Autodesk’s latest release of 3ds Max (version 11 if anyone is counting) is now dubbed Autodesk 3ds Max 2009. You can buy this release as either 3ds Max Design 2009 or 3ds Max 2009, the former being for design visualization, the later for Media & Entertainment. They are exactly the same software, one program, two boxes. What’s going on here? Autodesk has discontinued the stripped-down VIZ product, which was 3ds Max with lots of features turned off. Now design visualization specialists will have ALL the features found in Max. This is a really good thing for the artist using the software. I loved VIZ for what it was, but Max is great! 

All this confusion has diverted attention from the fact that this version of 3ds Max only had a six month release cycle. Autodesk wanted Max to conform with the rest of its vast CAD product line, so there wasn’t a lot of time to code/test/document the features. Considering the shortened time-frame, this version is chock-full of improvements, performance enhancements and other good things.

More so than I was expecting. I’ve been using this product since 1990, so I have seen a lot of releases. This one is a good one. I like it. I don’t like releases with a lot of new functionality, I like releases where the software I use every day works and doesn’t crash. I’m not seeing a lot of crashing with 3ds Max 2009. They didn’t break it, we like that. I’m using the design visualization version, 3ds Max Design 2009, and it’s being good to me.