Thursday, June 1st, 2023 Posted by Jim Thacker

MxTools releases FormCutter 3.0 for 3ds Max


MxTools – aka artist and developer Dan Constantin – has released FormCutter 3.0, the latest version of its hard surface modelling add-on for 3ds Max.

The script, which enables users to cut into objects along freehand paths, now supports real-time cuts, making it possible to explore design ideas for models more quickly.

An interesting tool for quick shape exploration or final-quality modelling in 3ds Max
First released in 2020, FormCutter lets users cut into (or out from) the surface of objects inside 3ds Max along freehand paths drawn using the tool.

It’s intended both for initial, quick shape explorations in concept design work, and for final-quality output for game development, visualisation or visual effects projects.

Constatin himself has a background in production, having previously been CGI supervisor at Romanian animation studio Toppen.

New in FormCutter 3.0: support for real-time cuts, new Face Cut and Shape Cut tools
The main new feature in FormCutter 3.0 is support for real-time cuts, making it possible to see the effect of changes to the model immediately.

New tools include Face Cut, which follows the borders of planar faces in the mesh, and Shape Cut, which cuts into a mesh using a library of readymade shapes.

To judge from the video above, it provides a quick way to add surface details to models, with the library including common forms like doors, panelling and fans.

The update also adds support for mirroring cuts in the XY axis, snapping cuts to vertices or grid points, and updates the tool’s user interface, including proper UI scaling on 4K monitors.

Price and system requirements
FormCutter 3.0 is compatible with 3ds Max 2017+.

A perpetual node-locked licence costs $36: on FormCutter’s Gumroad page, the price is listed as $36/year, but you can cancel your subscription and still use the software indefinitely afterwards.

Read a full list of new features in FormCutter 3.0 on the product website