Adobe Dimension vs Autodesk 3ds Max: Which Software Is Better?

If you need to create photorealistic 2D and 3D models, read this Adobe Dimension vs Autodesk 3ds Max comparison to select the best software for your needs. I will tell you about the key selling points of each software in detail.

Adobe Dimension is a professional software for creating high-quality graphic layouts. This 3D modeling software for Mac is widely used in advertising and comes with an impressive set of tools for creating photorealistic visualizations for advertising posters. The main advantage of Adobe Dimension is that it allows you to combine 2D and 3D objects.

Autodesk 3ds Max is a 3D modeling software with extensive functionality. You can use it to work with multimedia files, create 3D models of various objects and accurately model their behavior. With this program, you can visualize material properties and create various effects.

Adobe Dimension comes with an extensive set of 2D and 3D design tools that will help you create photorealistic designs using 2D and 3D compositing. Thanks to AI technology, this product design software will automatically choose suitable materials, adjust light and shadows, align objects, select a view angle, scale, aspect ratio, and perspective. It can help you solve many other tasks as well to ensure that your objects will fit into a composition.

The program allows you to preview how your design will look after rendering. You can export your project in JPG, PNG, or PSD formats. If you don’t know what software to choose for your project, Adobe Dimension or Autodesk 3ds Max, keep in mind that the latter allows you to further enhance your layouts in Photoshop, Adobe XD, Illustrator, After Effects, and InDesign.

1/2

1/2
2/2

Eye-catching designs. If you specialize in creating packages and branded products, you no longer need to look for Photoshop mockup templates. You can drag and drop graphics or a logo and adjust the settings of the materials to create a visually appealing design.

Photorealistic rendering and real-time preview. You can use V-Ray for rendering. Besides, Dimension allows you to preview how your model will look like. As the result, you won’t need to spend much time on rendering.

Many tutorials. You can use the available tutorials to master the main features of the software. Even if you have never used 3D modeling software for Unity before, you will easily figure out how to work in Dimension. There are many YouTube videos that will help you learn how to use the interface of this software and find out how you can create high-quality 3D models.

A collection of ready-made models. Adobe Dimension has an in-built library of 3D models, including bottles, cans, notebooks, boxes and packages. You can customize them by changing their size, tilt and height. The program allows putting several items on one surface.

Allows working with lighting sources. If you want to create a photorealistic object, pay attention to lighting. The program supports 20+ types of lighting, including the drawing light and the fill light. It’s possible to combine different lighting sources for a better result. You can adjust the direction and intensity of light as well as use various color filters.

Suitable for adding multiple decals. Dimension supports adding multiple images with unique features to a surface of a model. You can create multiple layers.

Tools for setting the canvas size and print resolution. The developers have upgraded the canvas by adding 2D-scaling, resizing, and panning tools. You can change the size of the canvas and adjust the print size and resolution easily.

Improved integration with Photoshop and Illustrator. This 3D modeling software for beginners allows you to import .ai files. You can work with Photoshop artboards in .psd format and .ai files from Illustrator. To import them to Dimension, just copy and paste raster and vector graphics from the clipboard.

Export speed. If you don’t have a powerful PC, the speed of rendering and exporting might be too low. To avoid this, check whether your computer meets basic hardware requirements before installing this software.

Autodesk 3ds Max is a great software for 3D modeling, animation, and visualization that comes with many collaboration features. It allows you to create and visualize 3D models of industrial products, free-shape objects, and characters. When comparing Adobe Dimension vs Autodesk 3ds Max, you will see that both software can help you automate tedious tasks. However, you can also use 3ds Max for measuring objects. It supports character rigging, allows you to create and preview complex scenes.

With the help of this software, you can create textures, simulate materials, create interior designs with many details. It’s widely used by designers, architects, game designers, animators, and many other CG professionals.

1/2

1/2
2/2

Supports polygon modeling. It’s the most widespread type of 3D modeling supported by many 3D graphic suites. You can use this method to create models of various complexity.

Primitive-based modeling. 3Ds Max has an integrated library of standard objects called primitives. By using them, you can create a model more quickly. You can apply various modifiers to primitives. Make sure to read an AutoCAD vs 3ds Max comparison to learn which software makes it more convenient to create models based on primitives.

3D visualization options. Autodesk 3Ds Max is a powerful visualization software for simulating light effects and materials. It allows you to adjust various settings, including exposure and sharpness.

A variety of plugins. You can use a wide range of plugins and extensions for different tasks. For instance, you can use plugins for creating photorealistic effects of smoke, fire, explosions, fireworks, splashes, etc. Besides, the program allows you to create models of landscapes and a starry sky. Some modules are more suitable for creating plants and other objects.

Animation tools. You can animate objects or their parts. In this 3D animation software, you can use particle flows to model fire, smoke, snow or liquids. Besides, this program supports trajectory path modeling. Thanks to it, you can create an accurate trajectory of a moving object. If you compare 3ds Max vs Blender, you will see that the former is a better option when it comes to applying animation effects.

Integration with other 3D and 2D graphic suites. 3ds Max facilitates teamwork and allows you to work with files created in other software. You can export and import designs in various formats. Besides, it will be easier for you to work on a project together with your team using external links. This software allows you to use third-party plugins, textures, images, and 3D models.

Only for Windows users. Unfortunately, macOS and Linux users won’t be able to use this software since the developers released only a version for Windows.

High price. To create designs for commercial use, you need to pay for a license, which is pretty expensive.

adobe dimension vs autodesk 3ds max pricing

To use Adobe Dimension, you need to pay for either of two Creative Cloud subscriptions:

All Apps Plan (Dimension, After Effects, Photoshop, Animate, Fuse and etc.) - $52.99/month
Dimension Plan (Dimension CC, 100GB of cloud storage, Adobe Portfolio and etc) - $20.99/month

Before comparing Adobe Dimension vs Autodesk 3ds Max in terms of their pricing policies, think about the projects that you need to create. The All Apps Plan allows you to use such professional software as Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. You can use them with Adobe Dimension to create attention-grabbing 3D and 2D projects. Thanks to Adobe discounts, you can purchase this software at an affordable price.

Autodesk 3ds Max has a free trial version that you can use for 30 days. It allows you to test the main features of this software. However, its functionality is quite limited. Only after purchasing a license, you will get access to the full set of tools. To use this software, you need to pay $215 per month/$1,700 per year or $4,590 for every 3 years.

You can use Adobe Dimension for creating photorealistic graphics and visualizations. This graphic editor is based on edgy graphic technologies, the V-Ray rendering engine and machine learning algorithms. The program has an integrated library of objects that includes 3D shapes and templates that you can use for creating your design.

Autodesk 3ds Max is considered to be one of the best professional software for architects and interior designers. You can use it for 3D modeling of solid objects. It allows you to create models and modules for photorealistic visualization. The program was created for those who need to work with 3D graphics.