I understand that the number of polygons affects the calculations that any render engine does.
Is there extra calculations if the polygons are in separate objects in 3ds max?
For example, does a scene with 1 million objects with 10 polygons each equals one object with 10 million polygons for the render engine in 3ds max?
Thanks!
No! Max does not handle large amounts of objects well, and I don’t believe it can handle 1 mill objects at all. On the other hand 1 object with 10 million faces (tris) is not good either, and will slow max down considerable.
10 objects with each 1 million faces will be better, and 100 objects with 100.000 faces each will be even better.
Hope it helps
It should be also pretty easy to test stuff like that in practice. 
Thank you Proh.
It does help. How about the way Corona handles it?
Maru, I have two deadlines coming soon, so I thought you guys probably know this already and it saves me testing time.
You know the code mechanisms to be able to tell what way in theory it should behave.
I know your comment was with good intentions though.
Yup, obviously I did not mean to sound offensive.