5 Reasons Why Autodesk 3ds Max is THE BEST Archviz Software!

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OTHER RELATED VIDEOS OF INTEREST
Perfect Archviz Workflow: • Real Time Archviz | Di...
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Vray vs UE5: • Vray vs UE5 | Can I Re...
Chaos Vantage vs UE5: • Chaos Vantage or UE5 |...
SOCIAL MEDIA
Check out the original post on Instagram and follow for more: / learnarchviz
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro | Is 3ds Max still the best?
01:57 Pricing | How does 3ds Max compare to SketchUp and other popular tools?
03:49 Modeling | How does Max compare to SketchUp / Revit / Blender?
05:39 Modifiers and Modifier Stack | This is one of the things that really sets Max apart
07:08 Autodesk 3ds Max is Industry Standard Software | Does this matter?
08:55 Plug-ins | Do VRay and other plug-ins put 3ds Max over the top?
10:28 Conclusion + summary of what makes 3ds Max great for archviz
11:35 THIS IS THE REAL REASON WHY 3DS MAX IS THE BEST SOFTWARE
11:50 Wrap Up | What software do you use? What do you think of my claims about Max supremacy?
DESCRIPTION
I wanted to make this video because I get a lot of questions about what software to use for archviz, and I also get a lot of people claiming that the way I do things is not the best way. Well, In this video I am going to make my case for why I think those people are wrong. I will give you 5 things about 3ds Max that make it great for archviz, and also makes it THE BEST overall software for archviz in general. Yes, I teach and use other software as well, but Autodesk's 3ds Max has always been my core software. Even if my end result is coming out of Lumion, Twinmotion, Unreal Engine, etc., I still use 3ds Max in some way on every project. Others find Blender or SketchUp to be just as useful, but I am going to make my case for 3ds Max. I think there are some things that set it apart from all the other software out there. I would love to know what you think too. What is your go to or core archviz software that is the base of everything you do?
Thanks for watching!

[@Dan-ej1dx]

I started off in SketchUp and 8 years ago I thought long and hard about which program to dedicaate myself to. I weighed the pros and cons of both, listenned to opinions, checked which was most needed if I wanted to make a career out of it and decided on 3dsMax (curiously, my first online archviz course was yours on Udemy, with Vray!)....and I thank the past me everyday. My archviz studio (and therefore livelihood) comes from learning this program and the ammount of plugins, models and the workflow developed over the years, made this the program I choose to work on every day. Even if Blender is better now, I guess they both learn from each other so I believe it's a healthy competition and neither will be too far off ahead. Like Vray people and Corona People 😂 (technically, we're all Chaos people now eheh)

[@Learn-archViz]

That is so awesome to hear! I fully agree about my past self too. And yes, I think it is a lot like Corona vs Vray.

[@haszoka]

It's Edit Poly man. Single most important reason why 3ds Max can't be replaced...

And the ability to copy-paste modifiers over instances xd

[@renderspaz]

What a really nice run down when it comes to the strengths of 3DsMax. This was spot on!

[@Learn-archViz]

Thanks for watching!

[@PandaJerk007]

Great points in this video! I have used 3ds Max for a few years now and I'm loving it. This last month I've been getting into VRay and I'm eager to learn more. (Arnold has been good to me, but for Arch Vis there's like a whole ecosystem to using VRay)

[@jaoguggenheim312]

Great and honest assessment! I've been using 3ds max + vray as an Architect and I can attest to that, what I love most about and continues to be amazed of is the modifier stack. What you said is true regarding iterations as facts of the Archviz life, with the power of editable poly to name a few such after thought became as an improvement even with such usage. I also use Blender but with operability in the AEC world, I still work with 3DS MAX, I'm currently revisiting my rhino3d skills and especially the advent of python and coding in AEC Software, such an amazing time to be alive. Also the one you've shown in this video is the Chaos Cloud menu?that was awesome especially the lighting adjustment, I hope you can at least have a brief discussion on this too. Thank you! 👍

[@Learn-archViz]

Yes, it is awesome to know different software and use each of their strengths. The lighting adjustments I was showing were with the Vray lightmix (which I love) and a foggy scene using Vray Environment fog. I have videos about both those things: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnOcdmqnn9B_jsU kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIXUmoudbMacpbM

[@jaoguggenheim312]

@@Learn-archViz 😊👍🏻💯 great! Thank you! I’ll check this out.

[@RaduChiotan]

Love the video, veteran 3ds Max user here, since it was under Kinetix and I am still using it!

[@Learn-archViz]

Old school! I like it. Thanks for watching.

[@sondamvula]

Well explained Adam as always. Thank you

[@Learn-archViz]

Thanks for watching, Sonda!

[@WarwickMassey11]

I couldn't agree more with your points. I have used 3ds Max for over a decade to render furniture and architecture. The capability that Max has is unmatched!

[@kiaveljones2874]

Coming from Sketchup + Lumion I decided to really search for the best option because Sketchup needs alot of plugins and a lot of them you need to pay, also sketchup is very limited and Lumion is great but very far from Vray / Corona quality, so I did a lot of research to find the best option and stick to it, my conclusion is 3DS Max + Corona or Vray and once I can work with it, start learning UI5. ps : I'm 41, was working as a IT consultant in big companies, left for Africa and started as a freelancer a year ago, its been going great and did some nice projects, so don't underestimate yourself, wish you all the best of luck

[@Learn-archViz]

That is great to hear. Thanks for sharing. I would agree with you on software choice, obviously. Of course, many people use SketchUp and Lumion, or even SketchUp and VRay to make great results too. I am getting the impression on here that many people feel like you do with SketchUp -- that it needs to be extended a lot with plugins in order to do all the necessary modeling.

[@user-dl7eq2hr4p]

Hi! Do you have any newer tutorials on 3ds max? All of them are using 3ds max 2017 or earlier and I am using 2024 version. I find it pretty hard to follow

[@itoosoft]

Nice video. Thanks for the mention :)

[@Learn-archViz]

Of course! I love Forest Pack Pro. I use it basically on every project.

