Autodesk has announced the release of 3ds Max 2025, here an overview of what’s new.
First up, 3ds Max 2025 has adopted OpenColorIO as the default color management system for new projects, marking a step toward streamlining modern color workflows. The VertexPaint tool has been integrated into this color-managed workflow, allowing for precise color adjustments directly on models. Furthermore, a new Color Space Conversion operator for Data Channel modifiers facilitates the conversion of color data across different rendering spaces, enhancing flexibility in post-processing workflows.
The update also improves the Global Search feature, which has been revamped to offer an expanded list of commands, tools, and settings to streamline the search process, making it quicker and more efficient for users to find and execute commands. The search feature now memorizes the last five used items, offering rapid access to frequently used functions, and introduces a category display for better organization. Additionally, a dockable search window and customizable search bar width aim to improve the user interface..
Improvements have also been made to the Retopology Tools, with the integration of preprocessing and OpenVDB remeshing as standalone processes. These tools are critical for optimizing 3D models for animation and rendering, reducing complexity while maintaining fidelity. The update to Autodesk ReForm algorithm enhances performance and stability, promising up to 8% faster processing times. Such optimizations are indicative of Autodesk’s focus on efficiency and user satisfaction in complex modeling tasks.
A newly introduced Menu Editor enhances customization capabilities, allowing users to easily adjust menus and quad menus within the software. This feature supports the creation, renaming, and reorganization of menu items. A Developer Mode within the Menu Editor provides additional functionality for integrating third-party plugins, further extending 3ds Max’s versatility.
The integration of the updated Universal Scene Description (USD) plug-in in 3ds Max 2025 includes improved import capabilities for camera and light animations, as well as blendShapes. There’s also the ability to select and move USD primitives directly in the viewport and more.
Arnold for 3ds Max 5.7.0.0 integration introduces a major overhaul of the GPU renderer, global light sampling in volumes, and the introduction of dithered samples in progressive and adaptive rendering. These updates collectively aim to reduce rendering times, improve render quality, and enhance the overall efficiency of the rendering process. The update also includes several performance optimizations and new features that significantly improve the rendering experience, particularly for complex scenes and high-resolution outputs.
Among the other notable improvements there are changes to the Character Animation Toolkit, enhancing animation workflows and addressing long-standing issues based on user feedback. These improvements include stability fixes related to CAT object deletion, working with Wire Parameters, and using CAT bone twist weights. Additionally, enhancements have been made to the copy/paste functionality of CAT layers, particularly in Extraction mode, improving the software’s usability in complex animation projects. Issues related to viewport refresh, scene loading due to loop references, and handling of empty animation layers have also been addressed, significantly boosting the software’s reliability and performance in animation tasks.
Furthermore, Autodesk has introduced an Assign Controller arrow navigation fix, correcting a previously encountered issue where using arrow keys to navigate the Controller list could trigger a crash. This fix enhances the usability of the Assign Controllers Rollout, making the interface more intuitive and less prone to errors. The List Controller has also seen adjustments to its scaling, ensuring that the controls remain accessible and properly displayed across different window scalings.
Another user-requested feature, the Save Incremental option, has been added to the File menu. This option facilitates better project management by allowing users to save incremental copies of their scenes.
The release also brings updates to the OpenSubdiv modifier, upgrading it to version 3.6. This update provides faster results and ensures compliance with the VFX Reference Standard. The Mesh Cleaner modifier has received updates as well, introducing new options for cleanup tasks such as addressing zero area UV, non-planar faces, and isolated vertices.
Additionally, improvements to viewport shadows have been added, with the default size limit for shadow maps increased from 512 to 4096. This change, stored in the 3dsmax.ini file and persisting across sessions, allows for higher quality shadows in the viewport. Lastly, the Slate Material Editor now allows users to quickly open a View Image File window by right-clicking on a Bitmap node.
For more details visit Autodesk’s documentation website and Changsoo Eun’s more detailed unofficial list and videos.
Is this an update? Do they have developers working on the 3dsmax product? Probably not.
wow.
It’s good to see some outdated code cleaning and bug fixing for CAT, but when you look at the tools the competition is building, it’ looks like an early April Fools joke.
Unreal alone makes many Max tools obsolete.
