Autodesk 3ds Max

Create stunning 3D in less time with Autodesk® 3ds Max® software. This full-featured 3D modeling, animation, rendering, and effects solution is used to produce top-selling games and award-winning film and video content. Those looking to quickly and efficiently generate convincing characters, seamless CG effects, or jaw-dropping games will want to explore this latest release of the software.

3ds Max 2009 Features
With each new release, Autodesk software solutions become more intuitive and user friendly, while gaining functionality and a broader tool set. The following videos introduce the new features and functionality of Autodesk® 3ds Max® software.

Modeling and AnimationWith the introduction of the ForeFeet option, Biped now fully supports four-legged characters, In this video, animators see that the center of mass can be animated using external pivots, like the working pivot, making it easier to create realistic body movements like falling forward. Animators also see how the Walkthrough Assistant simplifies the process of creating walk-throughs and how soft selections can be interactively adjusted with a few mouse-clicks.

Iterative RenderingThis video introduces the new Reveal™ rendering technology that streamlines the process of tweaking, finalizing, and experimenting with animator’s renders. The framebuffer adds a subset of render settings, enabling animators to switch from high to low-quality settings and to include or exclude features, while continuing to make test renderings and scene changes.

Materials and MapsThis video introduces ProMaterials™ technology, a set of powerful and flexible materials new to Autodesk 3ds Max. These mental ray® software materials can create extremely realistic surfaces and have a full set of customizable features. The new composite map adds numerous features and a simple workflow for the creation of complex maps, with layers, masks, opacity, and more. The viewports now support the display of multiple maps so results can be seen without test renderings.

MappingThe new Spline Mapping tool can map otherwise difficult geometry by using splines to drive the UV generation. In this video, animators see how they can map twisted roads, arches, and characters’ limbs in minutes. In addition, improved Relax and Pelt workflows streamline UVW unwrapping, enabling animators to achieve desired results in fewer steps.

LightingPowerful photometric lights make realistic light creation a snap. Templates, distribution, and shapes are all available in a single light object. This video demonstrates how the viewport can display IES lights and their web distribution. It also highlights the daylight system sky, which now supports new sky models. Learn about how support for weather data files can accurately re-create weather and lighting conditions on specific dates or over a period of time.

mental raySupport for mental ray proxies allows animators to create scenes with a huge number of object instances, while allowing fast rendering and keeping memory usage low. This video introduces new options that let animators control how individual objects interact with Final Gather. It highlights the new mental ray-specific render elements that offer many options for post-processing and compositing. Learn about the glare shader, which provides realistic glare around bright areas of the rendered image.

Production ShadersThis video introduces the mental ray production shaders that further improve the rendering capabilities of 3ds Max 2009. With two images and a few shaders, artists can match lighting and reflection of an existing background image. The new easy-to-use HDR Image Motion Blur shader creates fast and realistic motion blur effects.

Navigation ToolsThis video introduces two easy-to-use viewport navigation tools in Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2009 software: Autodesk® ViewCube® and the SteeringWheels™ technology. These tools, which can also be found in other Autodesk 3D products, provide users with a familiar way to navigate scenes. The ViewCube control makes it easy to orbit or look at an object from different angles. The SteeringWheels control makes exploring an architectural interior or a game level a whole new experience.

User InterfaceThe 3ds Max user interface has been improved and made more consistent by renaming and reorganizing some of the tools. The new Infocenter tool, which is used in other Autodesk products, is the front end for a new way to access help files and get to the information artists are looking for. Scene Explorer now has permanent filters to further improve the way scenes can be managed.

