The latest update, 3ds Max 2023, brings many exciting improvements and features. This release focuses on enhancing performance, streamlining workflows, and providing artists with even more powerful tools. Here’s a look at some of the key highlights:
- Retopology Pre-processing: Handle larger data sets with less setup. The Remesh option can now be used as a pre-processing step, simplifying complex retopology tasks.
- Retopology Data Propagation: Easily view both the input and output mesh results during the retopology process, providing clearer feedback and control.
- Snap Working Pivot: Improved control over pivot point placement with new snapping capabilities.
- Autobackup Toolbar: A new, readily accessible Autobackup toolbar has been added to the default user interface, enhancing workflow safety.
- glTF Material & Exporter: Added support for glTF materials and the ability to export 3ds Max files as compact .gltf or .glb files, improving compatibility and file size efficiency.
- Autodesk Standard Surface Compliant Mode: A new mode in the Physical Material ensures compliance with Autodesk Standard Surface specifications.
- MAXtoA 5.1.0 Integration: 3ds Max 2023 includes MAXtoA 5.1.0, offering new features, bug fixes, performance optimizations, and overall production improvements for Arnold rendering.
- Smart Extrude Enhancements: Smart Extrude now supports partial cut-throughs on Editable Poly objects, providing greater modeling flexibility.
- Occlude Selection Improvements: Experience a significant speed boost (up to three times faster) in Occlude Selection. Accuracy is also greatly enhanced, particularly when using marquee-style selections (rectangle, circle, freeform).
- New Unwrap UVW Keyboard Shortcuts: Highly requested keyboard shortcuts have been added for the Unwrap UVW modifier, including shortcuts for Stitch, Pack, Grow, Shrink, and more, speeding up the UV unwrapping process.
- Faster Compressed Scene File Saving: Scene file saving is now almost twice as fast, thanks to a new archiving library, multithreading, and other optimizations.
- Active Modifier Stack Manipulator Display: Choose to display only the manipulators for the active level of the modifier stack, reducing visual clutter and improving focus.
- Improved Per-Viewport Filtering Dialog Interaction: The Per-Viewport Filtering dialog now supports the same multi-select options used in 3ds Max (Shift for sequential selection, Ctrl for individual selection).
- Enhanced Safe Scene Execution: The Safe Scene Execution feature has been expanded to block unsafe scripted commands in Script File Assets (like pre/post render scripts) by default, enhancing security.
- On-Demand Installer for Revit and Inventor Imports: Install Revit Interoperability and Inventor Interoperability components only when needed, streamlining the initial 3ds Max installation.
- Python 3.9.7: 3ds Max now ships with Python 3.9.7, which includes performance enhancements, new string functions, and improved quality.
- Visual Studio 2019 Support: Support for Visual Studio 2019 allows 3ds Max and third-party plug-in developers to benefit from compiler optimizations and run-time improvements.
Source: CGPress