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Autodesk 3ds Max

Autodesk 3ds Max

Overview

What is Autodesk 3ds Max?

Autodesk offers 3ds Max, 3D modeling and rendering software for design visualization, games, and animation. The vendor states that users can produce professional-quality 3D animations, renders, and models with an efficient and flexible toolset to help create better 3D content…

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Autodesk 3ds Max has been highly regarded by users as a powerful and mature software that enables them to handle a wide range of client …
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Great modelling program

10 out of 10
June 16, 2022
Incentivized
3ds max is used to block in proportion models. it is a fast and easy-to-use modeling program. I also use it to animate and show off models …
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Pricing

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Monthly Subscription

$235

On Premise
per month per user

Yearly Subscription

$1875

On Premise
per year per user

3-Year Subscription

$5625

On Premise
3 years per user

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

Starting price (does not include set up fee)

  • $235 per month per user
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Product Demos

Bake to Texture: Baking Light Maps

YouTube

3ds Max - Creating Objects

YouTube

3ds Max Lighting and Rendering - Exploring the ART Renderer in 3ds Max

YouTube

3ds Max - Understanding Physical Material

YouTube

UV Unwrapping in 3ds Max - Part 1 - Introduction

YouTube

Modeling Objects in 3ds Max - Part 1 - Poly Modeling

YouTube
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Product Details

What is Autodesk 3ds Max?

Autodesk offers 3ds Max, 3D modeling and rendering software for design visualization, games, and animation. The vendor states that users can produce professional-quality 3D animations, renders, and models with an efficient and flexible toolset to help create better 3D content in less time.

Key Features of 3ds Max

  • Polygon modeling - Creation of 3D props, vehicles, and characters with geometry based on vertices, edges, and faces.
  • Procedural modeling - Complex surfaces for cityscapes, forests, and landscapes using automated modeling.
  • Interactive viewports - Render-quality viewport previews of PBR materials and camera effects.
  • High-quality materials - Physically Based Rendering, Open Shading Language, and Bake to Texture, to create realistic objects.
  • Integrated Arnold renderer - Renders complex scenes and designs with Arnold for 3ds Max.
  • Multiple file format support - Asset sharing with support for file formats like glTF, USD, FBX, and CAD formats.

Autodesk 3ds Max Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise
Operating SystemsWindows
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Autodesk offers 3ds Max, 3D modeling and rendering software for design visualization, games, and animation. The vendor states that users can produce professional-quality 3D animations, renders, and models with an efficient and flexible toolset to help create better 3D content in less time.

Autodesk 3ds Max starts at $235.

The most common users of Autodesk 3ds Max are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(34)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Autodesk 3ds Max has been highly regarded by users as a powerful and mature software that enables them to handle a wide range of client requests with confidence. It finds extensive use in civil engineering education, where it serves as a valuable tool for teaching students 3D modeling of buildings, towers, trusses, terrains, and more. The software is also commonly used alongside Unity for modeling scenes and objects in augmented reality and virtual reality applications. For example, it has been utilized in a collaborative project with JioGlass to model historic architectures in Rajasthan, India. Beginners in animation, rendering, and interoperability within the Autodesk umbrella have found the software to be user-friendly and helpful. Additionally, 3ds Max is often preferred for hard surface modeling and creating complex 3D sets that are challenging to make in other software. Its versatility extends to various industries, including gaming, motion graphics, broadcast, and architectural visualization, where it excels at tasks such as mograph, camera tracking, product design 3D modeling, VFX production, and rendering high-quality visuals with rapid render times. Users appreciate the crisp renders achieved with 3ds Max V-Ray. The software offers built-in functions like the FFD modifier that enhance efficiency. While there may be a steep learning curve associated with it, its ability to produce industry-standard results combined with V-Ray is unmatched. Overall, Autodesk 3ds Max is recognized as a valuable and widely used tool for modeling, animating, and showcasing designs across various industries.

Lightweight and Fast: Many users have praised Autodesk 3ds Max for its lightweight nature and fast performance. They find the software efficient in various tasks such as hardsurface modeling, lighting, material creation, and importing/exporting common formats.

Artist-Friendly Interface: Several reviewers appreciate the user-friendly interface of 3ds Max, which caters to both beginners and experienced users. Its intuitive design makes it easy to navigate and utilize the software's features effectively.

