3ds Max 2027 - What's New

By Dennis Collin

It is that time of year again when Autodesk release the latest versions of design software. The latest version of 3ds Max 2027 comes loaded with many new features, fixes, and updates.

Smart Bevel

3ds Max 2027 modelling tools are improved with the introduction of the Smart Bevel function for post-Boolean intersections, allowing you to create cleaner and more intricate bevels with ease.

This is an improvement over the Chamfer function as Smart Bevel is not limited to adjacent polygons. It can process past edges, letting it maintain a constant distance and create a clean transition result. Smart Bevel produces clean results on complex meshes and produces more consistent results on irregular meshes.

Fig 1. Smart Bevel (right) produces cleaner results from legacy Chamfer (left)

Smart Bevel works well after Boolean operations, which create intersecting meshes which often results in dense and uneven geometry. This situation can be difficult to bevel cleanly; however, the new Smart Bevel function generates a new blended surface at intersections and helps achieve smoother transitions reducing the need for manual clean-up.

Improved Extrude Modifier

Fig 2. Extrude now has an editable direction Gizmo option!

Other modelling improvements include an improved Extrude modifier which now supports a Gizmo option, so it is possible to choose the direction of extrusion on Splines instead of using only the object's local Z axis. Depth can be added along any axis or along a custom direction, which makes it easier to build forms that do not align with the default orientation. With the custom gizmo extrusion operations provides more predictable results.

The creation of 2D shapes has also been enhanced with an updated Spline Chamfer Modifier which permits the creation of a fixed radius for consistent circular corners.

With the Fixed Radius option set, the chamfer produces circular corners at the affected vertices. This results in consistent corner radii along the spline instead of distance-based chamfers that vary with geometry.

The new Spline Chamfer Modifier can automatically weld vertices created by the chamfer to adjacent vertices that share the same (or the same) position. Thereby reducing duplicate vertices, keeping the spline clean without manual welding operations.

New Noise Plus Modifier

Max 2027 now has a new modifier, Noise Plus, that provides more ways to create surface variation directly in the modifier stack.

Noise Plus uses Simplex noise and includes built-in fractal types to enhance the modifier's results. These fractal options allow you to create more natural and detailed patterns without the need for additional tools. Some of the fractal options also include a Phase control, which lets you animate the noise over time simply by keyframing it, with no scripting required.

Fig 3. Noise Plus provides many options to create natural looking shapes.

There is also a tile-able option that makes the noise line up seamlessly across the X, Y, and Z edges. This helps you create smooth, continuous patterns across tiled surfaces. (Tile-able mode works with most fractal types, except Simple and Hybrid.)

The results can be clamped or inverted, a random seed value can be set for each element, and noise applied along the object's normal direction for more control over the result. Toggle between World and Object space to fine-tune how the noise behaves.

New Field Helper

The new Field Helper provides more precise component selections for manipulating items, such as driving selections.

This new Helper acts as a 3D volume that works with the Volume Select modifier, permitting the selection of vertices, edges, or face data by shape instead of relying on painting or flat boundaries. This new method provides faster and more accurate selections with complex geometry.

Viewport grid and display improvements

The display of the viewport grid and background has been freshened, providing a cleaner, more focused environment.

The default viewport background appearance is now a solid colour instead of a gradient, reducing visual distraction and helping your scene stand out more clearly. This setting can still be changed within Viewport Configuration options if required.

Fig 4. Max 2027 has a clearer default view axes and grid arrangement.

The Viewport axes are now coloured, assisting view orientation thereby reducing alignment errors while working and navigating the model.

In non-adaptive grid mode, the grid layout now stays fixed, providing a stable visual reference of the scene. The adaptive grid toggle and related options have also been refined, ensuring grid behaviour is more predictable and easier to control.

Arnold for 3ds Max 5.9.0

Max 2027 now includes Arnold for 3ds Max (MAXtoA) 5.9.0. This plug-in uses Arnold 7.5.0.0 and includes a new Inference imager, performance improvements in Global Light Sampling and in GPU volumes, and other enhancements and bug fixes.

Some of the highlights of Arnold’s new features and Improvements are listed below.

• Performance improvements, including lightweight USD instancing, improved Global Light Sampling, mip-mapped CPU volumes, faster GPU volume rendering, and faster TX file processing.
• New hair scattering mode; new line and nearest points shaders; Improved OpenPBR Surface thin film.
• More flexible light sampling; light blockers with negative density.
• Bloom aperture mode and colour dispersion.
• GPU enhancements include NVIDIA Blackwell support, more efficient instancing, and motion vector shader support.
• Arnold for 3ds Max now includes live Render Reports in the Arnold Render View.

AI driven Autodesk Assistant

Like its other 2027 release siblings, 3ds Max 2027 introduces Autodesk Assistant, an AI-powered tool that helps you quickly find information about features and workflows directly within the product.

The Assistant references Autodesk product documentation and other sources to provide relevant, contextual answers. Along with its improved modelling and render tools Max 2027 helps modellers and designers achieve their goals more easily and in less time.

See also other new features of the Autodesk AEC family 2027.