Kinetix 3D Studio Max has managed to become the best-selling 3D program for the PC in spite of its hefty US$3495 price tag. Credit its extensible architecture (and cunning copy-protection scheme) for the tremendous amount of third-party support it enjoys. MAX 2.5 includes good (but not great) modeling tools, but also includes a large number of useful predefined "primitive" shapes, including chamfer (rounded corner) boxes, tori -- even the ubiquitous teapot shown here.
Multiple options for rendering and hardware acceleration
With version 2.5, MAX finally gained an internal ray tracing renderer that allows accurate reflections and rendering of transparent objects. It also supports OpenGL and Direct 3D. Of course, it still supports Ithaca Software's HEIDI 3D hardware or software accelerated graphics library, but the other drivers support a growing array of inexpensive and powerful 3D accelerator cards. Of course, there are exceptions. Some cards, such as the Matrox Millennium, have worse performance in true-color modes with "accelerated" HEIDI drivers than with Max's default software driver -- go figure. Glint-based cards with hardware acceleration of texture map rendering benefit greatly from hardware acceleration. For sheer bang for the buck, it's hard to beat a TNT or Permedia 2 card as a low-cost OpenGL screamer. (ATI's Rage 128 is not currently MAX OpenGL compatible unless the optional "special purpose" driver is installed.)
The following quote from Eric D. Wiesen of Xert Computing nicely sums up our own experiences:
The bottom line is this - If you want to run 3DS MAX as fast as possible for the lowest price, get an accelerator based on 3D Labs' Permedia NT chipset. The best value out there is Leadtek's Winfast L2200, which is blazingly fast and costs around $450. If you want to run SoftImage or other OpenGL applications in the future, you have to spend more money. You can either get an Oxygen 102 with 8MB of SDRAM for around $900, which will be slower in MAX than the Permedia, but which will provide SI support, or you can get a Glint 500TX board for around $1500, which will be faster than Oxygen 102, about equivalent to Permedia in MAX, and will support SI as well. It also gives you an additional 8MB of texture memory.
Readers of TCP may recall the "Megasystem" review in the Feb. 1997 issue, in which we favorably reviewed the Leadtek L2500 and L2200 cards and recommended the L2200.
MAX includes some wickedly cool effects and object behaviors, including dynamics-based animation properties that can make a set of dice bounce and slide convincingly (you can even define the friction coefficient of the table they bounce on to behave -- as well as look -- like real felt!) or "video post" effects that can add glows, sparkles or Photoshop post-processing effects to any MAX scene. And while its built-in particle systems aren't as advanced as third party add-ons such as SandBlaster (one of its effects is shown above) or OutBurst (available from www.digimation.com), MAX's particle systems can readily simulate drifting snow, pelting rain or explosions that blow up real good.
With its wealth of modeling, rendering and animation tools, it's no wonder that Max has become the most popular PC-based 3D tool in production and games-development environments. No doubt -- it's a real plus on an designer's resumé to list MAX.
Of course, MAX isn't perfect. It's expensive, unless you are comparing it (as a growing number of "high-end" pros do) to the big guns in 3D animation: the workstation class programs from Alias|WaveFront, SoftImage and Vertigo (oddly, all Canadian companies.). MAX has occasionally convoluted interfaces for various functions and its lack of an internal "clay modeling" function makes it almost a necessity to use a third-party metaball plug-in such as REM's Metareyes or Digimation's Clay Studio Pro.
Although Max is, in many ways, in a completely different league (if only by virtue of the fact that it costs 30 times as much as Ray Dream Designer and its ilk), Max is not in every way superior. Its object morphing, for example, requires that objects have identical numbers of vertices -- a limitation not shared by Infini-D, for example. Also, although R2.5 added ray tracing to the basic Max package, it still lacks radiosity rendering, an advanced rendering option found in the much lower-cost trueSpace 4 from Caligari. However, optional renderers for Max -- and many other enhancements -- can be added by means of plugins. In fact, there are a huge number of third-party Max add-ons, both free and commercial.
Users of other 3D programs may initially find Max's interface somewhat "programmer-ish" -- filled with numerical dialogs and 0-255 value ranges that mean less to a designer than they do to a programmer. However, the interface doesn't take long to get used to, and it makes a lot of sense after running through the extensive three-volume set of manuals provided with the program. Production-oriented users will appreciate the fine control that Max's numeric panels and many optional plug-ins offer. After a few months of use, in fact, we have grown into the opinion that Max's interface is the best of any 3D program currently available.Indeed, Max is capable of some wonderful effects -- especially in the animation area. For example, its particle system feature comes with a number of great effects predefined -- with a few clicks you can have an animated snowstorm or explosion. Similarly, the program has a large number of primitive and compound shapes predefined. Need a helix, torus knot or a complex polyhedron? These items are often tough to build in other programs, but are just a click or two away in Max.
