Emerging Technologies and Software Trends for 3ds Max Users
Professionals using 3ds Max in creative media and AEC industries are witnessing a technological revolution. Advancements in AI, interoperability, and immersive technologies are reshaping workflows, offering unprecedented opportunities for innovation and efficiency.
AI-Powered Tools: The Rise of Intelligence in 3D Design
AI is a game-changer in the 3D industry, streamlining workflows and enhancing creativity.
- Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs): These use AI to generate 3D models from 2D images, interpreting lighting and reflections to produce photorealistic outputs. While it shares similar principles to traditional photogrammetry, it relies on a smaller data set, providing content more suitable for visualization and virtual exploration. Plugins and various have rapidly developed to allow NeRF content to be imported into software like Unreal Engine. For more information, check out NVIDIA’s instant NeRFs.
- Generative Design: AI-driven generative tools suggest optimized layouts, materials, and designs. These continue to develop quickly. Big outfits like Adobe and NVIDIA concentrate on converting text and 2D images into 3D. A few other examples (among many) include sites online like meshy.ai and Alpha3d.io.
- Visualization with AI: Platforms like Adobe Substance and Chaos Vantage have integrated AI to accelerate asset creation and real-time ray tracing for realistic visualization. While these technologies generally require powerful, modern computers, they provide excellent solutions for the highest-quality content.
Figure 1 – Sample Rendering using Chaos Vray 6
Interoperability with OpenUSD
A significant trend continues to be the adoption of Pixar’s original Universal Scene Description (USD). OpenUSD promotes seamless collaboration by standardizing 3D asset exchange across tools. Major players, including Autodesk, NVIDIA, Apple, Unity, Adobe, and Unreal Engine, all accommodate the initiative, giving it strong potential for cross-platform workflows. Autodesk’s 3ds Max team even integrated it into their API. The most apparent strength of USD is the ability to allow countless parties to contribute to a single scene simultaneously. Still, users continue to find ways to innovate, such as dynamically swapping out content for procedural and adaptive storytelling or optimizing render times by swapping in lower-level details where possible.
Figure 2 – USD Scene Example
Virtual Production and Immersive Experiences
Virtual production, popularized by blockbuster films, is becoming more accessible:
- Scalable LED Backdrops: Advances in hardware and software democratize this technology for smaller studios, enabling high-quality virtual sets.
- Holographic and Volumetric Video: Volumetric capture allows for realistic 3D representations, enhancing training simulations, entertainment, and live performances. In some cases, technology in phones and Apple’s iPad allows individuals to produce extraordinary results.
- Interactive Environments: Tools like Unreal Engine integrate seamlessly with 3ds Max, allowing real-time adjustments and immersive outputs. Meta Quest’s augmented reality continues to shine a light into the future of combining these technologies ke (with the glasses-style augmented reality lens shared by Meta this year).
Building Information Modeling (BIM) in AEC Visualization
AEC professionals’ benefit from the fusion of 3D scanning, BIM, and AI:
- Scan-to-BIM Workflows: Tools like Autodesk Revit combine 3D scanning with modeling, enabling precise planning for retrofitting and renovation.
- Cloud Collaboration: Platforms such as Autodesk Forma ensure real-time updates and seamless collaboration across teams, enhancing project accuracy and efficiency and implementing AI and machine learning.
- Predictive Analytics: AI integrated with BIM models forecasts long-term building performance, optimizing maintenance and energy use.
- performance, optimizing maintenance and energy use.
Enhanced Simulations and Predictive Technologies
Simulation tools are reaching new heights:
- Lighting and Structural Analysis: AI-driven simulations analyze and suggest improvements in aesthetics, safety, and energy consumption.
- Predictive Maintenance: Tools like Siemens Building X use AI to predict failures and optimize building operations, aligning with sustainability goals.
Popular Tools and Software in 2024
- 3ds Max: A cornerstone for modeling and visualization.
- Autodesk Revit & Forma: Essential for AEC workflows.
- Chaos V-Ray & Vantage: Industry standards for rendering and real-time visualization.
- NVIDIA Omniverse: A collaborative platform enhancing AI and real-time design capabilities.
- ReluxDesktop: Advanced lighting design driven by AI.
In summary, this year marks a pivotal moment of acceleration in technological innovation for the next century. AI rapidly shapes all technology, from redefining creative workflows to open standards like USD, enabling seamless collaboration. It’s a time when possibilities expand, blending human ingenuity with machine-driven efficiency to create a transformative digital future.
