3ds Max 2018.4 is out

In this update, developers have focused on improving 3ds Max Fluids, giving better feedback and more presets for fluid types, making it easier to add fluid simulations to scenes. 3ds Max Interactive VR engine was also updated with the addition of IES-compliant physical lights and improvements to Level Sync when using Max with V-Ray. 3ds Max Batch has been redesigned to deliver a simpler and more efficient automation experience. Autodesk made also 100 fixes focusing on issues with viewport, Physical Camera, modeling, UI and 3ds Max Interactive.

Max Fluids

During the simulation Max Fluids now displays the frame number, instead of the percentage of completion. Other improvements include the ability to apply UVs to the output mesh, setting an initial simulation state, or removing unwanted time from the simulation.

3ds Max 2018.4 now includes fluid presets. The included presets consider viscosity from a wide range of common fluid types, from thin liquids like water to thicker liquids like chocolate syrup, honey, and ketchup. Users can also create and save custom settings as presets to more quickly re-use desired fluids in other scenes.

Other improvements:

• A new Physical Light that includes support for IES profiles
• Updated Live Link improves 3ds Max interoperability when using V-Ray
• New environment properties that allow for custom tone mapping post effects
• Updated Texture Manager with usability improvements, making it easier to sort and find textures in a project

Over 100 bug fixes:

3ds Max 2018.4 includes over 100 fixes, many that were submitted by the 3ds Max user community. A few highlights are:

• Improved selection of Physical Cameras in the viewport
• Faster load time when opening files for referenced assets and network locations
• Fixes for the 3ds Max Interactive Asset Browser, Texture Manager, and the core engine

For a full list of the fixes, please read the 3ds Max 2018.4 release notes.