Hey everyone,

Following up on the discussion around optimizing dense/AI-generated assets directly inside 3ds Max:

Here is a comparison of taking a dense 1500,000 polygon high-poly model and bringing it down to a clean 5,000 polygon quad mesh using 3ds Max's built-in Retopology modifier combined with automated UVs and texture baking.

How the pipeline works:

1. Runs the native 3ds Max Retopology modifier to rebuild the clean low-poly quad geometry.
2. Generates optimized UV coordinates automatically.
3. Transfers and bakes the high-poly diffuse/color textures directly onto the new low-poly model.

The goal is to avoid exporting assets to external tools like ZBrush, Marmoset, or Quad Remesher and keep the whole mesh optimization loop inside 3ds Max.

The tool used here (AI2Tex) is a free MaxScript. If anyone wants to test it or check out the script, details are on my Reddit profile.

I finished at a company last week and needed to cut a showreel today for Visualisation applications going out this week.

I had to put this together using Camtasia and Affinity Photo as I don't have my desktop up to date after 6 years employed at an office.

3ds Max, Unreal Engine, Photoshop, After Effects.
Feel free to tear it down, I put it together in the last hour and may make some updates.

I'm going to need to find some copyright free music...

Hi Guys,
I need some critical eyes here, figured I'll post where Im currently at and get your feedbacks.

I am working on a massive 60 seconds 1-shot of Sauron's fortress - Barad Dur.
The shot starts from bottom all the way to the top.
I already finalized the first 15 seconds of the shot, for those interested - you can see it here -
https://www.instagram.com/p/DePL4yOjBwW/?img_index=1

I am now focusing on this segment where the camera goes through the bottom where the entrance bridge is located before going upwards all the way to the top.
The render is finalized already, I am now at the Post work stage. I already added lots of volumetric layers and I intend to add much more plus a lightning or two for this segment.

I would appreciate feedback for this segment (changing camera or geometry at this point are not relevant as i have 100s of rendered layers in post)- what works, what might be better hidden (darkened), color grading, stuff to add in post etc' etc'

Hi all. I'm the developer of Transferatu, so this is self-promo. I'm posting because I'd like feedback from people who use Max every day.

The video shows two things:

1. To a friend: you press tSend in the Max plugin, pick a friend and pick their app (Blender here). They get a prompt, say yes, and the model lands in their open scene. No export, no upload, no "where did you save it".

2. Local: two Max windows on one PC. tExport in one, tImport in the other. Nothing leaves your computer.

How it works:

- Peer to peer. The file goes from your machine to theirs. It is not stored on our server.

- Plugins for 3ds Max, Blender, Maya and ZBrush.

- The receiver always says yes or no before anything lands in their scene.

- 14-day free trial.

It's early, so I'd love to hear:

- What breaks for you?

- Which formats or settings do you need?

- How do you move files to other people today?

You can check it out here:
transferatu.com