Discreet 3ds max 7: a popular 3D tool gains new features and functionality.

Discreet has begun shipping 3ds max 7, the latest version of its venerable 3D modeling and animation application. The upgrade includes new modeling and texturing features, as well as an update to Mental Ray rendering. And Discreet's popular Character Studio is now included in the base application.

The interface to Version 7 is almost identical to the previous editions. This is good news because I find 3ds max to be one of the easier 3D packages to use. The new version is incredibly stable and fast. Subtle interface improvements include a flat shaded view, for better viewing of lit models, and new snapping and array tools.

Version 7 improves on 3ds max's polygonal modeling tools. The poly surface type in 3ds max has been very popular, as it has built-in subdivision surfaces and a number of other cool features. The new Edit Poly modifier is one of my favorite new features. Edit Poly (finally) allows you to create a stack of modifications to a Poly object without turning the object into a mesh. One of the best aspects of Edit Poly is that it enables you to animate virtually any parameter. It also offers the ability to automatically bridge open parts of a model, as well as to relax and smooth parts.

Paint deform provides tools similar to Maya's Artisan, enabling modelers to sculpt a polygonal surface by pushing, pulling, and smoothing vertices with a paintbrush-like interface. The new paint-selection tool enables you to select vertices using a brash, a method that is more interactive and easier to use than selecting pixels with a lasso. Other modeling enhancements include a Turbosmooth modifier, which simplifies 3ds max's Meshsmooth modifier, making it work more quickly.

Rendering is improved with the inclusion of Mental Ray Version 3.3. This renderer is more tightly integrated with 3ds max. All of Version 7's new rendering features are geared toward Mental Ray. New Mental Ray features include subsurface scattering, which simulates the scattering of light within a surface and is helpful in creating semi-translucent surfaces, such as human skin, marble, translucent plastics, and other organic surfaces. Discreet has written several new Mental Ray shaders that ship with 3ds max, including a robust skin shader and an ambient occlusion shader that serves as a good alternative to global illumination without the render times.

Lighting for global illumination is made easier in Version 7. Lights now automatically adjust the number of photons emitted depending on the size and intensity of the light. It makes rendering ...