3ds max is the new name of the successor to 3D Studio MAX R3.x. (see also article with detailed description of the new features in issue 04/00 of digital production)
Highlights include completely new and expandable inverse kinematics: more intuitive character animation and interactive rendering. 3ds max 4 also provides one of the most comprehensive modelling platforms; now with new Subdivision Surface Tools, Active Shade and new interactive render elements. The latter enables extremely fast, interactive rendering without compromising image quality. This allows designers to interactively and iteratively test effects such as material, lighting and even motion blur at high speed.
Users will welcome the character animation optimisations in the new version 3.0 of the CharacterStudio plugin with the extensible IK architecture: it integrates mixed IK/FK functions, direct editing, weighted constraints and angle deformers, real-time shaded skin and highly customisable volumetrically shaded skeletons. Furthermore, Soft Body Dynamics and Spring Controllers enable the quick and easy creation of sophisticated animations.
The interactive and photorealistic ActiveShade render engine, the customisable and production-proven network render system, and the close integration of post-production options with combustion (discreet’s desktop 2D/3D compositing program) also make 3ds max 4 an efficient and productive tool for visual effects in film and TV. Although 3ds max 4 renders the individual components of an image (gloss colour, scatter colour, fade, shadow, atmosphere, etc.) in a single pass, it stores the results separately from each other – the ideal prerequisite for further post-production or editing directly in a combustion™ workspace.
