I’m making this topic as I don’t really know where else would be a good place to ask.

My problem Is this,
I’m a HNC student doing 3D Computer Animation at Dundee College In Scotland and the version of max we are using is Max 9,
I would like to get a copy for work at home to help with my assignment’s for my classes but the only version I can find Is 2009, and I was told that the two are incompatible? (I.E. A scene made with Max 9 won’t work/load in 2009))
Also, I’ve tried to search for a 30 day trial of Max 9 and I’m continuisly linked back to the Auto desk page, which only has the 2009 version.
Does anyone know where I may download a legal trial version of Max 9?
Any comment’s will be appreciated.

P.S. If this post is a little confuseing, i’m sorry, I wrote it at like 20 past 6 in the morning.

Almost.

Max 9 is indeed discontinued - if you want to purchase Max it will be Max 2009 unless you are very lucky and can find an authorised reseller who still has copies of Max 9. Autodesk only ever provide trial downloads of the current version, which is why you can’t find a link for Max 9.
http://www.autodesk.co.uk/adsk/servlet/partner/search?siteID=452932&id=901984

If you haven’t already then talk to your tutors - this issue must have come up before.

Your statement about “version incompatibility” is the wrong way around. Max 2009 certainly can load Max 9 scenes, Max 9 however cannot load Max 2009 scenes.

Max 4.2 through 2013.
XP-64 (SP2)
NVidia 9800GTX-512 (Driver 266.58).
Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz, 8Gb Ram, DX9.0c.

Ok, thank you for clearing that up for me.

so with that situation of max 9 in college and max 2009 at home you can bring max 9 scenes home and load them up onto max 2009 and work on them…
but..
you cannot load max 2009 scene up in max 9 back at college...it’s a one way process...keep thet in mind.

of course you can work on models at home and load them back up into max 9 via the obj exporter from max 2009 or the fbx exporter from max 2009
[with fbx you may need to choose an earlier fbx version from the drop down list in the exporter dialogue box in max 2009] which you can then load up back into max 9 a college.

not ideal...but somewhat workable it you know the limitations in advance.

also if you have max 2009 edu at home on a laptop you could take in max 2009 to college and work there with max 2009.
or export/import the licence on a college machine each time also.

stee+cats
http://www.cresshead.com

3dsmax subscription
other s/ware:- modo 601 - combustion - lightwave - vue - zbrush - tvpaint - toonboom
system spec:- 8gig ram nvidia 8500 512ram winvista 64 intel quadcore 2.4ghz

- oh dear, how sad, nevermind -

additional the only place you may find a legal max 9 trial version would be on a cdrom from a past 3d world magazine cover disc.

check the backorder mags available from 3dworld’s website

stee+cats
http://www.cresshead.com

3dsmax subscription
other s/ware:- modo 601 - combustion - lightwave - vue - zbrush - tvpaint - toonboom
system spec:- 8gig ram nvidia 8500 512ram winvista 64 intel quadcore 2.4ghz

- oh dear, how sad, nevermind -

Or buy the commercial Max2009 and subscription - then you’re allowed to obtain the prior 2 (I think) releases direct from AME. Bit of an expensive option though.

Max 4.2 through 2013.
XP-64 (SP2)
NVidia 9800GTX-512 (Driver 266.58).
Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz, 8Gb Ram, DX9.0c.