3ds Max Design 2011 Announced!

We've now officially announced both versions of the product. If you've reviewed the details around 3ds Max 2011 already, then you know most of what is going on with 3ds Max Design 2011 because 3ds Max Design 2011 includes all the features of 3ds Max 2011 except for the SDK. 3ds Max Design 2011 has two benefits that you won't find in 3ds Max 2011 - the Exposure daylight analysis feature and current 3ds Max Design subscription users will have access in the April timeframe to the new Autodesk Civil Visualization Extension (more about that later).

Crossgrading from 3ds Max to 3ds Max Design

Until May 1st, 2010, any customer in the world with 3ds Max 2011 can cross-grade to 3ds Max Design 2011 for zero dollars (excluding any shipping/handling costs). After May 1st, 2010, the cost of cross-grading will become 10% of the SRP of the software.  If you are not on subscription and are using a prior version of 3ds Max, then the cost of cross-grading will be the cost of upgrading. Contact your local reseller if you want to take advantage of this.

New product center

We've introduced a single landing page for both 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design. We hope this simplifies finding information on both versions.

3ds Max Design 2011

Key Features and Benefits

Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design 2011 software offers compelling new techniques for aggregating data, iterating ideas, bringing designs to life, and presenting the results. Delivering streamlined, intelligent data exchange workflows and innovative new modeling and visualization tools, 3ds Max Design 2011 software helps significantly increase productivity for both individuals and collaborating teams. Designers can focus on exploring, validating, and communicating the story behind their designs.

Top Features and Benefits

Quicksilver Hardware Renderer

Create high-fidelity preview animations and design dailies in less time with Quicksilver, an innovative new hardware renderer that helps produce high-quality images at incredible speeds. This new multi-threaded rendering engine utilizes both the CPU and the GPU, and supports alpha and z-buffer render elements; depth of field; motion blur; dynamic reflections; area, photometric, ambient occlusion, and indirect lighting effects along with precision-adaptive shadow maps; and the ability to render at larger-than-screen resolutions.

FBX File Link with Autodesk Revit Architecture

Receive and manage upstream design changes from Autodesk® Revit® Architecture software with the new FBX File Link. This intelligent handling of data helps reduce rework of visualizations in 3ds Max Design when original designs are revised and refined, supporting nonlinear decision making processes and facilitating collaborative, iterative workflows. Designers can also take advantage of new import options to group incoming materials, helping to optimize and simplify management of complex data sets.

Autodesk Inventor Import Improvements

Take advantage of new Smart Data workflows for your digital prototyping workflows when using Autodesk® Inventor® software. Significant enhancements have been made for importing Inventor data into 3ds Max Design: the requirement for Inventor to be installed on the same machine has been removed; solids objects can now be imported as 3ds Max Design bodies; and support for materials, surfaces, and composites has been improved.

Viewport Display of 3ds Max Materials

Develop and refine scenes in a high-fidelity interactive display environment—without the constant need to re-render—with the new ability to view most 3ds Max Design texture maps and materials in the viewport. Designers can make interactive decisions in a context that more closely matches the final output, helping reduce errors and enhance the creative storytelling process.

Modeling and Texturing Enhancements

Accelerate modeling and texturing tasks with new tools that extend the Graphite modeling and Viewport Canvas toolsets: an expanded toolset for 3D painting and editing textures within the viewport; the ability to paint with object brushes to create geometry within a scene; a new brush interface for editing UVW coordinates; and an interactive tool for extending edge loops.

Native Solids Import/Export

Non-destructively import and export surfaces and solids between 3ds Max Design and certain other applications supporting SAT files: Autodesk® Revit® Architecture software, Rhino, SolidWorks, and FormZ. Imported trimmed surfaces, solids models, and assemblies are represented as 3ds Max Design “bodies”, retaining the native mathematical description of the surface; this enables cut-aways and reveals to be represented without artifacts, and for different tessellation parameters to be used for interactive display and rendering. Bodies can even be manipulated with deformers before export back to the original application.

