '3ds max' (all lower case) to better comply with the naming conventions of Discreet, a Montreal-based software company which Autodesk had purchased.

3d Studio Max Models

When it was re-released (release 7), the product was again branded with the Autodesk logo, and the short name was again changed to '3ds Max' (upper and lower case), while the formal product name became the current 'Autodesk 3ds Max'.^[3]

Version history[edit]

Features[edit]

MAXScript

MAXScript is a built-in scripting language that can be used to automate repetitive tasks, combine existing functionality in new ways, develop new tools and user interfaces, and much more. Plugin modules can be created entirely within MAXScript.

Character Studio

Character Studio was a plugin which since version 4 of Max is now integrated in 3D Studio Max; it helps users to animate virtual characters. The system works using a character rig or 'Biped' skeleton which has stock settings that can be modified and customized to fit the character meshes and animation needs. This tool also includes robust editing tools for IK/FK switching, Pose manipulation, Layers and Keyframing workflows, and sharing of animation data across different Biped skeletons. These 'Biped' objects have other useful features that help accelerate the production of walk cycles and movement paths, as well as secondary motion.

Scene Explorer

Scene Explorer, a tool that provides a hierarchical view of scene data and analysis, facilitates working with more complex scenes. Scene Explorer has the ability to sort, filter, and search a scene by any object type or property (including metadata). Added in 3ds Max 2008, it was the first component to facilitate .NET managed code in 3ds Max outside of MAXScript.

DWG import

3ds Max supports both import and linking of DWG files. Improved memory management in 3ds Max 2008 enables larger scenes to be imported with multiple objects.

Texture assignment/editing

3ds Max offers operations for creative texture and planar mapping, including tiling, mirroring, decals, angle, rotate, blur, UV stretching, and relaxation; Remove Distortion; Preserve UV; and UV template image export. The texture workflow includes the ability to combine an unlimited number of textures, a material/map browser with support for drag-and-drop assignment, and hierarchies with thumbnails. UV workflow features include Pelt mapping, which defines custom seams and enables users to unfold UVs according to those seams; copy/paste materials, maps and colors; and access to quick mapping types (box, cylindrical, spherical).

General keyframing

Two keying modes — set key and auto key — offer support for different keyframing workflows.

Fast and intuitive controls for keyframing — including cut, copy, and paste — let the user create animations with ease. Animation trajectories may be viewed and edited directly in the viewport.

Constrained animation

Objects can be animated along curves with controls for alignment, banking, velocity, smoothness, and looping, and along surfaces with controls for alignment. Weight path-controlled animation between multiple curves, and animate the weight. Objects can be constrained to animate with other objects in many ways — including look at, orientation in different coordinate spaces, and linking at different points in time. These constraints also support animated weighting between more than one target.

All resulting constrained animation can be collapsed into standard keyframes for further editing.

Skinning

Either the Skin or Physique modifier may be used to achieve precise control of skeletal deformation, so the character deforms smoothly as joints are moved, even in the most challenging areas, such as shoulders. Skin deformation can be controlled using direct vertex weights, volumes of vertices defined by envelopes, or both. Capabilities such as weight tables, paintable weights, and saving and loading of weights offer easy editing and proximity-based transfer between models, providing the accuracy and flexibility needed for complicated characters.

The rigid bind skinning option is useful for animating low-polygon models or as a diagnostic tool for regular skeleton animation.

Additional modifiers, such as Skin Wrap and Skin Morph, can be used to drive meshes with other meshes and make targeted weighting adjustments in tricky areas.

Skeletons and inverse kinematics (IK)

Characters can be rigged with custom skeletons using 3ds Max bones, IK solvers, and rigging tools powered by Motion Capture Data.

All animation tools — including expressions, scripts, list controllers, and wiring — can be used along with a set of utilities specific to bones to build rigs of any structure and with custom controls, so animators see only the UI necessary to get their characters animated. Four plug-in IK solvers ship with 3ds Max: history-independent solver, history-dependent solver, limb solver, and spline IK solver. These powerful solvers reduce the time it takes to create high-quality character animation. The history-independent solver delivers smooth blending between IK and FK animation and uses preferred angles to give animators more control over the positioning of affected bones. The history-dependent solver can solve within joint limits and is used for machine-like animation. IK limb is a lightweight two-bone solver, optimized for real-time interactivity, ideal for working with a character arm or leg. Spline IK solver provides a flexible animation system with nodes that can be moved anywhere in 3D space. It allows for efficient animation of skeletal chains, such as a character's spine or tail, and includes easy-to-use twist and roll controls.

