3Ds max vs blender in Architectural Visualization

3ds Max
3ds Max is considered one of the best modeling and rendering software in the design industry. It is a versatile piece of software. You can use it in architecture, video game creation, interior design, and film-making industry.
Blender
Blender is an open-source 3D modeling and rendering software. It can be used for modeling, rigging, animation, rendering, and simulation. Blender is a great option for students, hobbyists, and small businesses since it is a free piece of software even though it offers features and quality that you can find in the most expensive modeling software.
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[@tomdem9789]

I use both at my office. I work as a Civil Designer and on simple, small project, I stick to blender. No hesitation. On bigger project I will use a combination of both. 3ds Max can read various file formats so big win there when working with other disciplines. I will use blender for modelling simple model, but will use 3ds Max for the more advanced one. I really like the "edit poly" modifier in 3ds Max, and really wish blender had this modifier as well, but on the other hands, blender can do geo nodes, wish is much more friendly than Max equivalent! I found both softwares struggle with real world coordinates, but being use to working with a Revit team, there are ways to fix this problem easily anyway so not an issue. I does look like blender can handle it a little bit better though. For texturing and animation, I prefer blender. I like the simple UV interface of blender and manipulation cameras is also a breeze. Plus blender can do the video editing as well. For water animation, I prefer 3ds Max. I find the fluid animation tools in Max much more powerful! I can never get the fluid to behave the way I want in blender for some reason. For presentation/live session, I often go with blender. I like the simple tools to enable walking around your model and the software is really quick to launch compare to 3ds Max. Sharing a model is quiet easy as well with blender using the FBX file format, or sometimes just .blend files as well! Anyone can download blender for free so anyone can ready a .blend file! Blender recently got an asset manager but I still have a preference for the asset tracker of max. It can read various file format, check history and has a check-in/check-out system. Anyway honestly you can't go wrong with both. My preference is still blender because there is so much development in the recent month and more and more features are added to blender. I recon it has a lot of potential and deserves a seat at the big boy table

[@blitzcrank4747]

thanks for the insights! may i ask how you import revit models in blender? It seems you cannot import an fbx as easily with combined materials like you do in 3ds max? is there an easy way i may missed?

[@pauliusmscichauskas558]

This is a weird and seemingly biased comparison... I keep saying "Blender can do that too", when 3ds max is described... Also, saying that blender is for small companies, and hobbyists, and 3ds max is for pros, is absolutely ridiculous.

[@june049]

Sounds like the price tag is what makes you a pro🙃

[@pauliusmscichauskas558]

@@june049 at this point, whether to use blender or max is the same as choosing a paint brush... the artist is who does the work...

[@nichtrelevant6240]

Now in 2023, i'd say blender is the one to go. I see absolutely no reason what so ever to use 3ds max anymore. Price, useability and render engine is key for a better program. all categorys won by blender. calling 3ds Max the "pro" version is an absolute joke that just costs you an hillarious amount of money every year.

[@rain-2779]

well, i believe those software on the market can do the same thing, just some software can do a better job in certain scenario. the third one is absolutory a joke. Fewer companies use Blender....

[@philipprapp9356]

What does rendering have to do with Blender vs Max? It should be a comparison between Cycles vs Arnold. If it's just about which tool to use to model architecture, it's Blender all the way, modelling in Blender is at least 3 times faster. When it comes to Cycles vs Arnold for architecture rendering i have no clue. Arnold is amazing but in general pretty slow.

[@zakaria20062]

To be honest if doing interior scene , there no double blender and unreal engine 5 is best solution in my opinion . For big exterior scene have certain limitation in UE5 like vegetation but can tweak

[@sichaoxian]

Me an interior design student chose to learn blender, although the school teaches us 3ds max and sketchup. I was a pretty good sketchup user but I decided to go with blender for school projects now. SU seems like an incomplete software, everything you want to do requires some kind of plugin. I was amazed my the modelling capabilities of blender and how easy it is to model plants and high poly mesh. In sketchup it is nearly impossible. But sketchup is good for interior design since it doesn't require too much complexity. I don't know much about 3ds max that's why I'm here. But to me it seems both blender and 3Ds max are more than enough for interior and Architectural visualizations. The difference is really not in the software but the skills of the user.