[@Learn-archViz]

@@itoosoft Absolutely! I have toyed with it and 100% see the benefits of it. Definitely something I want to add to my daily workflow.

[@barrykagan2520]

Good video, great topic! I've prob been in this game longer than most in this chat... Dammit I'm old! I've watched this industry develop for almost 25 yrs and I can confidently say there's simply no silver bullet or 1 size fits all. Different programs have different strengths and weaknesses and it really depends on what your job role is whether in a design firm or as a freelancer. Example you simply cannot beat Sketchup or even Revit+Sketchup combo for speed of concept design for architectural designs, especially the early stages of a project. Obviously when it comes to fine detail you need a full stack of powerful modeling tools and 3dsMax's non destructive modifier stack is awsm. To me though if you're not balls deep in Twinmotion/Unreal now you're gonna fall behind. The power of Lumen and general interactive lighting in those apps is EVERYTHING... Lighting makes and breaks renders. To me 3ds.Max is the king still for the bulk of work flow but I wish it would have a full top to bottom redesign from scratch. It just feels so heavy and outdated.

[@Learn-archViz]

Agree all around. I think my next video might be about Unreal (and similar) and how vital of a tool it will be moving forward for Archviz.

[@neoneil9377]

Thanks Adam for ur video u are definitely right about every point u mentioned. My few catches that cannot make me switch to other software for most of my productions: 1. Been using this since 20+ years. 2. Vray and its absolutely versatile and powerful Frame Bufer. 3. Seamlessly integrated with Pheonix FD 4. Corona Render. 5. Fstrom Render. 6. THe most powerful stacking system for poly modeling the way it can handle history of the model. 7. Large highly detailed 3d models available online and now free on Cosmos. 8. Very large Plugins library which are mostly not available on other platforms. 9. Pheonix FD. 10. Tyflow. 11. Very Powerful poly modeling tools can be explored in its modeling Ribbon. 12. ANd the addition of new Boolean with VDB workflow 2024 this beats everything in the market rightnow. 13. New powerful Array Tool is simply amazing

[@Learn-archViz]

Yes! Excellent list. I really need to try out the 2024 stuff.

[@vladartiomav2473]

Haha, nice list. But the VDB boolean workflow is not so exclusive, when you know Houdini 😄 But it's a totally different beast, not always suitable for every project.

[@zafir7007]

As an architect 3ds max has given me a tool that I use to design. It's an efficient tool to develop design elements.

[@BarryLester]

it's also one of the best modeling tools for film and game assets.

[@Learn-archViz]

I agree. Ultimately, it has the modeling power to translate to many industries.

[@garygresham1115]

Agreed, max is my favorite. Maybe because I've been using it since DOS Release 2. And I'm now a Corona addict. Although I find architects are often partial to Sketchup. Mostly because of how it works for presentations. I still need to develop a better workflow for getting max models into skp.

[@Learn-archViz]

Dang, that is old school. I started using AutoCAD in DOS, but I learned Max later. It is true what you say about SketchUp. I think part of it too is because it was free for so long and tons of architects got hooked on its very simple and quick modeling. I really wish there was better workflows between software.

[@theinteriorvista]

My current workflow is SketchUp + Vray, however I am strongly considering learning 3DSMax because of the how heavy my SketchUp models become after loading photorealistic materials and models. The system is constantly crashing because of this! I also love the curvature Max users are able to achieve in their models.

[@Learn-archViz]

Max is far superior for modeling organic shapes, IMO, but that is not so easy to learn or do. It is a different mindset than modeling in Sketchup. Once you have a handle on it, it opens up modeling of much more complex, intricate, and organic objects.

[@qupation7296]

I use Blender (3 years), and I've been doing more artistic work. I realised at some point though that if i want to do any precision modeling, Blender is not the SW to use. There IS an add on, but it's still clunky and forced. So I moved to Fusion 360 for product and asset design. But now I want to learn Archviz, and heard about 3ds Max. Thank you so much for the video. You gave me a lot.

[@Learn-archViz]

Awesome, thanks! Yeah, there are many capable 3d software, but they kind of specialize in different things. There are reasons why 3dsMax is heavily used in archviz.

[@EMMA-nk9cn]

Yeah I think Fusion is very powerfull for object modeling, and it is friendly to use. There is also Rhino... But the king of all creations is 3DS, you can make anything whith it. It's also very versatile...and that can made it a disadvantage.

[@moviegear]

Totaly true, dude!

[@Learn-archViz]

Obviously, I agree :) Thanks for watching

[@ULZIMAKUM]

All the words are true! i'm working with 3dsMax as architect since 2002, and there are no more powerfull tool there yet!

[@Learn-archViz]

Awesome. Lots of long time users around here. I don't think I started using Max until about 2005.

[@JonHuhnMedical]

Our medical animation company used all the major packages, and just recently consolidated on C4D because it does complicated organic stuff pretty easily. We didn't realize at the time that it's lacking simple, fundamental tools which Max has in spades.

[@Learn-archViz]

Oh, that is interesting. Most people I know of using C4D are doing motion graphics type things with it. I have not used it much at all before.

[@polia1694]

Can you please explain the "simple, fundamental tools" lacking from C4D? I am just curious what that should mean.

[@JonHuhnMedical]

@@polia1694 The splines are very awkward and unintuitive to use in C4D. You have to cycle between various modes just to access the all various spline tools, instead of having one single tool that handles it all (editable spline, in the case of Max). The align tool in C4D is so bad that experienced users download a plugin just to give it similar functionality to that of Max. And worst of all, C4D uses the hierarchial structure to apply object modifier or create compound objects. So instead of a twist modifier being applied to an object and stored within it, it's a separate object that gets parented to the object just like any 3d object that gets parented. This creates over complicated hierarchies that become a puzzle when you want to do complicated things. The instance system is also lacking; Max uses Instances and References, but C4D only uses one type (can't remember which one). And all this was discovered in just the first day of learning the software. We have an experienced C4D user on staff, and he confirmed these things that I mentioned. I'm sure there will be many more missing fundamentals as I learn more. Basically, C4D makes hard things easy, and easy things hard.