Integrated Cloth solver

In addition to reactor's cloth modifier, 3ds Max software has an integrated cloth-simulation engine that enables the user to turn almost any 3D object into clothing and even build garments from scratch. Collision solving is fast and accurate even in complex simulations. Local simulation lets artists drape cloth in real time to set up an initial clothing state before setting animation keys.

Cloth simulations can be used in conjunction with other 3ds Max dynamic forces, such as Space Warps. Multiple independent cloth systems can be animated with their own objects and forces. Cloth deformation data can be cached to the hard drive to allow for nondestructive iterations and to improve playback performance.

Integration with Autodesk Vault

Autodesk Vault plug-in, which ships with 3ds Max, consolidates users' 3ds Max assets in a single location, enabling them to automatically track files and manage work in progress. Users can easily and safely find, share, and reuse 3ds Max (and design) assets in a large-scale production or visualization environment.

Max Creation Graph

Introduced with Max 2016, Max Creation Graph (MCG) enables users to create modifiers, geometry, and utility plug-ins using a visual node-based workflow.

With MCG you can create a new plug-in for 3ds Max in minutes by simply wiring together parameter nodes, computation nodes, and output nodes. The resulting graph can then be saved in an XML file (.maxtool) or be packaged with any compounds (.maxcompound) it depends on in a ZIP file (.mcg) which you can share easily with 3ds Max users.

Adoption[edit]

Many films have made use of 3ds Max, or previous versions of the program under previous names, in CGI animation, such as Avatar and 2012, which contain computer generated graphics from 3ds Max alongside live-action acting. Mudbox was also used in the final texturing of the set and characters in Avatar, with 3ds Max and Mudbox being closely related.

3ds Max has been used in the development of 3D computer graphics for a number of video games.

Architectural and engineering design firms use 3ds Max for developing concept art and previsualization. 3ds Max shares a close resemblance to AutoCAD.

Educational programs at secondary and tertiary level use 3ds Max in their courses on 3D computer graphics and computer animation. Students in the FIRST competition for 3d animation are known to use 3ds Max.

Modeling techniques[edit]

Polygon modeling[edit]

Polygon modeling is more common with game design than any other modeling technique as the very specific control over individual polygons allows for extreme optimization. Usually, the modeler begins with one of the 3ds max primitives, and using such tools as bevel and extrude, adds detail to and refines the model. Versions 4 and up feature the Editable Polygon object, which simplifies most mesh editing operations, and provides subdivision smoothing at customizable levels (see NURMS).

Version 7 introduced the edit poly modifier, which allows the use of the tools available in the editable polygon object to be used higher in the modifier stack (i.e., on top of other modifications).

NURBS in 3dsmax is a 'legacy feature' none of the features were ever updated since version 4 and have been ignored by the development teams over the past decade. for example the updated path deform and the updated normalize spline modifiers in version 2018 do NOT work on nurbs curves anymore (they did in previous versions).

NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines)[edit]

An alternative to polygons, it gives a smoothed out surface that eliminates the straight edges of a polygon model. NURBS is a mathematically exact representation of freeform surfaces like those used for car bodies and ship hulls, which can be exactly reproduced at any resolution whenever needed. With NURBS, a smooth sphere can be created with only one face.

The non-uniform property of NURBS brings up an important point. Because they are generated mathematically, NURBS objects have a parameter space in addition to the 3D geometric space in which they are displayed. Specifically, an array of values called knots specifies the extent of influence of each control vertex (CV) on the curve or surface. Knots are invisible in 3D space and you can't manipulate them directly, but occasionally their behavior affects the visible appearance of the NURBS object. Parameter space is one-dimensional for curves, which have only a single U dimension topologically, even though they exist geometrically in 3D space. Surfaces have two dimensions in parameter space, called U and V.^[5]

