Кстати МАКС 8 вышел уже, как он вам? почему акцент на радиосити, заменит ли он ВмРэй или МенталРэй ?

What's New in 3ds Max 8 To learn about the new features, first read the 3ds Max 8 New Features Guide, the printed booklet that comes with 3ds Max. If you want to read this online, you can open the PDF file by going to the Help menu, and choosing New Features Guide. There are many additions to 3ds Max 8, some of which are outlined in the following tutorials: Modeling Tutorials: Modeling a Low-Poly CharacterUse new polygon modeling tools including Poly Bridge and grow/shrink selections along rings and loops. Using the Sweep ModifierCreate simple lofts with this quick and easy-to-use modifier. Materials & Mapping Tutorials: Mapping a CharacterNew Unwrap UVW workflow and Pelt Mapping, which allows you to stretch out UVW coordinates to create a flat unified map for texturing objects. Creating Real-World Materials and MappingSpecify real-world sizes for bitmaps. Rendering Tutorials: Using Radiosity Adaptive SubdivisionUse adaptive sub-division to add detail where you need it in the Radiosity simulation. Saving Scene StatesSave camera and lighting setups, material definitions, environment controls and other values for quick and easy recall. Using Batch RenderAutomate the rendering of scenes using this tool that works in perfect sync with Scene States. Animation Tutorials: Working with Animation TracksCreate Tracks Sets for easier animation track management and experiment with new Curve Editor improvements. Using the Limit ControllerUse this controller to limit the range of other types of controllers. Character Animation Tutorials: Using the Skin and Flex ModifiersUse new Skin defaults and Better Skin Controls using the new Weight Tool. Using Biped Euler Rotations and Function CurvesControl Biped Limbs Using Function Curves in the Curve Editor. Biped RetargetingRetarget one biped to another and fine-tune the motion using Layers. Using Twist LinksUse Twist Links to add twisty bones to the biped figure. Character Rigging ToolsSave Animation files to the new XML-based animation format and reload them onto the same rig or onto another one. Remap bones from one skeleton to the next to retarget one character to another. AEC Tutorials: Publishing to DWFPost your 3D Scenes on the Internet with the new 3D DWF support. Inventor InteroperabilityExperiment with the connectivity between Inventor and 3ds Max. Revit InteroperabilityUse the File Link Manager to link 3ds Max to your Revit Designs. Dynamics Tutorials: Using HairSimulate hair and fur in a variety of ways. Using ClothSimulate the motion of fabric and other soft bodies using this tool. Project Management Tutorials: Using Asset TrackingUse this tool to get direct access to Asset Tracking Systems (ATS) such as Autodesk Vault. кстати ВиРэй для 7го макса рулит и на 8м !