Autodesk 3ds Max software help win competitive bids, generate project stakeholder support and complete large portions of project design in the proposal stages.

Autodesk announced leading design firms such as GMJ Design, Paul Steelman Design and Neoscape are using Autodesk 3ds Max software to create 3D architectural visualisations that help them win competitive bids, generate project stakeholder support and complete large portions of project design in the proposal stages. Autodesk's architectural software portfolio includes AutoCAD, Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Autodesk Revit Building, Autodesk VIZ and the 3ds Max animation, modeling and rendering product. 'Autodesk's visual communication tools help customers visualise and share their ideas, designs and work-in-progress in many industries, from manufacturing and infrastructure to entertainment and architecture,' said Marc Petit, Autodesk's Media and Entertainment vice president.

'Still pictures, movies and interactive presentations created with Autodesk 3ds Max help architects sell concepts by providing a photorealistic, immersive experience of the end result'.

'3D visualisation is an increasingly important component of the architectural workflow,' said Michael Arrington, senior analyst at Acacia Research Group.

'As in other engineering fields, accurate visualisation gives project decision makers the tools they need to get their efforts rapidly from the drawing board to reality'.

'Autodesk 3ds Max software is ideally suited for this work'.

GMJ Design, a London- and Paris-based visualisation firm, is using 3ds Max for its World City Models project.

The studio has completed a thirty-six square kilometre, 1:500 scale digital model of central London.

This highly accurate topographical roof model includes all visible elements that are more than one metre in size.

It was created in 3ds Max using high-resolution aerial photography combined with a ground-level survey.

The model is also available in Autodesk's DWG file format, which allows for easy sharing of data between design, architecture and engineering teams.

'The London World City Model contains 12 million polygons and is a one-gigabyte Autodesk 3ds Max file,' explained Robert Graves, creative director at GMJ Design.

'Due to the enormous amount of data, the model previously had to be broken down into a number of files to be viewed'.

'Now, with the 64-bit version of 3ds Max 9, the project can be viewed in one 3ds Max scene'.

Paul Steelman Design in Las Vegas and its Los Angeles-based subsidiary, Phrenic, specialise in casino resort and entertainment design.

By using 3ds Max to visualise designs, the company is able to complete 80% of the final design in the proposal stages.

Time savings cascade through the project cycle due to interoperability between Autodesk 3ds Max and AutoCAD software products, allowing for project data exchange amongst architects and design teams.

The company used 3ds Max to visualise The Sands Macao, which is the largest and most profitable casino in the world'.

'Once we created a visualisation of The Sands Macao casino, it didn't take long to win the project,' explained Paul Steelman, CEO and president of Paul Steelman Design'.

'We spent five days developing a design visualisation with Autodesk 3ds Max, and won the contract as a result; that's a powerful thing.

When you create design visualisations, there is no hesitation'.

'The clients know exactly what they're going to get'.

Boston-based Neoscape provides visualisation and marketing services for a wide range of projects, including luxury condos and hotels.

Using 3ds Max, the firm visualised the New York Park Plaza hotel's $350 million renovation and rebirth as a private residence'.

'On the Park Plaza project, the architectural detail, mood and other elements took us into uncharted territory,' said Rob McLeod, Neoscape founder and vice-president'.

'Without Autodesk 3ds Max, the detailed ornamentation alone would have been a daunting task'.

'We have embraced 3ds Max because it's the best and most universal tool for design visualisation'.

'Along with 3ds Max, we use AutoCAD, enabling our work to integrate seamlessly in our clients' architectural pipelines'.

Now shipping worldwide, 3ds Max 9 supports 64-bit technologies and contains a number of enhancements for design visualisation.

Rendering is greatly improved with the mental ray 3.5 rendering core.

Features such as new architecture and design shaders, as well as improvements to the Physical Sun and Sky system, enable architects and designers to spend less time on rendering setup and more time on design.