3ds Max 2024
This year, several updates to 3ds Max have garnered the attention of professionals, with the Boolean Modifier emerging as a top choice, particularly for hard surface and machinery experts. As illustrated in Figure 1, a sphere has been sliced with a plane and enhanced using the chamfer modifier, effectively generating the appearance of distinct panels.
Although the resulting stack can be readily collapsed and optimized by removing unnecessary elements like internal geometry, in many situations, the illusion of these panels meets the high-quality standards required for production. Consequently, this streamlined approach allows for the efficient creation of intricate mechanized illustrations.
The Boolean Modifier's robustness is further demonstrated by its ability to handle complex intersections and arrayed objects easily. Additionally, the modifier supports nested Booleans and integrates folder organization, making it a versatile and valuable tool for 3ds Max users.
Additionally, the modifier includes an option to utilize OpenVDB, a powerful voxel-based solution. This combination proves highly effective for both organic and hard surface modular construction, as demonstrated in Figure 2. Integrating this feature with the retopology tool is expected to prompt 3ds Max users to adapt their workflows, taking advantage of high-resolution voxel-based meshes during Boolean operations before refining details in specialized software like Mudbox and Zbrush.
The array modifier offers advanced capabilities, including Phyllotaxis distribution, which employs phasing and radial attributes for optimal performance. Users can also randomize material IDs and benefit from additional features, all while retaining the ability to animate the values as needed. This enhancement to the array modifier significantly broadens its functionality and versatility.
Several other updates have been introduced to 3ds Max, focusing on Maxscript enhancements, user experience improvements, and performance optimization. Key interface upgrades encompass a faster modifier selection featuring a search area, a more user-friendly material slate editor with better docking capabilities, and enhanced mesh triangulation for various modeling tasks.
A long-standing issue involving input nodes for material selections has been resolved, streamlining the process of connecting nodes. Furthermore, complex material graphs can be collapsed into a single node, granting users increased flexibility in staying organized while crafting intricate content. These simplified graphs can be saved in a user library for future use.
A new controller for animators provides greater control over blending animations and improvements to managing motion paths. The implementation of additional color management options may elicit mixed reactions from users. The following are some other notable updates:
- A material switcher node
- Character studio improvements
- Spline improvements
- Arnold/MaxToA improvements (the list for this one is long)
- USD improvements
