With each revision of Max, I'm always amazed at the new features that are included. Max is a large and complex piece and software, and just about the time that I don't think it can hold any more, a new revision with a host of new features appears. Max 9 is no different.
You can find the real coverage of the new features in the various chapters, but this appendix provides a quick overview of these new features along with references on where to learn more about them. Throughout the book, the New Feature icon identifies the features that are new to 3ds Max 9.
3ds Max 9 includes lots of new improvements. Some are considered major because they likely will affect every user's workflow, and others are minor because they are smaller in scale. However, an improvement listed as minor may be the one you've been waiting for.
Perhaps the biggest improvement is the release of a 64-bit version of 3ds Max. This version takes advantage of the latest 64-bit processors and provides a dramatic increase in the scalability of the application. Users now can manipulate data sets with tens of millions of polygons using a computer with 64-bit architecture.
Autodesk continues to support the 32-bit version of Max for production shops that haven't yet upgraded their hardware.
Mental ray has been upgraded to version 3.5, which includes several significant new features. These new features include a new set of Architecture and Design Materials, new Sky and Sun lights, and an advanced Car Paint shader. The mental ray configuration controls have been overhauled making them easier to use. For example, the Global Illumination settings now include several presets for Final Gather.
CROSS-REF | The new mental ray features are covered in Chapter 45, "Raytracing and mental ray." |
In addition to mental ray, reactor also has been upgraded to version 3. The new reactor version includes a new interface along with a new Toy Car feature that allows you to easily incorporate realistic car behaviors and motions into your scenes. Reactor also includes the new Cooperative Constraints feature that lets objects work together to constrain motion.
CROSS-REF | All the new reactor features are presented in Chapter 37, "Simulating Physics-Based Motion with reactor." |
Two new compound objects, ProBoolean and ProCutter, have been added to 3ds Max 9. These new objects overcome many of the difficulties encountered from using the traditional Boolean objects. They use a solids approach that ensures cleaner results.
CROSS-REF | The new compound objects are covered in Chapter 18, "Working with Compound Objects." |
The Hair and Fur features have been overhauled and better integrated into Max. The Styling features now are included within standard rollouts in the Command Panel, instead of in a separate window, which allows you to easily work with hair and fur in the viewports.
CROSS-REF | The Hair and Fur features are covered in Chapter 19, "Adding and Styling Hair, Fur, and Cloth." |
The XRef interface has been improved, showing the status of the various XRef resources. The improvements also include the ability to XRef a specific controller from an object in another file. You can also XRef bipeds and systems.
CROSS-REF | The new XRef features are covered in Chapter 3, "Working with Files and XRefs." |
3ds Max 9 includes an interface for defining and using Animation Layers. This interface includes a way to create several different animation sequences and to mix between the various layers. Animation layers also make it easy to turn layered keyframes on and off.
CROSS-REF | Animation layers are discussed in Chapter 30, "Using Animation Layers." |
Biped once again has been endowed with several improvements, including an easy way to work with biped motion files. Biped keys can now be moved past one another in the Track View and negative frames are allowed making it easy to reverse a biped's motion.
CROSS-REF | The biped improvements are covered in Chapter 42, "Creating and Animating Bipeds." |
To dramatically improve your productivity, Max 9 includes a Bitmap Proxy feature that lets you swap all texture maps in a scene with up to 1/8th resolution proxies. The original full resolution maps can be restored quickly at any time for high-resolution rendering.
CROSS-REF | Bitmap Proxies are discussed in Chapter 43, "Learning Rendering Basics." |
A new version of the Point Cache modifier lets you bake animation keys into an object. Cached animation sequences can be adjusted to slow down, speed up, or reverse the sequence. You also can adjust the animation's strength.
CROSS-REF | Bitmap Proxies are discussed in Chapter 29, "Understanding Animation and Keyframe Basics." |