Overview

If you haven’t heard of Autodesk 3ds Max until now, you must have been living under a rock for the past years. Autodesk 3ds Max is one of the best tool on the market designed for 3D modeling, rendering and animation. Rich and complex design visualization as well as realistic characters for an AAA game can be created and are just one of the many features this excellent software product packs. It is a tool that’s very popular amongst game developers and visual effects artists. Let’s analyze the features of Autodesk 3ds Max in close inspection.

Installation

The installation of Autodesk 3ds Max will simply be a hassle-free ride for you. You need to make sure you have your serial number and product key available. You can find this information on the DVD case or in the e-mail you receive when ordering online. On the back of the DVD sticker, there is a sticker which will include the serial number and product key highlighted in yellow. The system requirements for Autodesk 3ds Max are as follows: Intel Pentium IV or AMD Athlon XP or higher processor, 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended), 500 MB swap space (2 GB recommended), Hardware-accelerated OpenGL and Direct3D. For the 64-bit version, keep in mind that 4GB of RAM is recommended. In addition, Autodesk 3ds Max doesn’t come bundled with adware/malware or other programs.

Interface

The interface of Autodesk 3ds Max oozes elegance and it looks very good. Boasting a Microsoft-style "Ribbon" interface, a long horizontal interface that rides across the top of your screen can be seen. It’s perfection in its layout; icon-driven and context sensitive for easy access and navigation to all of the important tools of the product. The Command Panel, the Quad Menu and the Toolbars fill, among other things, form the bulk of the interface. Well, Autodesk 3ds Max is a tool designed for people who know what they are doing! As a result, if you have absolutely no idea about 3D modeling and rendering, you will be completely lost in the dark woods of Autodesk 3ds Max. Otherwise, professionals will get a kick out of the tool’s interface.

Pros

Feature-packed, Autodesk 3ds Max is one of the most complete and the go-to software product when it comes down to 3D animation, modeling and rendering. The process of working with complex scenes is streamlined to ensure maximum productivity for all the professionals that are working, usually under a timetable, with this product. The Graphite Tools is one of the reasons why Autodesk 3ds Max is a top leading software. There are more than over 100 Graphite but the rest of the gang (Optimize, Topology, Freeform and Loop tools) are my favorites. Heavy-duty mesh optimization and mesh-flow tweaking can be achieved with the help of the Optimize tool. Hand-optimizing 15,000 polygon mesh to 3,000 polygons in about 60 seconds is a pretty incredible feat, don’t you think?

The topology tool is used to "draw" your new low poly re-topology on a high poly model from a painting application like ZBrush or Mudbox. The Loop tools offer features such as customizable selection, auto-selection of loops/edges, edge skipping and auto-connecting while you can create handmade structures from scratch by using the Freeform. The other interesting yet less sexy feature of Autodesk 3ds Max is represented by the Container system. Multiple objects can be contained into one group with the help of this feature but the most important aspect is the fact that you can save off, lock or even share these Containers. It is a tremendous tool for level modelers, for example. Other key features of this fabulous modeling package are: Polygon Modeling and Texturing, Character/General Animation, Cloth, Particles, Rendering Controls and Effects, Hair and Fur System and a lot more.

Cons

There are a few things that might catch your attention if you are nit picking. For example, an undo option for many of the Graphite tools would be very useful.

Alternatives

Alternatives to Autodesk 3ds Max include: Blender, Google Sketchup, Maya, Sculptris, Cinema 4D and many more.

Conclusion

All in all, Autodesk 3ds Max is a solid piece of beauty and one of the best in its class on the market. It is a complete package that is jam-packed with a lot of features and tools for those who work with essentials in the 3D realm.