Resources
Expand your knowledge of Autodesk® 3ds Max® software, stay up-to-date on industry news, and connect with our enthusiastic and talented 3ds Max community.
3D Forum and Industry Site Links
Connect with thousands of artists and animators sharing plug-ins, scripts, helpful tips, and information to stay at the forefront of the ever-moving world of 3D.
Autodesk Media & Entertainment Forums
The AREA—Autodesk 3D community website
MaxUnderground—Industry news and views
Script Spot—3ds Max scripts
3D Luvr—3ds Max news and plug-ins
3D Total—Tutorials, forums, and news
Max3D Stuff—3ds Max plug-ins and tutorials
CG Chat—Industry news and discussion
CG Channel—Industry news
CG Talk—Industry news and discussion
Amazon.com—3ds Max books
3D Infográfica (Spain)—3D industry news
3DA (Spain)—3D industry news, tutorials, and resources
Highend3D—Hosting and downloads of plug-ins, scripts, tools, shaders, tutorials, image galleries, movies, news, forums, FAQs, feature request system, tips, DVDs, books, schools, and more
fxphd—The ultimate resource for high-end compositing and post-production on the web
fxguide—Free online forums including most vfx applications
3D Animation Site Links
Check out some of the sites dedicated to 3D graphics and animation in the games, film and television effects arenas.
Games Links
Game Developer
International Game Developers Association
Game Developer’s Conference
Game Dev Map
Dev Bump
Dev Masters
Polycount.com
Game Career Guide
Gamasutra
Film & Television Links
VFXpro
SIGGRAPH
Ain't It Cool News
Variety Magazine
Hollywood Reporter
Post Magazine
American Cinematographer Magazine
American Society Of Cinematographers
Cinefex Magazine
Rendernode Magazine
Miscellaneous Links
Focal Press Books
My mental ray
Turbo Squid
3ds Max benchmarks

Developers
The Autodesk Developer Network Sparks Program
More than 300 Autodesk® Developer Network (ADN) Sparks® developers are dedicated to building highly optimized pipelines and inventing new Autodesk® 3ds Max® software-compatible tools for commercial use. With ADN Sparks plug-ins, both users and developers can take advantage of the technology behind today's top film effects, games, and broadcast productions to realize their ideas.
Search ADN Sparks Plug-Ins Find the latest in fluids, cloth, hair, atmospherics, rendering, animation, file import/export, and surface technologies to solve your unique problems.
Join the ProgramAs an ADN Sparks developer, you'll receive a variety of tools, source code, and access to an extensive knowledge base to help accelerate your development efforts. In addition, members receive technical support from Autodesk Media & Entertainment's engineering team and are eligible for early access to upcoming releases.
Affiliate Software Partners
Autodesk Media & Entertainment has established special strategic relationships with select 3ds Max partners to focus in on particular workflows, markets, or solutions that deliver additional value to 3ds Max customers. For more information visit the Autodesk Developer Network.
Affiliate Hardware Partners
These hardware partners work closely with Autodesk Media & Entertainment to provide optimized platforms for 3D artists using 3ds Max.
Hewlett-Packard
Dell
BOXX
Lenovo
IBM
Apple
AMD / ATI
NVidia / PNY
Intel.

Overview
Get Precise Visual Feedback and Professional Final Renders
Reveal™ rendering in Autodesk® 3ds Max® software streamlines and accelerates iterative workflows by providing precise control over what is rendered in the Viewport or Framebuffer. Access to a ProMaterials™ library for mental ray® also provides materials for creating real-world design and building surfaces.
Streamline Your Character and Mapping Workflows
With 3ds Max 2009, Biped now offers animators a more efficient workflow for rigging quadrupeds, together with other features that facilitate the character animation process. The release also delivers new UV editing features including a UV spline mapping tool, and enhanced Pelt and Relax toolsets that streamline the UVW unwrap workflow.
Move Data: Quickly and Accurately
With 3ds Max 2009, you get the information you want, the way you want it. Greater OBJ translation fidelity and more import/export options mean more accurate data transfers between 3ds Max and Autodesk® Mudbox™ software or other digital modeling packages. Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 also delivers improved Autodesk FBX® memory management and new import options that support interoperability between 3ds Max and other products such as Autodesk® Maya® and Autodesk® MotionBuilder® software.