It is acceptable for a small update like 2024.3.1 … but for new version!!!! It’s like a joke !!!
same was 2024.1 and 2024.2 but funny enough theres lots of people who defend autodek
There are only point updates for years now. They said it long time ago. There is no difference between point updates and update with yearly name change. It’s still looking bad, especially that there was no .03 update last year.
its not perpetual license so its doesnt matter its pointy update or not u have to pay full price each year. 2k per one modifier its ridiculous price and its not looks bad its scam.
There is cheap indie version if You are a freelancer.
If only one developer works only on weekends, this update will be the result after 5 months.
The only thing I can say is that I wish Max development was not done by Autodesk.
Autodesk has taken this process very consciously and does not respect users in any way.
It’s been 4 years since I switched to another software that I won’t mention the name, but I still hope that my beloved software will return to its prime, which unfortunately doesn’t happen year after year.
My message to Autodesk is, please hire Tyson to develop Max and sit back and do nothing.
When will we be able to transfer everything from a previous version when installing ?
Epic has done more to their engine in under 2 years with half the cost than the entire Autodesk campaign on Max for the past 10 years put together. This release is what would be considered a patch update for Houdini or Unreal Engine.
what a retarded and useless release
wow incremental save!!!!
no new chamfer modifiers tho
3dmax devs are so overpaid and lazy
whoa dude. don’t blame the Dev’s. They don’t get to decide what gets spent on updating the software. That’s a corporate decision. They’re probably cringing the hardest when they see what they’re allowed to touch, and then they have to listen to the shit talk in the forums (which is absolutely deserved by Autodesk, but not the devs)
Same for Maya, these updates are pure jokes.
They keep these softwares to make a bit of money till they last.
I wouldn’t be surprised they chose to discontinue them in a few years.
They are clearly not putting any effort or budget in them anymore.
These are dead piece of aging code that are never going to get a fresh code base update.
Even the devs working on it probably gave up and want to work on something else.
Disappointing update, Specific after about 5 months…
I love 3dsmax, now we want Eevee or an Unreal render button. It’s the future, we want the future.
You can have both – today! You said it: in Blender or Unreal…
Whatever, Autodesk is a company for people who want to get rid of excess money while making sure that doesn’t cause any harm.
What features were you all expecting or would like to see, realistically? I’ll start with a few.
So many other features are already provided by 3rd parties, which I prefer. I’d rather certain capabilities (like tyflow particles or Chaos fluid sim) keep developing their tools independently than rely on Autodesk to carry the torch after an acquisition.
wanna joke ? sculpt tools were in roadmap for a few yers but they deleted it coz they want update chamfer modifier each year …
Autodesk’s decision to silent kill Mudbox was a significant loss for the sculpting community, as it was a software brimming with potential at the time.
In an ideal world of software development, Autodesk would have the opportunity to start from scratch and merge the strengths of Maya and 3ds Max, integrating all the intellectual property acquired over the years. Such a unified platform could revolutionize the industry, offering a powerful and comprehensive tool for creators.
Blender just got that this week with there 4.1 update. Former Discreet 3Ds max user.
People have been asking for the same things for years, none listened, but why not.
-Animation toolset vastly improved, Curve Editor is too dated
-actually working Animation Layers
-Biped & CAT ported to a new, improved Qt based interface with functionality improvements to make them competitive with Unreal, Cascadeur is a good reference, on the roadmap there was Inertia Modifier which looked really great, what happened to it?
-complex rig performance on par with Maya, right now, Maya plays them smoothly, Max slows down to single digits
-overhauled Reaction Manager
-proper caching mechanisms to improve playback performance
-Cloth modifier completely revamped with GPU acceleration
-Bifrost? Particle Flow overhaul? Without Phoenix or tyFlow, you can’t do anything advanced in Max.
We should have a hidden camera with someone behind the scenes visiting Autodesk dev departments for a period of a few months, i would pay money just to find out what they do all day and how they operate. It will be a good case study i can write a book about it and become a millionaire!
Great idea
(y) ????????
What a joke!!!!! Tyflow, Chaos, and Itoo are the only reasons people still use this software. Without them it’d be dead in the water! Out-of-the-box it’s pretty much useless for modern production! How many inbuilt renderers have they gone thru and abandoned???? Wake up developers…it’s 2024! We want significantly new features! How about real people…not the outdated ‘populate’! Come on!!!
wrong… without Max no Tyflow, Chaos, Itoo and so on
Why not celebrate 3ds max! almost 30 years of major presence/dominance in the 3d industry, most game studios and visual effects companies still all use 3ds max in their pipeline and love it. 3ds max has provided many Artist life long careers, pursuing their art and getting paid. Sure, through corporate acquisitions over the years 3ds max has take a hit in terms of development but even then its foundation is so strong that it has been enduring all these years.