Fast Render Times: Users consistently highlight the impressive render times of 3ds Max. The software allows for quick and efficient rendering of highly realistic images. Overall, these positive attributes contribute to a smooth workflow and enhance productivity for artists using Autodesk 3ds Max.

Interface Windows: Limited Expansion Capability Some users have found that certain interface windows in Autodesk 3ds Max do not expand large enough, resulting in the need for unnecessary scrolling. This issue has been mentioned by multiple reviewers and can be frustrating for users who require a larger workspace. Performance: Lack of Multi-threading According to user feedback, certain processes in Autodesk 3ds Max are not multi-threaded, potentially impacting performance. This concern has been raised by several reviewers and may lead to slower execution times for resource-intensive tasks. Compatibility: Low Performance on Old or Low-end PCs Several users have experienced low performance when using Autodesk 3ds Max on older or low-end PCs, especially those with i3 or lower processors. This limitation could hinder the software's functionality and responsiveness, making it less suitable for users with less powerful hardware configurations.

Users of AutoCAD have made several recommendations based on their experiences with the software. Firstly, many users suggest using 3ds as a starting point for games or architectural visualization. This feature seems to be particularly beneficial for beginners in the 3D world, as well as trained professionals. According to these users, mastering this application is highly recommended.

Secondly, users recommend utilizing vray rendering for realistic rendering in 3D modeling or architectural works. This feature enhances the visualization capabilities and helps achieve a higher level of realism in designs.

Lastly, many users advise watching online tutorials to quickly become familiar with the software. These tutorials are considered to be a valuable resource for learning how to efficiently navigate through AutoCAD's tools and features.

Overall, users believe that AutoCAD has the best tools available and recommend understanding and customizing the viewport for improved speed and efficiency. Additionally, they find the software useful for achieving a good zoom in design.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-8 of 8)
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Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Back when 3d programs were becoming more powerful and stable, 3d Studio (yes, it was 3d Studio before it was 3ds Max, more on that later) and Maya were owned by different companies. At that time, you had to choose one or the other because of the learning curve most people didn't have time to learn both. It appeared to me that Maya was chosen by entertainment media production users who need custom coding and compatibility with programming it into an existing workflow. 3d Studio was being used more by individuals doing visualizations for clients and businesses. Then, Autodesk bought both of them, renamed 3d Studio to 3ds Max and continued to develop them both independently. Today, there is little difference between them and in my opinion, the main difference being Maya may be a little harder to learn.

Blender is powerful but has a very different workspace interface that to me is not intuitive in any way. Plus, not as many professionals use it so sharing files between professional organizations is not as friendly. Cinema 4D is very powerful and capable, but, like Blender, has less saturation in the professional market, making it less useful if you need to share with others.
Jitendra Choubisa | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Blender is a very small and quite easy-to-use software but it lacks some of the things and for that, you need a lot of addons. So that's not a good thing. 3ds Max on the other hand is big in size but it can do pretty much all the tasks by itself.
Roohi Malhotra | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
In Autodesk 3ds Max you can do camera animation with ease, its complex in Cinema 4D. Even I think same with light setup. Setting up light is quite easy in Autodesk 3ds Max as compare to Cinema 4D. Overall Autodesk 3ds Max is less complex in compare to other 3D softwares.
Arbaz Malik | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
[Most] people like to use Maya for modeling but Maya is only good for soft surface modeling not for hard surface. The [Autodesk 3ds] Max has no limitations in this field, it is open to [making] hard or soft surface modeling. [It] even has great command on fx effects [made] by thinking particle.
Score 1 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Best for rendering and geometry flexibility. Interphase is also superior. The stacking of modifiers is unique and allows for combining, and turning on and of which makes presenting options very agile, and clear without destroying the geometry. It's easily reversible. All others have shortcomings although there are more precise. It's hard to model in 3d max and maintain precision.
vijay kumar | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Complex models are very easy to make in 3ds Max compared to other software, as Autodesk provides safety and security for your data and there are always there to serve you better. My experience with Autodesk was remarkable and Upmarket integration with other plugins makes 3ds Max vast and have an easy interface so that any new person who is using for the first time can understand simply.
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