Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2011

Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design 2011 software offers compelling new techniques for bringing designs to life by aggregating data, iterating ideas, and presenting the results. Streamlined, intelligent data-exchange workflows and innovative new rendering features help designers collaborate in creating stunning, photo-realistic visualizations to optimally showcase design data from Autodesk® Revit® Architecture, Autodesk® Inventor®, AutoCAD® Civil 3D®, Rhino, SolidWorks, FormZ, and Google® Sketchup™. Significant enhancements to the 3ds Max Design modeling and texturing toolset, accessed through a new in-context user interface, help accelerate everyday workflows, enabling designers to better explore, validate, and communicate the stories behind their designs. 

NEW Features in Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2011

• Quicksilver Hardware Renderer
  Create higher-fidelity preview animations and design dailies in less time with Quicksilver, an innovative new hardware renderer that helps produce higher-quality images at incredible speeds.
• FBX File Link with Autodesk Revit Architecture
  Receive and manage upstream design changes from Autodesk® Revit® Architecture software with the new Autodesk® FBX® File Link.
• Autodesk Inventor Import Improvements
  Take advantage of new Smart Data workflows for your Digital Prototyping workflows when using Autodesk® Inventor® software with direct import of solids via IPT and IAM files.
• Viewport Display of 3ds Max Materials
  Develop and refine scenes in a higher-fidelity interactive display environment—without the constant need to re-render—with the new ability to view most 3ds Max Design texture maps and materials in the viewport.
• Modelling and Texturing Enhancements
  Accelerate modelling and texturing tasks with new tools that help extend the Graphite modelling and Viewport Canvas toolsets: an expanded toolset for 3D painting and editing textures within the viewport; the ability to paint with object brushes to help create geometry within a scene; a new brush interface for helping edit UVW coordinates; and an interactive tool for extending edge loops.
• Native Solids Import/Export
  Non-destructively import and export surfaces and solids between 3ds Max Design and certain other applications supporting SAT files: Autodesk® Revit® Architecture software, Rhino, SolidWorks®, and form·Z.
• Google SketchUp Importer
  Import Google® SketchUp™ (SKP) version 6 and 7 files into 3ds Max Design more efficiently.
• Autodesk Material Library
  Exchange material data between certain Autodesk 2011 applications – AutoCAD®, Inventor®, Revit Architecture, Autodesk® Revit® MEP, and Autodesk® Revit® Structure software – with the new Autodesk Material Library.
• Local Edits to Containers
  Collaborate more efficiently with significantly enhanced workflows for Containers that enable designers to layer local edits non-destructively on top of referenced content.
• Slate Material Editor
  More easily visualize and edit material component relationships with Slate, a new node-based material editor that helps significantly improve workflow and productivity for designers creating and editing complex material networks.

Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2011 Brochure

Can You Spot the Difference?

This final image shows what can be done beyond the rendering in Revit. 3ds Max can manage more geometry so more detailed furniture and assets can be added. The lighting effects are also more advanced and show sunlight. From this image the light levels on surfaces can also be measured.