It’s like seeing *sniff *sniff…a poor little bunny rabbit dying..*sniff from the worst desease imaginable a slow long death, the cure is sitting right there behind a glass wall guarded by suits. And you are asking us to celebrate the slow torment of this…poor little bunny rabbit? *Sniff , have a heart man! can’t you see its dying!
It’s been “dying” for a lot more than a decade… wake up people, enough with the empty hate. I am also not a fan of Autodesk but Max is still the most used software in all industries combined and will live on as it has been through the last decades of hate. People like Tyson (and many others) are still building tools for and investing in Max and this is more than a sign.
so true
Absolutely agree with you Heavycap
I used Max since DosR4. Then every version until 2016. Around 2010 I saw autodesk killed of the focus on developer strategy on Max and, like Softimage, will just let it die slowly. Even Maya is not really innovating anymore. My 3rd year thesis was on Wavefront in 1993, my honours the next year on something else… Autodesk is focused on fleecing it current base, might like multiple companies have useless HR departments, etc.. I have lost all faith in Max. The last 4 years I have been slowly transfering my skill to Blender.
Maybe that is the idea. Put max Developer and maya Developer together. So you can slowly let max die. The costumer will be disapointed like now and slowly leave. Autodesk just have to Develope maya in the end and switch all Developer to maya. Its cheaper and better for the shareholders.
Except an average user won’t make a switch to Maya, but Blender instead.
Right
I absolutely agree, Max (and the community) has been such an amazing tool for me over the decades – but being appreciative of the developers of 3DS MAX is probably not the same as paying year in year out to Autodesk as they progressive “wind it down” to a single product.
Hahahaha, there was no 2024.3 so ee got a nice servicepack. Great that the you got to go. No Innovation and selling the long time needed stuff as update. Yes, the core Autodesk is using this as excuse since 2017? Maybe hire more people? So disapointing.
Ah, the blender sycophants have emerged from the woodwork again I see, trying to save people from Autodesk, fighting the good fight… If it really is as bad as you all say, why is it still the most dominant 3D software after 30 years?
I am using 3ds max since 1999. And i teach students, the most of them want to use blender. I have the feeling that max isn´t the most dominate software in 10 years;)
People been saying this for more than 10 years and 3ds max is still one of the most powerful tools in all industries and dominates. I wish good fortune for Blender but I doubt it will overtake Max’s plane in 10 years
We left Max behind a few years ago as a company – previously we’d been using Max since 1991. There’s nothing in Max I need to go back for. UI, modelling, rigging and animation tools actually are more proficient in B’ than Max. It may still dominate but that’s purely because of ‘old school’ – I include myself in that, that have been using Max for a long time.That’s now changing as a lot of people are training on B’.
It’s Autodesks only competitor, what do you expect, a round of applause for 2025? You can buy an old car from 30 years ago, just don’t expect it to be a smooth ride. Max and most of their other software gets abysmal updates, we all know that.
Good point, friend. In my mind, it’s just a matter of jealousy.
I would also like to add to what I have already said, the blender is so popular now among so many people from the fact that the unhealthy advertising of the blender by its not quite adequate community has a strong effect on children’s unformed brains.
Everything is fine, and I understand Autodesk when it comes to development cycles and features.
But here’s a message to Autodesk’s Marketing, Branding, or User Experience Division (no idea who is doing it there):
You may be wondering how Blender has managed to achieve such a large market share in such a short time, with what some might consider a “primitive” software, and develop it into something that every artist has today on their desktop.
Take a look at your “Start Trial” process. This is the first interaction when I want to try the new Max 2025.
My visa application for the USA or China contains fewer questions and delves less into my private or business life than your inquiry just to download and start a 30-day trial.
On top of that, it asks for my mobile number to check and verify me, then sends a voice/SMS message to allow me to download a free trial.
Autodesk, nothing good will come out of this. Nothing.
Make this trial free. Simplify the process to a one-click button for download and installation. It’s time to adapt to the standards of 2025 and streamline the user experience.
+1
You lost me at “every thing is fine”
Well said Igor, Autodesk are so far out of touch they may as well orbit the planet.
At this point I don’t think they’re even trying. I guess it’s time to milk the end-users for as much as they can get, for the least cost.