In releasing 3D Studio Max for Windows NT, Kinetix (a new division of Autodesk) has surpassed the strong 3-D modeling and animation capabilities of Autodesk's DOS-based 3D Studio R4. Max is not merely a port from DOS to Windows NT: It's an entirely re-architected program.
New Interface
First, its new interface eliminates having to switch between applications to perform the three basic functions of 3-D animation: modeling, rendering, and animating. Max does it all from one screen. You can customise the screen to show whatever angles or other information you desire (such as four viewports showing top, front, left, and perspective views). Clicking once in a viewport sets it as the active window; a right click on its title brings up a menu for configuring the viewport. You can configure all viewports to display in wireframe or rendered (faceted and highlight, or smooth and highlight) modes with a single click. A menu bar slung across the top of the screen provides 30 function buttons and list fields for easy access. Commands are displayed in a deceptively simple, six-tabbed panel on the right side of the screen. Clicking on one of the tabs reveals the dynamic array of tools and commands at your disposal for creating, modeling, and editing the elements in your scene.
Object Oriented
3DSMax is object-oriented rather than process-oriented. Select an object in your scene to modify, and the appropriate array of tools comes to the fore in the command panel. A real strength of the program is that every object in your scene has a modifier stack - a list describing its life history and the modifications you've performed on it. The stack is editable, so if you want to undo an operation you performed early in a scene's creation, select the object you want to repair and edit its stack to delete your mistake.
Animate Objects
Possibly best of all is that you can animate everything in Max - from the modifications you made on an object to the parameters and timing associated with those changes. In addition, you can animate materials and even volumetric lighting, producing some stunning effects. Creating animations is as easy as turning on the animation recorder and creating, manipulating, and otherwise tweaking your scene. Since the animation effects link to the geometry database, animation and materials can be varied in real time. Finally, you'll love the way Max's Trackview lets you keep a close eye on timelines.
Consistent Flexibility
Max's power and flexibility lie in its modularity, which is achieved through Procedural Linking and Embedding (PLE). Plug-ins aren't just static, a la OLE, but rather are DLLs whose procedural data interacts with the rest of the program and the other plug-ins you're using. Kinetix is encouraging software developers and users to write C++ code plug-ins for Max. The Software Developer Kit, still in the works at press time, will be provided to all registered users of Max. Numerous developers - Kinetix, Animetrix Technologies, Sisyphus Software, Truevision, and Diaquest - have already announced plug-ins, and more are following suit.