[@JonHuhnMedical]

@@Learn-archViz It works well for medical animation because you could easily animate thousands of microscopic cells, for instance, using those famous motion graphics tools. Also it has great VDB techniques which are great with blobby organics. Unfortunately it comes at a cost... it doesn't even have a decent align tool.

[@skaboodlydoodle]

I'm a hardcore 3ds max user of 10+ years and I did not know about the indie license. That is such a relief. I payed $1700 last year for my subscription and most of the projects I do that aren't for work are very much small hobby or passion projects so I almost definitely qualify. I think while on it's face the argument of "I already know it and it's the industry standard" sounds very blunt and poor but there really is something to be said about sticking with what works and already has massive adoption. I'm not going to claim or pretend that Autodesk is great about updating or fixing their tools. They definitely aren't. And I see a lot of other software pulling ahead of max in many regards, but every time people tell me "just learn Blender" they spend 10 minutes showing me how to do something in Blender that I can do in 2 seconds in Max. Whether it's because Max has certain plugins or tools that do it better or just simply because I'm proficient in it, either way it's not as easy as you think to just ditch a decade of experience, plugins, hotkeys, and workflows for this powerful yet quirky tool that still does not always mesh super well with standard industry pipelines. And this is not at all a knock on Blender. I very much support the principal that Blender stands for and love to see the gap between professional and indie software shrinking so quickly. I love that creatives are so empowered by a legitimately robust tool that doesn't break their wallets, but I also see a lot of new 3D artists who are a bit spoiled by the free nature of Blender that they don't understand why so many pro studios and companies struggle to integrate Blender into their pipeline. Interoperability with standard tools and practices that have been around for 20 years is absolutely paramount. Just the FBX compatibility alone is the single thing that absolutely killed it's adoption at more than one studio I've worked at.

[@Learn-archViz]

I think a general theme in these comments is that Blender is awesome, and getting better rapidly, but that it falls short on some key parts of a typical professional archviz workflow, especially for big/complex projects. Autodesk and 3ds Max are by no means perfect, but for me it is still the best option overall.

[@cryptozombie872]

subscription sucks. really, fbx in archviz? it is not an easy feat to integrate blender in a production pipeline - a friendly studio did just that. it took 2 years but it runs smooth now. it reduced the costs for software by a lot

[@SPIROSVOUTSELAS]

Hi. First of all thank you for your excellent videos. Very interesting and helpful. I have 1 question only .... :) .Vray 6 ( Vray generally and also , Vantage and Phoenix ) is compatible with 3DS MAX INDIE ? Thank you in advance. Spiros

[@Learn-archViz]

Absolutely. Indie license isn't limited in any way except who can use it.

[@SPIROSVOUTSELAS]

@@Learn-archViz Thank you very much. So I just pay and download it and then install all the rest.

[@dictateurzied6597]

Hey adam z. Im studient of u. Im an architect. They teach us revit and autocad in university + SketchUp. But when i went looking for job everyone asked me about 3ds max and vray. So i decided to look up for it and i found 3ds max is by faaaaaar better option then SketchUp not just in the details and the graphics but also in precision. And 3ds max is cooperate with autocad and revit so when i go to 3d modeling I don't have to start from 0 i take the plan that i made in revit or autocad and continue the 3d in 3ds max. And that's a huge time saving. There r a lot of things that make 3ds max is the best for 3d modeling. Hope u got my point (my English is not perfect)

[@Learn-archViz]

I get it and I agree. A lot of people here have made similar points. Thanks for your feedback. It is an interesting point, and totally true, that a lot of students are learning revit and/or SketchUp. This makes sense since most students are studying architecture in general, not just the visualization part.

[@marcolivorno9881]

Have you ever tried vray fro Rhino? After a past with Corona for 3ds max, coming to clash with it´s complexity on managing scenes(especially with files coming from Rhino) I found this solution very handy when coming to modelling nurbs and have the all-in-one solution ( since you don´t have to pass through an export phase). Now the rhino vray quality got really got up with lightmix, fur and scatter and I think that the "old but good" pipeline shall be open to other newer ways. The only thing that is still to be improved is the import of models made in 3ds max (since some rhino can´t read properly especially if made with modifiers) and the complex mapping which is still behind. Let me know what you think!

[@Learn-archViz]

I haven't used it, but I know a lot of people really like to use Rhino for modeling and that is a very professional tool. The fact that Vray is available for it is a HUGE plus, IMO. To me this seems like it would be a very solid and professional workflow, with the main downfall being like you said. Being able to work nicely with Max models is a pretty big deal because they are widespread in the industry.

[@arlandlapelani3309]

In your opinion...which version the best ?

[@maxolan_official]

Not just for Archvis, It's the best for Animations too, it's our main software 😊

[@CriticalBash]

I have been using SketchUp for almost 15 years now since it was first released, and i am using 3ds max 7 years ago and maya 3 years ago, and i can say 3ds max i am using for anything i want and imagination is my limit specially liquid, smoke, fire effects, SketchUp is for fast working production, and for maya my favorite is the sculpture and UV 😂😂😂😂

[@Learn-archViz]

Honestly, it is good to know them all 👍 They all have different strengths

[@niraj4024]

I use blender and d5, both are free and d5 is fast, easy,has great tools. But ill try 3ds max for the only reason that blender sometimes cant handle very heavy models

[@Learn-archViz]

Yeah, that is what I hear from many people about heavy models. Blender + D5 is a solid combo, though.

[@niraj4024]

@@Learn-archViz apart from that issue blender is fanatastic. Has great ui, great flow once u learn it well.

