Autodesk 3ds Max: Create massive worlds and high-quality designs

3D modelling and animation software

Image courtesy of Anthony Pitts

What is 3ds Max?

Autodesk 3ds Max professional 3D modelling, rendering and animation software enables you to create expansive worlds and premium designs.

Breathe life into environments and landscapes with robust modelling tools.

Create finely detailed designs and props with intuitive texturing and shading tools.

Iterate and produce professional-grade renders with full artistic control.

See system requirements (US Site)

See what’s new in 3ds Max (US Site)

3ds Max overview (video: 4:48 min.)

Dream Garden Shed, rendered in 3ds Max. Image courtesy of Ewelina Lekka

Crabs traversing through the sand at a beach resort

Stylistic render of crabs in the sand, created in 3ds Max. Image courtesy of Kirill Gilyazov

3D painting of underwater scenery, created in 3ds Max. Image courtesy of Marie Henry

A flooded alleyway with ivy growing over fire escapes

Digital image of an overgrown flooded alleyway, created in 3ds Max. Image courtesy of Timothy Lee

Flying on a Trabant, rendered in 3ds Max. Image courtesy of Vince Gáspár

Photorealistic rendering of a garden shed in a grove of trees

A 3d modeled Trabant car flying through the clouds

Why use 3ds Max?

Boost creativity

Fuel your imagination with artist-friendly creative workflows.

Increase automation

Reduce repetitive, time-consuming tasks with time-saving tools.

Improve collaboration

Seamlessly share data with integrated open standards.

What you can do with 3ds Max

Image courtesy of Saga Alayyoubi

Create realistic 3D designs with powerful tools

Whether you’re building expansive gaming worlds or visualising intricate architectural designs, 3ds Max has the modelling toolset you need to bring your 3D assets to life.

See 3ds Max features

Learn about 3D environment modelling (US Site)

Image courtesy of J-KANG

Produce high-quality renders

From light mixing to colour correction, the built-in Arnold renderer provides a rich experience and handles your most complex characters, scenes and effects.

See 3ds Max features

“During [SteelRising's] production, the animation team relied on 3ds Max to create its custom rigs and animations.“

–Arthur Munoz, Senior Game Animator and Rigger, Spiders Games

Read story
“Almost all of the content you see in [Forza Horizon 5] has been create[d] inside 3ds Max.”

– Dan Wulczynski, Lead Technical Artist, Playground Games

Watch video (57:11 min.)
“Full CGI has many advantages. … We can choose any light, atmosphere and … location we want.“

– Jakub Vlček, CEO, Punctum Images

Read story
[With] 3ds Max and AutoCAD, I bridged the gap [between] abstract creativity and … tangible projects.“

– Sara Moheimani, 3D Artist

Read story

See 3ds Max in action

VFX featuring 18th century boats crashing into bridge tower

Relive the past using VFX

3D generalist Thomas Berg breaks down VFX scenes from his work on Olav and two war documentaries.

Watch video (29:45 min.)

3ds Max UI shot demonstrating glTF material customization

Embrace open standards

Discover how support for glTF allows users to open, create and edit large amounts of 3D data with ease.

Read the blog

Cities and statues simulated using 3ds Max and TyFlow

Create simulations

Edstudios details how to import geometry and particle simulations from 3ds Max and TyFlow to Omniverse Create.

Watch video (41:23 min.)

When to choose 3ds Max or Maya

3ds Max and Maya are used by creative studios around the world for animation, modelling, visual effects and rendering.

Explore each product's strengths

3ds Max resources

VIDEOS

M&E YouTube channel

Watch talks from industry experts, discover new tools and workflows, and much more.

Watch now

COMMUNITY

3ds Max forum

Share your knowledge, ask questions and explore popular 3ds Max topics.

Join the conversation

BLOG

3ds Max blog

Read 3ds Max news and stories from animation, VFX and games studios.

Get inspired

Media & Entertainment Collection offers more

Create breathtaking scenes and characters for film, TV and games.

Media and Entertainment Collection

Enjoy all the creative tools you need to build a powerful, scalable 3D animation pipeline for complex simulations, effects and rendering.

Explore the Media & Entertainment Collection

Media & Entertainment Collection includes:

Maya

3ds Max

Arnold

MotionBuilder

Mudbox

+ more

Explore the Media & Entertainment Collection

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is Autodesk 3ds Max used for?

Autodesk 3ds Max is used to model, animate and render detailed 3D characters, photorealistic designs and complex scenes for film and TV, games, and design visualisation projects.

Who uses Autodesk 3ds Max?

3ds Max is used by 3D modellers, animators and lighting artists for game development (US Site), film and TV productions (US Site), and design visualisation projects.

Autodesk 3ds Max vs. Autodesk Maya

Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya are used by creative studios around the world for animation, modelling, visual effects and rendering. Learn when to choose 3ds Max (US Site) and when to choose Maya (US Site).

Which operating system does Autodesk 3ds Max run on?

Autodesk 3ds Max runs on Microsoft® Windows® 11 and Windows 10. See 3ds Max system requirements (US Site) for details.

How do I download 3ds Max?

Autodesk provides download and install instructions for individuals and administrators. Your available downloads appear in Autodesk Account. Find your product, select a version, platform, language and download method. For more information, visit the Autodesk Support.

Can I install 3ds Max on multiple computers?

With a subscription to Autodesk 3ds Max software, you can install it on up to three computers or other devices. However, only the named user can sign in and use that software on a single computer at any given time. Please refer to the Software Licence Agreement (US Site) for more information.

How do I convert my Autodesk 3ds Max free trial to a paid subscription?

Launch your trial software and click Subscribe Now on the trial screen or buy Autodesk 3ds Max here. When buying your subscription, enter the same email address and password combination that you used to sign in to your trial. Learn more about converting a trial to a paid subscription.

How much does a 3ds Max subscription cost?

The price of an annual Autodesk 3ds Max subscription is and the price of a monthly 3ds Max subscription is . The price of a 3-year 3ds Max subscription is . If you have infrequent users and are interested in a pay-as-you-go option, please visit Autodesk Flex page to learn more.

Do you offer subscriptions for students, educators and educational institutions?

Students (US Site) and teachers (US Site) at qualified academic institutions worldwide are eligible for free access to Autodesk software for one-year through the Autodesk Education Community (US Site).

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