Autodesk 3ds Max

3ds Max® is a professional-grade 3D modeling, rendering, and animation software package developed by Autodesk. The software is used to model, animate, and render detailed 3D characters, photorealistic designs, and complex scenes for film and TV, games, and design visualization projects. The software features robust modeling, texturing, and shading tools. It also automates repetitive and time-consuming tasks.

3ds Max is used by a variety of digital design professionals including 3D modelers, animators, and lighting artists. The software was first released on Halloween in 1990 under the name 3D Studio. Autodesk renamed the product 3ds Max in 2006.

3ds Max 2021 Demo Reel

3ds Max has been used extensively in TV, games, and films such as Avatar and Transformers. Games that have used the software include Halo Wars 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, EVE: Valkyrie, and Dragon Age Inquisition.

In 2022, the price of an annual 3ds Max subscription is $1,785 and the price of a monthly 3ds Max subscription is $225. The price of a three-year 3ds Max subscription is $5,085.

The 3ds Max 2023 version, requires 64-bit Microsoft Windows 11 or Windows 10. Its minimum hardware requirements are a 64-bit Intel or AMD multi-core processor with SSE4.2 instruction set, 4 GB of RAM (8 GB RAM is recommended), 9 GB of free disk space for installation, and a three-button mouse. For online, supplemental content, 3ds Max works with the latest versions of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Firefox.

Autodesk previously supported 3ds Max running on Apple Macintosh hardware under Boot Camp, Parallels, or VMWare; however, the company no longer offers technical support or troubleshooting help for 3ds Max installations running under virtualization.

Other top-rated 3D animation software includes Unity, Blender, and Cinema 4D.