[@VictorCosmin]

So as an architect I have to mention that I never really understood why people actually use Sketchup. I feel like it’s between two worlds, without actually accomplishing to its fullest either of them. That being said, most of my customers never ask for highly realistic renderings, so Enscape was always my go to choice for quick and easy renderings. But when I really have to do some highly realistic renderings, 3Ds Max was always my preferred software, without even knowing how to model basically anything, I just imported my pretty detailed 3D model, added a bunch of assets and that was that. Now, coming from Archicad, as an extremely advanced user, I did find a few limitations to what Archicad can provide, and I know for a fact Revit doesn’t have these limitations, but more specifically there’s an amazing plugin called Din3D exporter which acts like an *.fbx but is highly more flexible and useful than your regular fbx model. Going back to Lumion/TM/UE5/Max, I think most users prefer anything else other than Max due to its very complex and very unintuitive UI. Not that UE5 is friendly to noobs, but Lumion and TM certainly are.

[@Learn-archViz]

Good insights. Yeah, advanced programs have a steep learning curve. Unreal Engine and 3ds Max are good examples. This is why there is major appeal to things like SketchUp, Lumion, Twinmotion, etc. Much simpler to jump into. Enscape is a very interesting product too. If those provide what is needed for the client, those are great workflows. I find that once you give clients the really photorealistic stuff, they have a hard time living without it, but of course, it often requires more budget. Lots of things to balance when it comes to speed, ease of use, budgets, time, quality, etc.

[@danielmanuel2653]

Max is better when it comes to poly modeling and photorealistic images but when it comes to UI it sucks. Using max, i am frustrated with its move, rotate, scale tool.. as you drag and slide objects, no precise measurements can be input. It just places randomly and you need to manually look for ribbons where you can change measurements.. In SketchUp, as you move, rotate and scale and as you drag and slide objects measurement can be typed and objects can be placed evenly if you use apply divide and multiply. Spacing and array tool is good but it is time consuming to use. This is better in SketchUp which also help you create better assembles of different architectural parts in facade or bay sections such as curtain walls, green walls, and framing.

[@truth3dart]

@@danielmanuel2653 if you right click on the transformation tools (move, rotate, scale), you can enter any numbers you like.

[@Scarlov87]

As you say it relies on the different user needs, I use blender for Archviz too but the approach is for modeling assets, and cleaning up buildings for taking them to unreal engine. Max is still being used for renderings, specially because forest pack and Corona are very powerful tools. But I'll fight to turn blender in an industry standard soon :P

[@Learn-archViz]

Yeah, I think Blender is a really good fit for that particular workflow.

[@5lynn6mith52]

I completely agree with you. When it comes to modeling, I choose Blender! It is also very convenient to work with shaders. I hope that soon the industry will change its focus to BLENDER

[@gianlu64]

I would also mention the possibility to automatize an important part of the workflow thanks to the maxscript. I know that blender uses python for such things but I don't think that it's an equally powerful tool.

[@Learn-archViz]

Good addition to the list for sure, and certainly an advanced feature that simpler software wouldn't have.

[@bahramazizi2073]

I use Rhino for modeling. It's really versatile, and with Grasshopper, you can do graphic coding on it. I don't know why, but it seems like this is not a very popular option for architects. Does anybody else here use Rhino? I need to be convinced that 3ds Max is superior over Rhino when it comes to archviz modeling if I want to spend more time learning 3ds Max. For rendering, I prefer the Epic eco system anyway.

[@Learn-archViz]

Actually, I do see a lot of architects using Rhino, specifically for designing facades with grasshopper. You're right, though, that 3ds Max seems to be used much more widely as an overall modeling solution. I haven't used Rhino to compare, so I can't speak specifically about the advantages of both.

[@cryptozombie872]

rhino is fine if you are a designer. i used to model everything in rhino and export to max to render a few decades back. getting rid of rhino definitely optimized my pipeline but it really depends what you do. rhino/vray could be a great combo...

[@rdn1929]

As an architect, I find Rhino to be an extremely versatile program that allows me to complete almost an entire project from start to finish. I use custom templates and cadblocks for line weights, hatches, furniture and other details to create 2D drawings within Rhino, essentially making it like AutoCAD within Rhino. As a nurbs-based program, it allows for precise 3D modeling, which is essential in product manufacturing and why it is used in that field aswell. Additionally, Rhino+Vray is very powerful for architectural visualization and presentations, while I still use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop for post-production work, i have reduced the need for post production significantly and other third party software. While visual artists may spend time adjusting small details on furniture or individual bricks on a surface, I find that it's not something most architects are able to do due to time constraints and not being paid for that level of detail. Also, in most construction projects (West EU), builders are requiring BIM files, which is why Revit is popular, however VisualARQ, a BIM plugin for Rhino, has become very popular among Architects the last few years. Overall, I believe Rhino is the best all-in-one program for architects. However for only archviz purposes, Max is superior. But lets not forget Grasshopper, an incredibly powerful tool, especially with the increasing development and improvement of AI technology.

[@cryptozombie872]

@@rdn1929 if rhino is the best solution for architects depends on a lot of things: project size, type of architecture, team size, etc... most archviz i do is from projects without any need for nurbs. its just boring walls and windows ;)

[@cryptozombie872]

as a veteran in this industry i absolutely disagree. if i would start out new in the field of archviz my first choice would be blender and ue5. i am still using max mostly because moving huge assets libraries over to a new software takes a lot of time but i am taking steps to move away from max and that actually feels good. i was a big fan of vlado back in the day and my licenses are really old but chaos these days is a totally different company - one reason i am still on vray 3.6. max has really good poly modelling tools and can take huge scenes. that's about it. ah, forgot to mention fstorm - i like it.

[@Learn-archViz]

Nothing wrong with Blender and UE5 workflow. I prefer 3ds Max to UE5 workflow with Datasmith. Also, the good poly modeling tools and handling "huge scenes" is exactly what I need. Not having that is a deal breaker, since tons of my scenes are huge (lots of aerial renderings, etc). A couple of other people have mentioned FStorm, which is for Max only, and does look awesome. I'm gonna do some tests with it in the future. Thanks for watching and for the feedback.

