Highlights of 3ds Max 2008
Improved viewing and handling of large complex scenes:
-- New viewport technology and optimizations provide improved performance
with large and complex scenes consisting of tens of thousands of
objects. Artists can select thousands of objects and perform material
assignments up to 10 times faster. They can also transform objects up
to 60 times faster.**
-- 3ds Max 2008 offers a new Scene Explorer, which provides artists with a
hierarchical view of scene data, as well as fast scene analysis and
editing tools. This facilitates working with complex, object-heavy
scenes. It also includes a new Adaptive Degradation System, which
improves the software’s interactivity by automatically simplifying the
scene display to meet a user-defined target frame rate.
New options for fast, artist-friendly modeling:
-- New modeling user interface options give artists a less menu-dependent
modeling experience.
-- 3ds Max 2008 offers conceptual design artists and modelers a more
streamlined modeling workflow, which enables them to focus more on the
creative process.
New Review toolset and mental ray workflow improvements:
-- The new Review toolset provides iterative rendering workflows with
interactive previewing of shadows, the 3ds Max sun/sky environment, and
Architectural and Design material settings.
-- 3ds Max 2008 also provides several mental ray workflow improvements,
including a new mental ray Sky Portal, which simplifies lighting indoor
scenes using outdoor lighting and supports HDRI-based lighting effects.
New tools and enhancements for complex workflows and pipelines:
-- The new integrated MAXScript ProEditor makes it easier to author
scripts that automate and customize 3ds Max.
-- Major improvements in file-linking and interoperability with other
Autodesk design solutions provide faster, more accurate importing of
data into 3ds Max. Furthermore, new features, such as Select Similar,
facilitate work with imported data inside of 3ds Max.
Those are a lot of lofty promises. I’m still trying to figure out why I should have been excited to upgrade to Max 9. I let the whole 64-bit revolution really get my hopes up that the version would be worth the enormous hassle… but so far, I’m not feeling any increased stability over R8, and I’m certainly not seeing the suggested +/- 20% improvement in render times. Course that’s probably 'cause V-Ray is already so damn fast…
MaxScript ProEditor: yummy!
Now, what does that do, beta testers?
Will it break stuff as quickly as SP2 did (with the new encryption method, not backward compatible, even with sp1), or actually provide some much needed refreshment to the tedious scripting process?
@jonny : well maybe also depends on the datasets to be handled. I’ve been handling roughly 9mio poly datasets with ease in R9. You cant move these at all interactively in R8. And even more important : Edged Faces is almost as fast as Shaded alone in R9 wich is a HUGE plus for me.
ah yeah, would live to see the maxscript editor!! jeuh
And more speed is always nice cause even with 9 3dsmax is fu*%@#$ slow. they should get it right this time hehe
Also you gave have read autodesk is buying mudbox (skymatter)… wonder where that is going to go proberly some improvements for working between max and mudbox.. hmm who knows
another update another overall update of plugins bada bad politic of autodesk, everytime a new update of a plugin will work for the latest 3dsmax so again buy/update 3dsmax version and update bad bad and too expensive, i prefer lightwave/newtek politic more comptibility.
Anyway the autodesk thing about their customes as rich people that everytime follow their road…
Too fast updates and too litlle improvements in short times in my opinion
mmmmm
excuse if I exposed my sad opinion on this market but is what came from my mind when I read the news of autodesk
