Thought this was of interest, looks like Autodesk will be splitting Max 2009 into two flavors, one for design/architecture and one for Entertainment.
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=17355
It’s funny, I always thought this was thier plan for having both Maya and Max, keeping Max for games/architecture and Maya/Studio for Design/Entertainment.
Cheers…
Huh?? What was Autodesk Viz for then??? This makes no sense to me. Besides for those shops like mine that do both animation and Arch stuff will we end up needing two seperate versions of Max?? I mean I never touched Viz because it was like a half-baked version of max that didn’t seem to have any or tools or strengths over Max, but if they have cool daylighting and GI features that only arch version gets that would be lame. Though they say something about Max Pro having all the features of the arch version so again aren’t we back to a Autodesk Viz type thing?
This cool feature is related to LEED 8.1 certification and not useful for games, films. So I don’t think the regular version is missing something.
Other than this both versions have same features except SDK.
The user experience, default switches, layout, tutorials, packaging would be different for both which makes sense to me.
hmmmm…before I kick off ill wait and see what comes with each version.
But I will say that I do alot of visulisation work and alot of general illustration (that would fall into the entertainment bracket). If I have to buy 2 versions of Max to keep working in each field Ill dump max for somthing cheaper.
though reading it again, the design version should be fine for me (I hope)
I also don’t really understand the point of splitting them up, but making sure they don’t diverge too much from one another. What? Why split then? I could understand if they were to go down two different paths to appease two different userbase.
It says this about the design version
The design version will also include “Exposure technology,” to simulate and analyze sun, sky, and artificial lighting to assist with LEED 8.1 certification.
LEED is a certificate for environmentally friendly buildings. It seems to have requirements like 75% of spaces having to receive 25 footcandles of daylight. Probably to reduce electrical lighting usage during the day.
Nothing to do with rendering.
“Exposure technology” most likely calculates averages for how much illumination parts of a building receives as the sun moves across the sky during the day.
From Ken Pimentel’s Area Blog he says that -
If you’re on subscription you get both versions, but you can’t run them both at the same time on the same machine.
Presumably you could have one person with 2 machines with each installed on them as he says you don’t need to transfer the licence between them.
I think the headline is a little misleading.
It sounds like they’re just taking the core of 2009 and creating a version specifically for the architecture community to replace VIZ… At least I hope thats what it is.
Either way… walkin on thin ice there autodesk… please dont f*ck up my workflow.
This doesnt sound good, nope, not good at all.
I really dont see the reason WHY they have to split it up?!
That was the reason i like max so much, you had a little of both worlds…
Looks like now that they own maya they think they can safely screw up max.
Well, hopefully I’m wrong … i’ll wait and see what they make of it before making further conclusions, but if they do screw up then its time for me to have a closer look at XSI.
Well said, I 100% agree and hope you’re right!! 
well i personally bought 3dsmax for myself and my freelance work but i use viz2008 at where work in my day job so i’m REALLY looking forward to getting 3dsmax2009 rather than sticking with viz2008 as it mostly feels like the ‘‘2nd kid’’ getting hand me down clothing!
the reason for the design version of max is i think to START a fresh new path and eventually drop viz as a product…
at the start there will be hardly any difference between 3dsmax design and 3dsmax both will have ik, bones, hair/fur, pro boolean, light tracer, animated modifiers and biped but i think the design version will borrow some of the u.i. look and feel from viz2008 regard the autodesk colour swatches and the viewport grid etc.
it’s a much better option than that of say introducing bits n bobs from max2008 into viz2008
on balance it’s a great announcement and also note that it’s not all about the design version…we have some new things for biped for example…
and finally the need in arch tech and design to have '‘populated and animated’ design spaces to show off your proposed buildings is now a REAL need so Viz simply wasn’t cutting it up against it’s competitors…so having biped and bones/skin etc is VERY welcome
along with the new lighting analysis of course!
Why is there so much confusion. This is Autodesk we are talking about. The key word here is PROFIT. They will split all their apps into their components and charge the same amount! So you will have 4 versions of Maya, 4 versions of Max and everything in between, so rather than make one uberapp that will speed things up they will diverge into many many apps basically just including some tools in some and excluding some tools from others but inherently being the same app with missing components and charge mad money for it all! Brilliant move on Autodesks marketing side. Just feel sorry for the poor PR dept that has to spin this one.
additional:-
if your on subscription [and you really should be!]
then you get BOTH…and you can freely choose which one to run/install on a computer
the only restriction is you can only run/install one at a time…so some installing/un installing
may be needed
also note on subscription you have the @work and @home licences so for example
i have 3dsmax2008 installed on my desktop and alsoinstalled on my mobile notebook
pc when i need take it to clients/students away from home or at my day job 20miles away
no need to transfer licences or carry dongles around.
Yes that was my first thought too: more profit.
But then again: maintaining 2 different apps instead of one is gonna cost them more if you ask me.
As you can read, they will offer different tutorials and stuff for both versions, thus also different support, etc… doubles a lot of costs.
Also, i think there are few ppl who will buy both versions of the app. So income wont really double.
But then again, i’m far from being a marketting expert so I could be verry wrong.
And for the ppl on subscription, giving them 2 different versions, while they could’ve just kept it in 1. Sounds verry clumsy and frustrating to work with to me.
It looks like that now they’ve got maya they are going to make an easy to use (1-button solution) toyish application out of max (for the masses -> a lot more sales) and keep maya for the pro’s.
Anyway, hope i’m wrong…
they’d better watch their step because XSI is looking verry nice these days.
I wonder if both versions will support the comming BRDF materials? We are doing animation, but need product accuracy.
I find this tactic funny. Its classic Autodesk playbook.
Why do this? Its what they’ve done for Autocad so they think it’ll expand the reach for 3dsmax as well. The flaw in this is that most who are architecture-related that would use 3dsviz, already knows and uses 3dsmax.
Anyone else remember Plasma?
VIZ is being retired so 3dsmax2009 design will be replacing it
as for xsi looking tastey…they have a TON of work to do just to enter the arch tech and design market…like err real world unit scales for a start.
mind you itwould have been nice to have a ple verion of max announced…still it’s only tuesday and he siad in the blog that thare are announcements […more than 1]
so wednesday?..thrusday?..friday?
more to come i think!
I think that we will have Maya for VFX, Maya for cartoon animation industry, game industry…
Mudbox version for 3dsMax, Mudbox for Maya and so on…
as for xsi looking tastey…they have a TON of work to do just to enter the arch tech and design market…like err real world unit scales for a start.
I dont want to enter an app war here but while i tought at first that no specific unit was a problem with XSI in the end it is just a convention , also i dont have some scaling problems that happened when i worked with Max in V6,7. I usually try to keep it to XSI dynamics reference 1 unit is 10 cm but i can can make it what i want for most proposes.
as for xsi looking tastey…they have a TON of work to do just to enter the arch tech and design market…like err real world unit scales for a start.
I dont want to enter an app war here but while i tought at first that no specific unit was a problem with XSI in the end it is just a convention , also i dont have some scaling problems that happened when i worked with Max in V6,7. I usually try to keep it to XSI dynamics reference 1 unit is 10 cm but i can can make it what i want for most proposes.