[@can.gorgun]

do you have any experience with tyflow? do you think it adds anything to the workflow for archviz?

[@Learn-archViz]

It looks amazing honestly. The thing is that stuff like that isn't often needed in your average archviz project, but it could certainly be used for some really advanced animation stuff to make a really mind blowing project, even for archviz. Integrating advanced stuff like that is what pushes the boundaries of arch viz. For example, maybe 10 years ago when people started using Marvelous Designer and archviz started getting really awesome cloth models integrated in.

[@cryptozombie872]

tyflow is mind-blowing considering the size of the dev team ;) and if you compare it to the nativ max tools you realize that autodesk is not busy with truley developing max...

[@Learn-archViz]

@@cryptozombie872 I totally agree that Autodesk isn't doing much, but the fact that Tyflow was developed for Max helps make my point that it is a standard and so lots of tools, assets, and plug-ins are made for it and extend its capabilities even further. Granted, that does often change the cost of software since most plug-ins are paid.

[@RonaldoBagaRonnie]

My experience is a bit different. I've been a user of Max way back in the 90's as an archviz person and I completely agree with your case. But I somehow abandoning Max altogether and switched to Blender. Especially when Blender has "already" catching up. Reason being, Major one is it is free, Blender has a very fast startup, easy render setup, materials have fast preview in cycles mode, you can compose your view within your camera view ie adding objects, modifying objects, etc. cut and paste objects on the fly, it has robust sculpting feature, easy camera setup, addons are not also expensive. viewport shading is much cleaner. plenty of tutorials are available if you need one, and of course the render output is the same as other raytracing 3D software.

[@Mr_Insanity23]

Being using Blender for 6 years but am switching to 3dsmax main reason being it's so hard to find models optimized for blender, it takes alot of time getting models from other software to blender. Which makes the workflow hectic. I feel like 3ds max features are all well thought through, as I was learning 3dsmac with my knowledge of blender, I realized how primitive blender is. It is good for a free program but when it comes to professional Archviz Blender still lacks behind. Corona and vray have amazing features like light mix which can't be compared to belnders compositor during post processing. To get a full-time archiviz job, sorry but 9/10 employers want 3dsmax That's my opinion

[@Learn-archViz]

Really good points! I especially like the sculpting in Blender, and it definitely has the advantage over Max there. How have you found the transition to be from a 3ds Max modeling mindset to a Blender one, and how have you found Blender for handling humongous archviz files - like 20 million polygons with 200k scattered tree proxies, for example? Thanks for your insights!

[@josefcaceres1952]

@@Learn-archViz what You say is true, 3dsMax is definitely better at handling large scenes more so then blender, that is a fact, Im manly a Blender user and tried to learn 3ds, but I cant stand the UI, everything feels so clunky to me for some reason and that is purely subjective, however with the way and rate Blender is improving compared to max, I will not be surprised when Blender catches up to max in that department, great vid !!

[@Learn-archViz]

@@josefcaceres1952 Thanks for the feedback. Blender is definitely the software to watch moving forward to compete with 3ds Max.

[@panzlty7301]

Blender is crashing a lot with big scenes

[@godsofentropy]

Nice video! Your points are valid, 3ds Max is a software with a huge history in arch-viz field and it is still used widely among industry. That said - last years were not when we could talk about rapid development of 3ds Max and the competitors are catching up, sometimes they are even far ahead of it. My personal preference is Blender - it also has modifier stack, extremely fast modeling, tons of plugins (for modeling, scattering, materials), growing library of assets (many of them free or very cheap) and a huge userbase creating tutorials on all topics. It develops pretty fast and its renderer - Cycles - is capable of delivering good results. For a skilled person it can compete with V-Ray. With each year it is also better integrated with other software packages. It is free which is a very nice bonus. It has its flaws, of course - performance with huge scenes, texture painting is convoluted, etc. It's of course a matter of personal preference, so I do not mean to start software wars. But I think that in upcoming years we will see more Blender in arch-viz (and more Unreal Engine). And if Autodesk wants to slow this process, it has to step up with updates (like better and more fluid interface, better realtime preview of the scene, even better modeling tools, etc.) . I think, that, sadly, it will not happen, because we are talking about some very old code that it is at its core and rewriting it would be probably impossible task. For better or worse - 3ds Max is still strong NOT because it develops so fast. It is strong, because many talented developers created plugins that extend its capabilities. It is also strong because many cg artists started using it decades ago and they are not willing to switch (they don't have to). What if this generation will be gone? I think we will have a new industry standard ;)

[@Learn-archViz]

I can't disagree with you on these points. 3ds Max is pretty slow to advance, and Blender has certainly added some really cool tools and advanced much more quickly in recent years. You are right, I do see a lot more Blender users appear in archviz circles these days, and I have certainly seen good projects come out of Blender. The really nice thing is that, since Blender is free, I can always import Max models into it and use the specific tools it has, like the sculpting stuff. I do hope that Max will be better about integrating those kinds of things in the future. For now, it is still my preference for an overall software package, but I realize that Blender is a strong competitor.

[@CGMASK3D]

Best the got in every way possible except rigging and animation but again it can get the Job done ✅💯

[@Mark_5150]

The number 1 advantage SketchUp has over Max is modeling quickly to scale or with precision. If you only need to make a model to render that looks correct, then Max is fine, but if that model may need to be use for actual construction details or problem solving, it needs to be accurate.

[@Learn-archViz]

Yes, Max is not good at that. I think SketchUp is really good at 3d "sketching" too. For example coming up with very quick design concepts and massing iterations. It excels in this area.

[@Learn-archViz]

The way I handle this in Max is to "trace" to existing CAD. Without CAD to snap to, 3ds Max is not good in this area. This is understandable because it is definitely made as a visualization tool rather than a drafting one, no doubt about it.

