3D Measure Master from Spline Dynamics introduces five measurement tools (Distance, Angle, Radius, Diameter and Bounding Box) for Autodesk 3ds Max. Unlike viewport overlays, the plugin generates real 3D geometry composed of splines and labelled TextPlus objects. This allows artists to include dimensions directly in renders, animations or technical presentations.
It supports snapping to vertices, edges and faces for precision alignment. Measurement units (metres, centimetres, millimetres, feet) and decimal precision are configurable. Users can customise geometry colour, spline thickness, text size and marker style (arrow, sphere or cube). Measurement data can be exported to CSV for documentation or version tracking. The plugin is designed for 3ds Max 2016 and newer and described by the vendor as lightweight, non-destructive and compatible with any renderer.
Why it matters
For artists working in architectural visualisation, product design or technical modelling, accurate dimensional information is often essential for client presentations or manufacturing reference. 3D Measure Master fills a gap in 3ds Max’s native toolset by offering measurement geometry that can be edited, hidden or animated like any other object. Because the dimensions exist as part of the scene, they can appear in rendered views, be used for layout comparison, or serve as visual guides during modelling or review sessions.
Caveats and limitations
Most technical details about 3D Measure Master come directly from Spline Dynamics’ official documentation. The following limitations and unverified claims should be noted before use:
The vendor claims compatibility with “any renderer”, but no third-party testing or confirmation is available for engines such as V-Ray, Corona or Redshift. Similarly, there are no published benchmarks on performance or memory use in large or complex scenes. Snapping precision to vertices, edges and faces is described but not independently confirmed. Assertions that the plugin “works perfectly in both camera/perspective and orthogonal views” remain vendor statements.
Licensing and pricing details are not specified beyond version 1.0, but so far it is 64USD for a Corporate Lifetime License, and 16USD for a Regular License – so, if this is something you need, the buy-in is very reasonable.
