Autodesk releases 3ds Max 2026.2
3ds Max 2026.2 ships with an updated version of the USD for 3ds Max plugin, making it possible to send objects from a 3ds Max scene to a USD stage.
Autodesk has released 3ds Max 2026.2, the latest version of its 3D modelling and animation software for architectural visualization, motion graphics and VFX.
It’s a minor update, improving performance of the Skin modifier, Material Switcher and Multi-Sub Object Material, and making it possible to send objects from a 3ds Max scene to a USD stage.
Core application: performance improvements
The only changes to the core application listed in the release notes for 3ds Max 2026.2 are performance updates.
The Skin modifier is now more responsive when reacting to changes to the mesh beneath it in the modifier stack, and its default settings have been updated.
It is also now possible to turn off swatch rendering in Material Switcher and Multi-Sub Object Material previews to improve performance with large numbers of materials.
USD for 3ds Max: send objects from a 3ds Max scene to a USD stage
In addition, 3ds Max’s USD plugin has been updated, with USD for 3ds Max 0.12 adding a new Duplicate as USD data option to send objects from a 3ds Max scene to a USD stage.
It forms a counterpart to the Promote to 3ds Max Object added in the previous release, making it easier to round-trip data between 3ds Max and USD.
Arnold for 3ds Max: bugfixes
3ds Max’s integration plugin for Autodesk’s Arnold renderer has also been updated, although according to its release notes, MAXtoA 5.8.2.2 is primarily a bugfix release.
The release notes for 3ds Max 2026.2 itself list additional features, but most were introduced in MAXtoA 5.8.1 earlier this year, and were available in 3ds Max 2026.1.
Price and system requirements
3ds Max 2026.2 is compatible with Windows 10+. It is rental-only. Subscriptions cost $255/month or $2,010/year.
In many countries, artists earning under $100,000/year and working on projects valued at under $100,000/year qualify for Indie subscriptions, which now cost $330/year.
Read a full list of new features in 3ds Max 2026.2 in the online documentation
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