[@pascalcreativedesign8790]

You can totally create to scale and exact measurements in Max. I build to scale all the time

[@Learn-archViz]

@@pascalcreativedesign8790 I wouldn't call it optimized for that, though, but there are certainly ways.

[@guitop]

Totally disagreeing on that, the combo DWG + 3ds Max + snap system is way more precise than extruding faces in sketchup. You can even use the spline system to use the splines from the dwg if it's a clean one, to extrude them at the good height.

[@alpinrage]

feature #1 is Fstorm, which is the best render

[@Learn-archViz]

Oh good point! This is something I need to explore more for sure. It's really cheap too!

[@alpinrage]

@@Learn-archViz it delivers best quality with unbeatable speed for serious projects. And workflow is really simple and artistic from the box, converter works like a charm, plus many notable features like fur, geopattern, node based scatter, volumetrics, parralax e.t.c. Competitors not even close.

[@Durant_X]

I use Max and Revit together, I basically build the "Shell - Walls, Windows, Ceiling, Wall base and Doors" in revit then all the furniture and lighting is done in Max. Also random question - I am looking for a good tutorial on Lighting and interior space with no windows. All the archviz project tend to lean strongly to the large window lighting to handle the bulk of the lighting. If you or anyone else has a class or tutorial on that I would love to watch it.

[@Learn-archViz]

Yes, I should have mentioned that I also use a ton of Revit models, but it is just like you said. I do all the serious modeling in 3ds Max but usually get a Revit model from the architects to start with. So, it DOES do some of the modeling, just not really well except on basic (inorganic) objects.

[@Learn-archViz]

I haven't seen a specific course or tutorial that focuses on artificial lighting specifically. A lot of the same principles apply, and the tools are the same, but you're right that having big windows changes the lighting setup pretty dramatically.

[@IbrahimYounes]

I switched to Blender in 2.8 my field is archviz as well. and was doing a very similar work flow as you, lots of modifiers, lots of splines. etc.... just the new blender 2.8 UI was appealing to me, and thought to give it a chance. while I suffered as hell during the process... every work flow you know pretty much have to change, either the location and order of the workflow will change, or the entire workflow will change because blender have different way of thinking. Now with that being said... I will be very careful if I want to say blender is lacking or 3Ds max is lacking something. I dont think any of them is lacking anything, its just a different way of thinking in doing things. While that being said, I did extremely complex shapes on blender, very fancy interior exterior modeling and 100s if not thousands of hours spend on blender. with all the love I have to 3Ds Max, but blender allowed me to do my project in half the time, and render much faster as well... With all one package solution, I can download blender 2.8 till blender 4.0 all in same machine, and if I get any bug somewhere I can always switch somewhere else. Most of the plugins I used to use on 3Ds Max, are pretty much native on blender, (or available for blender). And with my time being very limited with a busy life style, I made double the money I used to make using 3Ds Max. Although some tools I miss everyday from 3Ds Max, but the money and the time I made was so much worth it I don't want to get back, not anytime soon. If a new feature released for blender at 8 am, end of the day the blender will be packed and I can use it. being able to have latest tools same day of release was a game changer for me. geometry node now I cant live without it. and the default library asset manager is very reliable and works perfectly with our workflow. Reaching out most of the buttons is easy nothing hiding behind menu and creating custom keys and shortcuts is much more advance than 3Ds Max. I can also submit my feedback on blender form and real people would be discussing it within days!

[@bendixtrinity]

May I ask whats with Blender 2.8? why do people stay on it instead of the latest 4.0? i just started learning blender this month. i came from zbrush and maya.

[@IbrahimYounes]

@@bendixtrinity i switched to 2.8. I didn't stay on it. I use always the latest blender. I'm on beta channel. Blender 2.8 was the latest when i started using it on a daily basis

[@mcelik000]

l made so many arch viz projects with max plus l m making vfx for some hollywood studios, l quit using tp now l m using tyflow or hoduni for fx still rendering in max with vray some times with scanline. 😁

[@Learn-archViz]

Awesome! Several people in this comment section have mentioned using Tyflow with 3ds Max.

[@solomonali7229]

I agree with you

[@pascalcreativedesign8790]

Lastly, I'm finishing a new course on udemy and then buying yours

[@Learn-archViz]

Awesome to hear.

[@rajendrameena150]

Max is no doubt best in visualisation but every visualisation has to finally implemented on ground by the use of working drawings which 3ds max seriously lacks. Rhino is better when comes to those 3d to 2d workflow. Even for complex modelling, structural analysis is needed which can't be done by taking modelling of 3ds max and that's where max fails as well. Talking of today's workflow: we already have almost 90% assets available on the market and we only need to model rest and hence a very good asset browser is needed to import and experiment with those models that can be done easily by blender's asset browser even you can specifically import materials of that model becoz blender packs each assets seperately (mesh data, texture, material, brush). Once you setup your library, you can easily experiment with models, materials. Blender implemented geometry nodes which is making procedural modelling easier day by day. I agree that current modifier stack of 3ds max is unbeatable and for today's workflow I also use 3ds max and corona renderer. Blender is coded on python mainly which is today's defacto language of developers even for AI. That's why it is very easy for the people to develop anything in blender. The community of the blender is very diverse which adds different capabilities to it by different add-ons and assets. Blender is all in one tool that can do all task in one single software if one knows it well. That is really beneficial for team work and hence some really big studios like WB are also hiring blender people. Even the VFX team of Indian blockbuster movie RRR announced to switch from 3ds max to blender. This is usually a pattern that once the studios experiment with new software and then they implement it in their pipeline and rest of the people start using those software. I used both software for my work and find that material workflow of blender is way easier than 3ds max. The slate editor of 3ds max gets cluttered easily but blender's shador editor only shows materials of the selected models which is extremely helpful if the nodetrees are very big. In blender, you can isolate object in one view to work on that and rest of the views show all objects, it is helpful to work around that object. Various things are there which makes 3ds max seems older but it has the advantage of first mover so it is used by people. These are my reason for 3ds max- 1. No of assets available. 2. Edit poly modifier in modifier stack 3. Corona/Fstorm renderer 4. Old workflow hence good amount of tutorials/addons available. Now why I am trying/switching to blender 1. Very easy workflow compared to max, SketchUp, yes and with the help of boxcutter the conceptualization becomes so much easy. 2. Asset browser: it is very well integrated in blender that we even don't need windows explorer. 3. Blender is all in 3d package and it can do general works of all specialized software like sculpting, texture painting, compositing that is enough for archviz work. 4. As I said blender is coded in python, we can use stable diffusion (AI) inside blender 5. BlenderBIM team is also making BIM possible inside blender as future is BIM and already they are making good progress in it. 6. I really like how the grasshopper build procedural geometries which is somewhat possible by blender's geometry nodes and it is still developing. 7. Blender updates are very fast, once you think that I have learned everything blender puts new features. I learned max from a person who still use 3ds max 2017 as there is not the massive updates in max. 8. If I want to work on another computer in the office I can use blender easily. Overall I think the old generation will use 3ds max specially the established pipeline of 10-15 years old but with the rise of freelancer culture blender is gaining popularity because freelance work is not a single type of job and not bounded to any particular software. Blender can be installed on any machine in a couple of minutes and the community is providing all sorts of tutorials as well so for a hobbyist it is a good option. No one knows the future we are learning both packages.