NURBS curves and surfaces have the important properties of not changing under the standard geometric affine transformations (Transforms), or under perspective projections. The CVs have local control of the object: moving a CV or changing its weight does not affect any part of the object beyond the neighboring CVs. (You can override this property by using the Soft Selection controls). Also, the control lattice that connects CVs surrounds the surface. This is known as the convex hull property.^[6]

Surface tool/editable patch object[edit]

Surface tool was originally a 3rd party plugin, but Kinetix acquired and included this feature since version 3.0.^{[citation needed]} The surface tool is for creating common 3ds Max splines, and then applying a modifier called 'surface.' This modifier makes a surface from every three or four vertices in a grid. It is often seen as an alternative to 'mesh' or 'nurbs' modeling, as it enables a user to interpolate curved sections with straight geometry (for example a hole through a box shape). Although the surface tool is a useful way to generate parametrically accurate geometry, it lacks the 'surface properties' found in the similar Edit Patch modifier, which enables a user to maintain the original parametric geometry whilst being able to adjust 'smoothing groups' between faces.^{[citation needed]}

Predefined primitives[edit]

This is a basic method, in which one models something using only boxes, spheres, cones, cylinders and other predefined objects from the list of Predefined Standard Primitives or a list of Predefined Extended Primitives. One may also apply boolean operations, including subtract, cut and connect. For example, one can make two spheres which will work as blobs that will connect with each other. These are called metaballs.^[7]

Standard primitives[edit]

Extended primitives[edit]

Rendering[edit]

Scanline rendering

The default rendering method in 3DS Max is scanline rendering. Several advanced features have been added to the scanliner over the years, such as global illumination, radiosity, and ray tracing.

ART Renderer

Autodesk Raytracer Renderer (ART) is a CPU-only, physically based renderer for architectural, product, and industrial design renderings and animations. It is integrated into 3ds Max as of version 2017.

mental ray

mental ray is a third-party renderer using bucket rendering, a technique that allows distributing the rendering task for a single image between several computers. Since 3ds Max 2018, mental ray is no longer shipped with 3ds Max and needs to be obtained directly from NVIDIA.

RenderMan

A third party connection tool to RenderMan pipelines is also available for those that need to integrate Max into Renderman render farms. Used by Pixar for rendering several of their CGI animated films.

V-Ray

A third-party render engine plug-in for 3D Studio MAX.

Brazil R/S

A third-party photorealistic rendering system. It is capable of fast ray tracing and global illumination.

Arion

A third party hybrid GPU+CPU interactive, unbiased ray tracer, based on Nvidia CUDA.

Indigo Renderer

A third-party photorealistic renderer with plugins for 3ds Max.

Maxwell Render

A third-party photorealistic rendering system providing materials and unbiased rendering.

Octane Render

A third party unbiased GPU ray tracer with plugins for 3ds Max, based on Nvidia CUDA.

Luxrender

An open-source ray tracer supporting 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, Softimage, and Blender. Focuses on photorealism by simulating real light physics as much as possible.

Arnold

Arnold is an unbiased, physically based, unidirectional path-tracing renderer.

Corona Renderer

A third-party unbiased,physically based render engine plug-in for 3D Studio MAX.

Verge3D

A third-party real-time WebGL renderer for 3ds Max.

Licensing[edit]

Earlier versions (up to and including 3D Studio Max R3.1) required a special copy protection device (called a dongle) to be plugged into the parallel port while the program was run, but later versions incorporated software based copy prevention methods instead. Current versions require online registration.

Due to the high price of the commercial version of the program, Autodesk also offers a free student version, which explicitly states that it is to be used for 'educational purposes only'. The student version has identical features to the full version, but is only for single use and cannot be installed on a network. The student license expires after three years, at which time the user, if they are still a student, may download the latest version, thus renewing the license for another three years.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'Autodesk 3D Design, Engineering & Entertainment Software' November 21, 2013
2. ^'Autodesk 3ds Max — Detailed Features', March 25, 2008
3. ^History of Autodesk 3ds MaxArchived October 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
4. ^http://www.pcauthority.com.au/Review/17001,3ds-max-4.aspx
5. ^'NURBS Curves and Surfaces', November 22, 2013
6. ^'Why is the Convex Hull property so important, November 22, 2013
7. ^'Metaballs/Blobby Objects', November 22, 2013

External links[edit]

Kinetix 3d Studio Max

• 3D Studio Max at Curlie