Google SketchUp Importer

Import Google® SketchUp™ sketching software (SKP) version 6 and 7 files into 3ds Max Design more efficiently. The enhanced SketchUp Importer supports SketchUp entities including layers, groups, components, materials, cameras, and the daylight system, and enables users to directly import SketchUp files from the Google 3D Warehouse.

Autodesk Material Library

Seamlessly exchange material data between Autodesk applications with the new Autodesk Material Library. Materials can be exchanged with other supporting Autodesk applications (AutoCAD®, Autodesk® Inventor®, Autodesk® Revit® Architecture, Autodesk® Revit® MEP, and Autodesk® Revit® Structure software) in a true one-to-one mapping—helping create a consistent definition and rendered look, and eliminating the need to rework materials after data import. Users will benefit from a familiar workflow between products and enjoy access to up to 1,200 material templates that help simplify complex scene set-up.

Local Edits to Containers

Collaborate more efficiently with significantly enhanced workflows for Containers that enable designers to layer local edits non-destructively on top of referenced content. Meet tight deadlines by working in parallel: while one user iteratively edits unlocked aspects of the container, another can continue to refine the underlying data. Multiple users can contribute changes to different elements of the same container at once, while simultaneous edits to the same component are prevented.

Slate Material Editor

Easily visualize and edit material component relationships with Slate, a new node-based material editor that helps significantly improve workflow and productivity for designers creating and editing complex material networks. The intuitive schematic framework is engineered to handle the vast numbers of materials required by today’s demanding visualizations.

Other New Features

Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2011 software also includes the following key features:

3ds Max Composite

Enhance rendered passes and incorporate them into live action footage with 3ds Max Composite: a fully-featured, high-performance, HDR-capable compositor, based on technology from Autodesk® Toxik® software.

In-Context Direct Manipulation UI

Save time when modeling and maintain focus on the creative task at hand with a new in-context user interface (UI) for polygon modeling tools that eliminates unnecessary mouse movement away from the model.

mental ray 2011

The latest version of mental ray® included with 3ds Max Design offers enhanced performance and stability.

Updated OpenEXR Image IO Plug-in

An updated OpenEXR plug-in supports unlimited layers in one EXR file and automatically stores Render Elements and G-Buffer channels to EXR layers.

Ribbon Customization

Maximize the usable workspace and focus on the features that matter most for specialized workflows with customizable Ribbon layouts.

Save to Previous Release

Manage the transition to 3ds Max Design 2011 with the option to save scene files in a format compatible with 3ds Max Design 2010.

Windows 7 Support

3ds Max Design 2011 adds Windows® 7 operating system as a supported platform.

Character Animation Toolkit (CAT) Integration

More easily create and manage characters, and layer, load, save, remap, and mirror animations, with the Character Animation Toolkit (CAT), now fully integrated into 3ds Max Design.

For a complete review of the new features and enhancements in Autodesk 3ds Max 2011, view the “What’s New” documentation on the 3ds Max family product center at www.autodesk.com/3dsmax-documentation.

Autodesk Civil Visualization Extension

The above link will take you to more information about the new extension we'll be releasing in April for 3ds Max Design subscription customers. This is the result of our acquisition of 3AM Solution's Dynamite VSP. Over the last serveral months, we've been working to create an "Autodesk" version of the plug-in. This version is basically the original version but with new 3D content (vehicles, trees, etc.).

Here's a whitepaper on the technology and a video that shows the workflow.

Experience the following benefits when you implement a civil visualization workflow:

• Ease—You don’t have to be an expert to create high-quality visualizations of civil engineering projects.
• Integration—A dynamic link between Dynamite VSP and AutoCAD Civil 3D models automates much of the visualization process as designs are updated.
• Better experience—Create animations such as drive-throughs, flyovers, and interactive simulations, and conduct physically accurate daylight studies.
• Value—Previously available for over US 4,200, the contents of the Civil Visualization Extension will now be a download available to customers with an active Autodesk Subscription contract for 3ds Max Design.