[@Learn-archViz]

Thank you for the very thorough breakdown of the pros and cons. A lot of it definitely comes down to different needs and also what workflows we are used to already. You make some really good points for Blender.

[@mtarchitects]

What do you think about realistic render for archviz. Blender good for this ?

[@cryptozombie872]

7. haha...my steps were max9->max2012->max2017 (don't really remember my stepping before max9)...2017 is still my current max. i don't feel i miss out much and i hope it's my last...

[@cryptozombie872]

@@mtarchitects definitely! max (in combination with forest pack and rail clone) is capable to handle very large scenes. with blender you need to keep an eye on your memory/scene size.

[@punmije]

I'm not into the argument which software is the best, because there is no such thing as best software. I am really lucky that I learned modeling through the 3ds max as architecture student. Nowadays I use blender mostly because it suits my needs, Still I feel nostalgic about 3ds max and its capabilities. For rendering purposes I will always chose 3ds max (+ vray, corona) over any other known software. Just one thing annoyes me so much and distance me from using 3ds max is sudden crashes and crashes all the time. But still, for high end animations often times I just export alembic file into 3ds max and from there I can do a great render output, much better then in any other program.

[@Learn-archViz]

Interesting workflow, thanks for sharing. I agree that Max + Vray is a fantastic combo for realistic renderings. As far as crashes go, it changes for me depending on which version, and when I adopt a new version early, I get a lot of crashes. After the first couple of hotfixes I don't get them anymore. This is why I usually wait several months or a year before updating to the latest versions.

[@IbrahimYounes]

I can totally agree with the crashes. definitely blender mastered a better bug fixing technique than 3Ds Max (and faster on blender since you can download the updates everyday). And if blender still crash in those very odd moments it will restart within 2 second (not an 8 giga of loading into the ram all over again)

[@yugi9710]

As someone who hates 3ds max I just have to agree that it's the king of archviz; its capabality of handling large scenes; wide range of supported files natively; awesome plugins; a lot of max assets you can find online; a lot of tutorials..etc. SketchUp is nice but will struggle with heavy scenes and consumes absurd amounts of your pc ressources. Blender imo is the best for modeling speed and workflow but you also need to keep an eye on that polycount. Also good luck importing heavy revit scenes in it.

[@Learn-archViz]

I get the love/hate relationship. LOL. I believe everything you said is correct, though, and those are very important points for archviz specifically.

[@narcellius]

For revit scenes I usually export as a .dwg (with ACIS geometry kernal rather than polymesh) into rhino where I'd fix or cull any extraneous geometry with ease, from there I can easily pipeline into lumion using the dedicated bridge or blender using speckle.

[@yugi9710]

@@narcellius that's interesting, after rhino how do you add furniture/objects ?

[@Bikkufootballtalks]

What are softwares that are used in gaming industries?

[@Learn-archViz]

So many, but 3ds Max is definitely one of them. I would think that 3ds Max and/or Maya would be the big modeling tools used in that industry.

[@Bikkufootballtalks]

@@Learn-archViz ok 👌many people is saying Maya is better

[@Learn-archViz]

@@Bikkufootballtalks Maya is certainly one of the top 3d programs as well, and is widely used. It is not as optimized for archviz, IMO, but for game modeling it may be better. As always, it depends what you are using it for.

[@Bikkufootballtalks]

@@Learn-archViz oh I understand it 👍 thanks for information

[@Bikkufootballtalks]

@@Learn-archViz what about Mudbox sir is it still an industry standard or should I learn z brush

[@Tech-Tempest]

I use Maya and all these points are akin to the capabilities of Maya

[@Learn-archViz]

Yes, Maya is totally equivalent at least. What are your thoughts on why it isn't used more in archviz? My impression was always that it was more heavily centered around poly modeling specifically, and ignored some of the more "archviz friendly" modeling tools like splines. Is that true? What do you think the reason is?

[@Tech-Tempest]

@@Learn-archViz @Adam Z - Learn Archviz I think the main reason is that Maya was initially developed for the film and game industries, which have different requirements and workflows than the archviz industry. Maya has a strong focus on character animation and special effects. My background was in those fields before I switched the arch viz. It could also be that Maya is usually 6 months to a year behind Max with v-ray updates and other plugin updates. That being said, once those tools are available to Maya, they are very equal. Maya indeed has very robust spline/nurbs modeling.

[@Learn-archViz]

@@Tech-Tempest Good to know. Yeah, it definitely has always seemed to be the favorite for film and game workflows.

