Features highlights:

• Accelerated Performance - The integration of new technology into the software’s Adaptive Degradation System improves interactive performance by automatically simplifying scene display to meet a user-defined target frame rate. You control how 3ds Max adjusts scene display—whether the smallest objects are hidden, or distant objects have less detail, etc.—and 3ds Max calculates how best to achieve it. When combined with the new Direct3D® mesh caching that groups objects by materials, the result is that tens of thousands of objects can be just as interactive as ten objects. In addition, loading, arrays, Autodesk® FBX® and OBJ export, and other areas of the software perform significantly faster.
• Scene Explorer Scene Management - 3ds Max 2008 delivers Scene Explorer, a robust new tool that provides you with a hierarchical view of scene data and fast scene analysis, along with editing tools that facilitate working with even the most complex, object-heavy scenes. Scene Explorer gives you the ability to sort, filter, and search a scene by any object type or property (including metadata), with stackable filtering, sorting, and searching criteria. This new tool also enables you to save and store multiple Explorer instances and to link, unlink, rename, hide, freeze, and delete objects, regardless of what objects are currently selected in the scene. You can also configure columns to display and edit any object property, and because this feature is scriptable and SDK extendable, you can use callbacks to add custom column definitions.
• Review - This powerful new toolset gives you immediate feedback on various render settings, enabling you to iterate rapidly. This means you can now quickly hone in on your desired look without waiting for a software render—perfect for over-the-shoulder client/boss feedback sessions and other iterative workflows. Based on the latest game engine technology, Review delivers interactive viewport previews of shadows (including self-shadowing and up to 64 lights simultaneously), the 3ds Max sun/sky system, and mental ray® Architectural and Design material settings.
• MAXScript ProEditor - 3ds Max 2008 marks the debut of the new MAXScript ProEditor. This intuitive new interface for working with MAXScript includes multilevel undo functionality; fast, high-quality code colorization; rapid opening of large documents; line number display; regular expressions in search/replace; folding of sections of the script; support for user customization; and many other features.
• Enhanced DWG Import - 3ds Max 2008 delivers faster, more accurate importing of DWG™ files. Significantly improved memory management enables you to import large, complex scenes with multiple objects in considerably less time. Improved support for material assignment and naming, solid object import, and normals management facilitate working with software products such as Revit Architecture 2008. Plus, a new Select Similar feature identifies all objects in an imported DWG scene that contain characteristics similar to those of a selected object. This capability lets you select and edit multiple imported objects simultaneously—dramatically streamlining DWG-based workflows.
• Artist-Friendly Modeling Options - 3ds Max 2008 gives you a more streamlined, artist-friendly modeling workflow through a collection of hands-on modeling options that let you focus more on the creative process. These options include selection previewing and the ability to have existing modeling hotkeys and pivots become temporary overrides.
• Biped Enhancements - This latest release provides you with new levels of flexibility with regard to your Biped rigs. A new Xtras tool lets you create and animate extraneous Biped features anywhere on your rig (for example, wings or additional facial bones) and save them as BIP files. These files are supported in Mixer and Motion Flow, as well as in Layers, where new layering functionality enables BIP files to be saved as offsets from each layer to isolate character motion. As a result, each layer can be saved as its own asset for export into a game.
• Expanded Platform Support - 3ds Max 2008 is the first full release of the software officially compatible with Microsoft® Windows Vista™ 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems and the Microsoft DirectX® 10 platform.

System Requirements:

Software

The 32-bit version of Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2008 software is supported on any of the following operating systems:

• Microsoft® Windows Vista™
  
• Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional (SP2 or higher)
  

The 64-bit version of 3ds Max 2008 software is supported on any of the following operating systems:

• Microsoft Windows Vista
  
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64
  

3ds Max 2008 software requires the following browser:

• Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 6 or higher
  

3ds Max 2008 software requires the following supplemental software:

• DirectX® 9.0c* (required), OpenGL® (optional)
  

* Some features of 3ds Max 2008 are only enabled when used with graphics hardware that supports Shader Model 3.0 (Pixel Shader and Vertex Shader 3.0). Check with your manufacturer to determine if your hardware supports Shader Model 3.0.

Hardware

At a minimum, 3ds Max 2008 32-bit software requires a system with:

• Intel® Pentium® IV or AMD Athlon® XP or higher processor
  
• 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended)
  
• 500 MB swap space (2 GB recommended)
  
• Hardware-accelerated OpenGL and Direct3D supported
  
• Microsoft Windows-compliant pointing device (optimised for Microsoft IntelliMouse®)
  
• DVD-ROM drive
  

Note: Apple® computers based on Intel processors and running Microsoft operating systems are not currently supported.

At a minimum, 3ds Max 2008 64-bit software requires a system with:

• Intel EM64T, AMD Athlon 64 or higher, AMD Opteron® processor
  
• 1 GB RAM (4 GB recommended)
  
• 500 MB swap space (2 GB recommended)
  
• Hardware-accelerated OpenGL and Direct3D supported
  
• Microsoft Windows-compliant pointing device (optimised IntelliMouse)
  
• DVD-ROM drive

Educational Pricing:

- Can be purchased using eLCs

** Licence only. No Software included.
15 User including Support: £2500.00

Subscriptions can only be bought alongside a purchase of 3ds max or an upgrade to 3ds max. The Subscription Program is a software maintenance and support offering that ensures you stay up-to-date with the latest version of your licensed software. For an annual fee you can have access to newly released upgrades and software extensions, consistently benefit from the most advanced design technology and can extend your product capability with helpful program information, training, and support.

New - Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 Super Pack
Includes: 3ds Max 2008, Motionbuilder 7.5 Pro, Cleaner XL & Combustion 2008

* Price per user
Available for Windows only

New - Autodesk Animation Academy for Secondary Schools

To learn more click here

* For Secondary Schools only.

Discreet Campus Agreement

Get 3ds Max at a significantly reduced price by signing the Campus Agreement. This offer is only available when you have purchased the Autodesk Campus Agreement.

• Autodesk Home
• Students & Staff

• Autodesk Campus Agreement
• Autodesk Secondary Schools Bundles
• Autodesk Animation Academy

Platform, Geospatial & Plant

• AutoCAD 2008
• New - AutoCAD 2009
• AutoCAD Map 3D 2008
• New - AutoCAD Map 3D 2009
• AutoCAD Raster Design 2008
• New - AutoCAD Raster Design 2009

Manufacturing Solutions Division

• AutoCAD Electrical 2008
• New - AutoCAD Electrical 2009
• Inventor Pro 2008
• New - InventorPro 2009
• AutoStudio 2008

Architecture, Engineering & Construction

• AutoCAD Architecture 2008
• New - AutoCAD Architecture 2009
• AutoCAD MEP 2008
• New - AutoCAD MEP 2009
• Revit Architecture Suite 2008
• New - Revit Architecture Suite 2009
• Revit MEP Suite 2008
• New - Revit MEP Suite 2009
• Revit Structure Suite 2008
• New - Revit Structure Suite 2009
• AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008
• New - Civil 3D 2009

Media & Entertainment

• 3ds Max 2008
• New - 3ds Max 2009
• New - 3ds Max 2009 Design
• Combustion 2008
• Cleaner 6 for Mac
• Cleaner XL 1.5
• Maya Complete 2008
• Maya Unlimited 2008
• MotionBuilder 7.5
• Sketchbook Pro 2.0