The Tips in detail

 "Does it pay for me to upgrade 3DSMax?"

This is a really difficult question.

As with all major software products 3DSMax is continously growing in terms of functionality, complexity and capability. This can easily be seen by looking at the version number. As of this writing Max 4.2 is "out there" and it still costs some serious bucks although upgrading is a tad cheaper than purchasing a new full version.

Considering you do already own an older version of Max, the most difficult question is: can I upgrade seamlessly? In terms of 3DSMax on it's own, the answer is yes.

When it comes to scripting, there are some changes over the versions (I am not that deep into scripting 3DSMax) but as far as I can see scripts can be easily ported and - where necessarry - modified to fit into the new version. (Please correct me if I am wrong here!)

One of the most curical parts with 3DSMax are the plugins as they are adding on all those nifty gizmos and gimicks to make 3DSMax that powerfull as you know it and your tool of choice. The most dramatic changes between Max versions and its plugins are generally from any major version to its successor (like from 2.x to 3.x and to 4.x.)

Plugins are generally designed to suite to a given version of 3DSMax. Almost no plugin is backward compatible and only a few can be used in newer versions then the one they have been coded for. This has some serious sideeffects. There are plugins for older versions, offering features and tools and stuff you desperately need to meet your deadline or perhaps to finish your project at all that probably have not been ported to the latest version yet or - even worse - will never be ported at all. This is especially problematic for free- and shareware plugins you can find throughout the net.

So what to do?

I learned that the best aproach is via the version of Max you already own and from there estimating where you want to go. Contact the manufacturers of the plugins you need / want to have and ask them regarding the availibility of their plugins for the version you are about to purchase.

• Version 1.x: upgrade to at least V2.5
• Version 2: upgrade to at least V2.5
• Version 2.5x: check wether all the plugins you are used to (and bound to) are availible for the version you want to migrate to. If not: keep your copy of V2.5 and consider getting an ADDITIONAL newer version.
• Version 3.x: Well, with V4.x there are some nifty improvements, but you should try to find out wether or not you really need the improvements of V4.

Generally speaking: the older the version you have, the more likely it is that you will gain significantly nifty new features and tools. With V2.5 as a (once) widely supported solid plattform there is still a vast amount of plugins for this version availible. Upgrading from there to any newer version might become a cost-intensive task since you will need to upgrade all your plugins. Some plugins are not availible for versions beyond V2.5, but on the other hand there are usually plugins for newer versions, that are not availible for older versions. You really need to check out, wether or not there is a new version of your plugin in question for your desired version of Max or wether this given functionality is now included in Max' basic toolkit or not availible at all. Another important issue is the userinterface. With V3 the userinterface changed drastically. It is now customizable somehow resembles Maya. Some love it - others are wholeheartly hating it... If you never touched Max before, you are the lucky one :) If you are used to the V2.5 interface, you might need some time to feel "back home". You should first try it before you buy it.