[@jandohmen5080]

Well Adam, I followed your beginners course for some 14 hours, in the beginning I could follow without any problems, but after some time you lost me on the way, Your course became very confusing and unlogical in my eyes. I find 3ds Max very complex to learn, I see underneath only positive comments, I would not know when to use what and where to find it at that moment, as I said too complex. I am now trying Moi3D which is a lot more convieent for me, maybe it is my age (70+), but I have thrown the towel for 3ds Max, maybe will try it again, after getting more practical experience with Moi3D.

[@Learn-archViz]

It is true that with a very powerful software comes a steep learning curve. In general, simpler programs will be much easier to learn (obviously) but may end up limiting you when you need to do something advanced. So, people need to decide individually what is needed, or what the end goal is.

[@guitop]

I dont know if our "discussion" on a previous video has made this video happening, but that's a balsy thing to say on internet "3DS Max is the best" lol

[@Learn-archViz]

I don't think I remember that discussion specifically, but this isn't based off any specific person or opinion. It is just my thoughts, and like I say in the video, it will always come down to different needs and different preferences, but for me it is the best. Ultimately, "the best" software is one an artist can use to make nice renderings. For me, that is 3ds Max. What software is your preferred one?

[@guitop]

@@Learn-archViz some of the comment, including mine on a previous video (the one talking about vray needed or not) was talking about the switch to blender over 3DS Max, and why Blender was stil llacking some pro features and workflow Edit : i am in Team Max, Blender lacks DWg import workflow, and Cattproduct -Catia) too. Then Vray and Vantage. And many little things.

[@Learn-archViz]

​@@guitop Ah, I see. I did remember your name but not specifically what discussion we had about that. Yeah, your thoughts on Blender seem to be similar to several others I have talked to. It is promising, but maybe not quite there yet for a professional workflow? However, people say it is improving at a faster rate than 3ds Max too.

[@guitop]

@@Learn-archViz Well to me Blender is improving that much because it has room to improve that much. But when you look at the industrial side of the software (archviz, design, CAD, etc) it's not really improving. Great now yo ucan do hairs in blender... Yes great, but when will i be able to import a simple DWG with good units and scale ? People complaining about 3DS Max are often people who cant afford it, and are satisfied with what Blender can do for them. And it's ok, but no need to blame anything on Max

[@cryptozombie872]

@@Learn-archViz its not hard to improve faster than 3dsmax :)

[@anuplonkar2198]

Everything you said can be done on blender

[@Learn-archViz]

No, I mentioned the importance of being the industry standard for archviz. That is Max, not Blender. Maybe that will change in the future.

[@colmax4825]

I don't use any DCC software, but here's my view. When Autodesk bought Softimage someone posted how many NEW subscriptions there had been for most brands of 3D software in the previous year. It showed Softimage to be very low, and so Autodesk pulled the plug. Perhaps someone could provide similar figures for today ?. It doesn't matter if you have used 3DS since DOS days, one day you will retire and Autodesk lose a subscriber. Its new subscribers that keep software alive, and I suspect that that will finish 3DS.

[@Learn-archViz]

You're probably right about the new subscribers being vital to keeping a software alive, but I'm not sure that Max is lacking in that area. Actually, I have no idea. I'd be interested to see.

[@TheTimeProphet]

I love 3ds Max, but not used archviz.

[@Learn-archViz]

It is particularly suited to archviz, I think. Archviz people love it and use it widely for a lot of the reasons I mentioned. That said, it is a very robust 3d software, so of course it is used effectively for many other things as well. What kind of content do you use it for? Many people just prefer it as a great modeling tool.

[@TheTimeProphet]

@@Learn-archViz I do game models, but I also make little 3D animations. Mainly using the CAT system in max. I will have to look into archviz to see what it does.

[@jeonanrodrigopopp6400]

Blender archviz , unreal engine

[@E_Clip]

Now let me tell you why Blender as a professional cult ....err program for kids practicing 3d in their bedrooms with little to no experience in industry standard pipelines is the best.

[@Learn-archViz]

LOL

[@blackout5145]

What's wrong with blender?

[@nadstunes77]

I learned 3D Max first and can remember one person at uni using Blender and it was laughable in comparison (2012) I remember being confused as to why he even bothered when he had Max at his disposal....he mentioned frequently the community and that they were collectively trying to build a free option for artists...I thought good luck with that? To me it was unusable...roughly a decade later 2.8 arrived and I decided it was time to give it a shot and honestly even when I was tearing my hair out trying to find my feet and the tools I needed, I could feel the potential....it took months to learn hotkeys and find any groove but I can honestly say I love Blender now and couldn't see myself going back other than for work purposes...5 quick reasons I love Blender...1. Lightning fast installation and start up. 2. More stable and less bloated...3. It works amazingly well on older computers in my experience. 4.It contains for me the most intuitive modelling tools including very capable "spline modelling" tools which work pretty similarly to Max. 5. If it lacks a feature...someone...somewhere in the Blender community (awesomely nice bunch) is working on it or an add on to improve it...and its free of course....I am not saying it is better than Max just that its a very hot contender and a great alternative for most things 3D and if you give it a proper chance you will be surprised 😊

[@Learn-archViz]

This is really good insight. Thanks for sharing. I could really get behind the "less bloated" thing. A hot contender indeed.

[@nadstunes77]

@@Learn-archViz No worries...one other thing I have noticed in my journey and it has been a journey lol it is not easy to switch from your tried and tested and that's mainly why most people give up...I have watched soo many tutorials over the years....I have never seen channels grow so quick as when they adopt Blender...maybe its just the times we are living in but my mind has been blown how quickly content creators are reaching 100k subs when teaching Blender and I see a lot of my old online 3D Max tutors now teaching Blender...its not industry standard but its very widely used globally, which means a large audience 🤔🙂

[@Learn-archViz]

@@nadstunes77 Oh, I am aware. If you look at keyword analytics, Blender is the highest searched software by A LOT.

[@nadstunes77]

@@Learn-archVizReally that's pretty crazy considering what its up against

[@discipline_3d]

6

[@3dVizualizationz]

If nothing else works, they rely on 3ds Max :)