What Is 3ds Max?

Produce professional 3D models and renders for design visualization, game development, and animation with 3ds Max's robust design toolkit.

Who Uses 3ds Max?

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3ds Max Software - 1

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Reviews of 3ds Max

Average score

Overall
4.6
Ease of Use
3.7
Customer Service
4.1
Features
4.6
Value for Money
4.0

Reviews by company size (employees)

  • <50
  • 51-200
  • 201-1,000
  • >1,001
Roldan
Roldan
Senior Web Designer and Developer in Philippines
Verified LinkedIn User
Information Technology & Services, 2-10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

3DS Has it all for professionals. But one thing...

5.0 2 months ago

Comments: It was a good experience. 3DS Max was the very first software I have used. During that time there is not much tutorial found in YouTube, so I have to figure out things on my own. But, yes, it was very much doable. Persistence is key to learning. You cannot be lazy in reading documentations. But with todays copious amount of learning videos and institutions, it shouldn't be easy to learn 3DS Max. Persistence and time are keys to learning. It takes time and persistence as 3DS Max is not an easy software to learn.

Pros:

- This is a more than 20-year old software and pretty much mature and almost have all that you need. I've used this software since 2007 and I'm amazed at how this renders objects on it's own.- Best used from simple projects to a more complex and gaming characterizations and 3D movies.- The level of customizability can be done up to the DNA level. - The rendering quality is just amazingly stunning, even on it's own rendering engine, couple it with third-party rendering software, it makes object render output even more elaborate.

Cons:

- One major issue I have with 3DS Max is the learning curve. It's harder to learn than, say, Cinema 4D. It is kind of verbose and complex to learn. I need a bit of persistence to learn it.- It has a very heavy native payload. It has like 8 to 9GB of payload on it's own. So, now if you add more libraries and other third-parties the load will even be more heavy.

Nabin
Nabin
CEO in Nepal
Verified LinkedIn User
Computer Software, 51-200 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Easily create 3D models with best rendering

5.0 last year

Comments: 3ds Max is a must-have tool for architects, engineers, and game developers to create highly detailed models with real-looking textures.

Pros:

With 3ds Max you can easily create complex 3d models and maps. Best suited for architectural and game rendering that requires premium graphics. Inbuilt support for visual effects and animation.

Cons:

The pricing of 3d Max is quite expensive starting from $215 per month. The user interface looks old, makes difficult to find important tools and features. Needs heavy computing power.

Thomas
engineer in Bulgaria
Design, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

One of the leaders in this field

5.0 2 weeks ago New

Comments: Greatest thing in my tool set as for manufacturing, also for rendering. I can do entire mechanism in a day, and as soon I throw it for 3D printing, my client is already watching the generated renders with great photo realism.

Pros:

Well, as an industrial designer, this is my daily driver. I currently do a complete 3D mechanism models in it for 3d printing. I can say once you set the units and find the tolerances that work for you, it is a simple process. As another cool feature I can point that from the assembly file for printing, you can make another copy and set it for the product renders you can use for presentation purposes and that's great.

Cons:

hard to learn the rendering engines and parameters, but it's not only on this software. Just too much stuff you have to know how it works and keep track of your settings.

Victor Conde
Victor Conde
Owner in Denmark
Verified LinkedIn User
Online Media, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Way too expensive for people

3.0 2 years ago

Comments: I wont use it again unless i have to, but its still a good software.

Pros:

The amount of tutorials, and the high class support from the autodesk team. Its a very powerfull software.

Cons:

Its way too expensive. I get its worth that to big companys, but you need to learn it somhow. I was lucky to have a student license, but otherwise you only have 30 day trail to learn it.

Lindsay
Owner in US
Design, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

The key to realistic renderings

5.0 2 months ago

Comments: I love the flexibility of 3ds Max. Whether it's architectural or character design, this program can render great results. I currently use this program for architectural modeling, but there are many times where I enjoy the ability to custom design something very unique within the same program.

Pros:

I love the familiarity with the interface. It's consistently stayed similar over the past 15 years that I've used this program. The interface is easy to understand, but also requires a level of expertise to run the software. This program is the best 3d modeling and rendering software on the market as it's proven itself over and over.

Cons:

The price is the main downside for this software. It's definitely an investment year over year.