3ds Max
3ds Max is a professional 3D computer graphics software for making 3D animations, models, games, and images. It is developed and produced by Autodesk, offering powerful modeling capabilities, a flexible plugin architecture, and a comprehensive toolset for artists and designers in various industries.
Key facts
- First appeared
- 1990
- Category
- technology
- Problem solved
- Before 3ds Max, professional-grade 3D computer graphics software was largely the domain of expensive workstations running Unix-based systems, or rudimentary tools on nascent personal computers. Artists and designers on personal computers were struggling with limited features, restrictive memory access, and clunky interfaces. 3ds Max (and its predecessor, 3D Studio DOS) was conceived to democratize sophisticated 3D creation, offering an integrated suite for modeling, animation, and rendering on more affordable PC hardware, especially once it moved to the Windows platform. It aimed to provide a comprehensive, powerful, yet relatively accessible tool for a growing market of game developers, architects, and designers.
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows
Related technologies
Notable users
- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) (architectural visualization)
- Ubisoft (game development)
- Foster + Partners (architectural visualization)
- Blur Studio (VFX, cinematics)
- Industrial Light & Magic (historical use for some projects)
- Bethesda Softworks (game development)