A notable feature of Max -- and one that distinguishes it from its DOS parent, 3D Studio, is its ability to have environment bitmaps that are not flat. Thus, a bitmapped background can move with a camera, and 3D models can interact with backgrounds, even casting shadows, with matte and mask options. The program also has a powerful "post" renderer that adds glows, motion blurs and other video-like effects.
One aspect of Max that is especially strong is its ability to match 3D models with perspective lines and other elements of existing photographs. This makes Max a favorite among designers -- many of whom are familiar with parent company Autodesk's AutoCAD line of products, which Max superficially resembles.
We have a soft spot for 3D Max, as it is the direct descendent of the first 3D program we ever seriously used -- Cyber Studio on an Atari ST. Those interested in learning Max as a job skill should look into the C$995 Student purchase option, available from the www.ictech.ca link below (some limitations apply). Also, those interested in "sci-fi" special effects should check out the Ventana Press book 3D Studio Max F/X by Max author Tom Hudson's longtime pal Jon A. Bell, for an inkling of the program's blockbuster special effects power. This book includes the Combustion plug-in (also available for download) that adds spectacular fire and explosion effects. These advanced rendering features set Max far above its competition -- as a product priced like this should be.
Note: the program, which runs on Intel-based NT and Win95 (NT is recommended), is parallel-port dongle-protected. This dongle may interfere with some parallel-connected storage devices.
3D Studio Max R2
Plugins for 3D Studio Max: Kinetix Character Studio 1.1a for MAX
Digimation Bone Pro Max - Recommended
Metareyes "Meta-muscle system" for Max - Recommended
RealLenzFX - Highly Recommended
RayMax, RayGun and RayStudio Ray tracers
RadioRay Radiosity processor
Atomizer - Recommended
SuperSpheroids - Recommended.
Plug-ins for Kinetix 3D Studio Max
Pros: Extensible architecture; good third-party support. Large number of predefined shapes, effects and object behaviors. Advanced particle systems, modeling and animation tools.
Although the basic Max package lacks advanced rendering options, such as ray tracing and radiosity, although optional renderers -- and many other enhancements -- can be added by means of plug-ins. In fact, there are a huge number of third-party Max add-ons, both free and commercial.
Production-oriented users will appreciate the fine control that Max's numeric panels and many optional plugins offer.
A notable feature of Max -- and one that distinguishes it from its DOS parent, 3D Studio, is its ability to have environment bitmaps that are not flat. Thus, a bitmapped background can move with a camera, and 3D models can interact with backgrounds, even casting shadows, with matte and mask options.
Cebas' RealLens FX plugin integrates with Max's powerful "post" renderer to add lens flares or other effects glows, motion blurs and other video-like effects.
One of the best-known plug-ins for Max is the Combustion plug-in (also available for download) that adds spectacular fire and explosion effects.
RayFlect 4 Elements for Max
Pros: "Four Elements" collection adds Bryce-like features (with animation) to Ray Dream Studio.
Cons: Less realistic renderings than Bryce. Rainbow simulation is physically incorrect.
RayFlect's 4 Elements a collection of add-ons that gives Ray Dream Studio a number of Bryce-like features, including a few that will leave the Metatools crowd green with envy. Indeed, we give a resounding "two thumbs up" to the excellent "Four Elements" plug-in collection from RayFlect. These add-ons for RDS add earth, wind, fire and water rendering effects that are similar to those supplied by Bryce -- with one difference. These ones can be animated! The Four Elements have very nice "Brycian" interfaces, too.
We noted two problems: the most serious is the program's faulty interpretation of what a rainbow looks like. Rainbows are rendered without the smoothly blended colors that characterize the real thing. Also, we had some trouble with the Wind plug-in's insistence in having the camera position above "zero." Virtually every scene we created or loaded was black until we discovered this minor design flaw.
Despite these minor flaws, we found 4 Elements greatly enhanced our enjoyment of an already good 3D package. Note, also that a free update from the MetaCreations website is required to use the original release of 4 Elements with Ray Dream Studio 5 (an updated version of 4 Elements and several other plugins, which operate only in demo mode until their respective serial numbers are entered, are provided on the Ray Dream Studio 5.0 disc). Recommended.
Digimation Bones Pro Max
Review in progress....
Real Lens Flares
Description: glows, lens flares, and other beautiful lighting effects are possible with this plugin for MAX. Recommended.
RayMax
Included with MAX 2.x. One of several ray tracers available for MAX. Good for glass and other reflective/refractive items, although ray tracing lacks the subtle shading of (much slower) radiosity renderers
Digital Forest
Makes it easy to build trees and other vegetation. A demo version is available that creates basic deciduous trees.
3D Studio Max R3
Pros: With the R3 release, Max's already excellent interface and feature set is even better. Perhaps most notably, the program features a new renderer.
Cons: Third-party plug-ins need to be upgraded.
(Max R3 was announced in March 1999 and is expected to ship in mid-1999. Look for a more detailed review on The MAX Zone in the months ahead, but for now, here's a preview of the new version's key features.)
Part 2: Making things sparkle and shine with Video Post-processing.
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