Autodesk releases 3ds Max 2026

Autodesk has introduced a range of updates in 3ds Max 2026, including new materials, modifiers, performance improvements, animation tools, and rendering features.

OpenPBR is now the default material in 3ds Max. This physically-based shader offers a consistent material interface across applications and supports interoperability with MaterialX and OpenUSD. OpenPBR promises an intuitive control set for a wide range of CG materials, aiming to produce physically realistic results. 

The Vertex Weld Modifier has been updated to support both Mesh and Spline objects. When applied to splines, it allows the welding of open vertices—those without two connecting segments—enabling users to repair and unify splines more efficiently while maintaining editability and procedural compatibility. This change supports use cases such as cleaning up imported vector data or preparing text objects. An additional cleanup function removes dead vertices created during previous topology changes in polygon meshes.

A new feature called Preserve Stack Position has been added to the Modifier Stack Controls. When activated, this toggle enables users to return to the previously selected modifier on an object after selecting a new object, making it easier when switching between multiple objects.

The Create panel in the Command Panel now includes an Object Search Widget. Positioned at the top of the panel, this field allows users to search across all available objects. It uses the global search field’s backend to support suggestions, previously used items, and highlighted results, helping users avoid navigating through multiple tabs and drop-down menus.

Performance improvements have been made to several key modifiers. The Boolean Modifier now delivers up to 40 percent faster results when using the CARVE library, and the Array Modifier has received up to 15 percent speed improvements compared to the previous release. The Conform Modifier processes data up to 40 percent faster depending on scene complexity. The Displace Modifier can process up to 2.28 times faster. The Skin Modifier offers improved viewport performance, contributing to faster animation and timeline interactions. Processing for 3ds Max Fluids has been improved by up to 10 percent.

Updates to animation workflows include viewport performance enhancements, CAT updates, and fixes to the Biped system. Viewport interactions are more responsive due to improved multithreading and optimized hardware use. CAT now supports more stable motion layer cloning, corrected footprint node behavior, refined layer pasting, and Trackview controller selections without errant values. Several issues that previously caused crashes during Motion Editor operations and undo actions have been addressed. The Biped system now supports exact name matching when loading BIP files, preserving animation data when rigs are modified. It also supports reordering and reusing extra bones without affecting existing animations. 

Three new Open Shading Language maps have been added. The Perlage Map generates randomized circular grooves resembling those found in watchmaking, including outputs for anisotropy and groove flow direction. The Flow Map Transform assists in translating 2D flow maps into a format suitable for OpenPBR’s anisotropy tangent input. Numbered File Name v2 provides improved control over image sequence playback, with frame range mapping and behavior settings for out-of-range frames.

A new spline rectangle creation mode allows users to define rectangles with three points. This method lets users create rectangles at arbitrary angles rather than aligning only to the world axes. The process involves selecting a starting corner and dragging to define the first and second edges.

Retopology Tools v1.6 has been included with 3ds Max 2026. The ReForm base algorithm has been optimized for better performance. The Flow Retopology feature, which uses cloud processing to perform retopologizing operations remotely, is now available for up to 50 jobs per calendar month. Flow Retopology can run multiple operations simultaneously and continue to process in the background while work proceeds in the application. Mesh Cleaner Modifier improvements support additional mesh cleanup tasks.

USD for 3ds Max version 0.10 now includes a Layer Editor for managing USD layers. Light linking support has been added to control light-object interactions. Class prims can now be displayed in the USD Explorer, and USD BasisCurves are viewable in the viewport. The USD plug-in is now bundled with the application.

Substance for 3ds Max has been updated to version 3.0.5, and the version of Arnold included with the release is MAXtoA 5.8.0, incorporating Arnold 7.4.0.0. New rendering features include support for transmission shadow density in the openpbr_surface and standard_surface shaders, allowing transparent materials to cast realistic shadows. The update also improves global light sampling by considering material glossiness, giving faster adaptive renders in certain lighting scenarios.

Arnold’s Cryptomatte now has an internal GPU-compatible implementation that uses less memory. This change supports higher anti-aliasing settings and improves performance in progressive and adaptive rendering modes. The triplanar shader includes a new normal_type parameter with multiple options for interpreting surface normals, providing control over bump and displacement interactions.

Updates to Arnold’s plugin for 3ds Max include material and map support in RenderView’s Isolate Selected feature, toolbar feedback improvements, and changes to ASS export behavior. Viewport support has been added for using directional Arnold lights as camera views. Stability improvements have been made to RenderView’s launch behavior, and the default for “Abort On License Fail” has been changed to True.

Alembic procedural support now includes new motion blur control parameters to reduce sampling overhead. Volume intersection performance using OpenVDB has been optimized for multi-core systems, and grid size defaults in the uv_camera baking process have been adjusted for better speed. Improvements have been made to Alembic instancing and visibility change detection.

MaterialX support has been upgraded to version 1.38.10-OpenPBR. The new version includes enhanced support for layered materials and NPR nodes. Interoperability between Arnold and MaterialX shaders is improved, allowing direct connections between Arnold closures and MaterialX surface shaders. MaterialX OSL closures are now implemented for defining layered physical materials, including those required for OpenPBR.

OpenPBR now includes corrections to its metallic lobe behavior. A new Scene Converter preset allows users to convert existing Physical Material and Arnold shaders to the new OpenPBR format introduced in the 3ds Max 2025.3 update.

Many more improvements are included, so for more information, we recommend reading the detailed breakdown in Autodesk’s official documentation.