[@sichaoxian]

And blender is the choice for me since it is a free software. Even though it's free, it is so powerful and nicely designed which is amazing.

[@c3ramics]

As a student you get a free license to 3ds Max. Make use of this opportunity to learn both as it will make you ultra competitive in your field. Blender and 3ds both are full production program within one. 3ds max like Blender makes great use of plugins, however those for 3ds are amazing. That said for an interior design student blender can do everything you need.

[@user-yk1cw8im4h]

@@c3ramics how about rhino is t even worth learning

[@madshader]

Lux Core for Blender is actually an amazing rendering engine and much faster than Cycles. Cycles is fantastic however, if you know how to optimize properly. I'd say both 3ds max and Blender can both output amazing quality Archviz, but I love Blender's modular UI. Blender 3.0 is looking to be pretty solid, and I am just now learning about ACES workflow.

[@mrunity711]

please make a video on blander and auto cad

[@akyjoe7]

Rendering high resolution images in blender is a hurdle without investing in high end graphic cards and systems.or using cloud services..also there is no network render manager which makes final renderings a huge task as per my experience...rest blender is beautiful in every way and getting better each day

[@c3ramics]

How’s your outlook on this changed since then? Really value your opinion on this? Deciding on Blender or 3ds Indie, as I do profesional CAD work. But I want to do archviz for myself and take it to the distance with animated shorts.

[@smashedlegends]

Use Blender K-Cycles X. Your renders will take 20% of time!

[@akyjoe7]

@@smashedlegends I agree...though blender 3.0 is blazing fast now ...that really gave a huge push to implement blender in my work pipeline...and also found a way to work with backburner manager with bsmax addon....supur kudos to all amazing developers who create and update blender and also to all the contributers and addon creators

[@luisagabriele812]

o blender entrega pra um software grátis mas o 3ds é impressionante de tão eficaz no quesito realismo extremo , é muito chocante o nível de detalhes.

[@yFireZ]

Comecei essa semana o curso de 3D Studio max , tô gostando muito e aprendendo muito mano.

[@dharunkrishnad.k1372]

I'm thinking of buying chocofur archviz course and start learning. I'm a civil engineer student, so I think learning archviz will be useful. Which software do u think I should invest on? I know basics of blender already (completed 2.8 launchpad course) .

[@akyjoe7]

Invest in both Learn Max and blender both....they both have thier own specialities

[@edmarferreirajunior724]

As a civil engineer, I would invest my time and money in a good real time rendering plugin for a BIM software. Enscape 3D, eg.

[@rajeevprabhu6722]

No one considers the size of the Software installation . 3D Max is 10+ times heavy than Blender. Just see what it does to your CPU, GPU, RAM,....! The reason why the word 'pro' is used for 3D Max!!

[@ibragimov12]

3 d max animation tooo

[@guloofficial4740]

Your choice blender or 3ds max for Architecture quality render?...

[@akyjoe7]

both are amazing...blender is highly scalable so would definitely prefer that...only hurdle is render times and render management

[@MrStylorock]

@@akyjoe7 But 3ds max still have huge 3d modeling library (still blender lacking ) and 3ds cameras setting far better then blender (vary camera ,psychical cameras more. but one thing blender doing better then any 3d modeling software is modeling speed , efficiency and shortcut is godlike. still wish i can bring 3ds file to blender without convert into other format. yes blender is the future

[@akyjoe7]

@@MrStylorock Max files can be converted to blender easily with an add-on Maxtoblender available on gumroad for few dollars.

[@Eddim0r]

@@akyjoe7 link? can't find it on gumroad

[@PescaColorata]

.

[@virtualstagingmaestro5213]

I vote for 3ds Max any day anytime

[@liwagricardo6597]

3ds max is slowly dying dude

[@liwagricardo6597]

users are getting lesser and lesser hahahahahahahahaha