3D Studio Max 2008 - User Interface Overview
The installation interface of 3DS Max 2008 Free Trial is quite nice, easy to understand and took me less than 10 min to install. No need to restart your system to use the program. When you open the 3DS Max 2008 program you will notice the nice and beautiful pre-operation window that coherent into the new trend of graphics today like the ones used by Widows Vista and Mac OS X.When the 3D Studio Max 2008 finally opened you will notice the welcome screen which is very useful specially for beginner users. This welcome screen is pack with useful step by step Tutorial videos like the user interface overview , view port navigation, creating objects, transforming objects, modifying objects, materials primer and basic animation that you need to know before using 3DS max 2008.
The user interface is also the same from the previous versions of 3DS Max which is okay for me because I will not have a hard time familiarizing and exploring User interface. The old icons where still there along with the new ones which can easily be distinguished and understand. I noticed this 3 new buttons at the bottom of the interface.
The Adaptive degradation button , communication center button and the default in/out tangents for new keys button, which is fount it a very useful shortcut keys to maximize and quicken your designing process .
Lets discuss this shortcut keys
The Adaptive degradation shortcut button:
this shortcut button helps you decreasing the visual fidelity of certain objects temporarily in-between use by clinking the button while working on your design. It is the process where you can minimize temporarily the quality of your design when previewing the result which is very useful when working in animation, and complex design
Communication center shortcut button:
Is a shortcut button that will connect you directly to the latest software updates product support and announcement trough internet at the Autodesk website
The default in/out tangents for new keys shortcut button:
This shortcut button is useful when doing animation it can help you make the movement of you animation more realistic and faster because it is placed near the timeline bar.
I Also noticed thatsomething missing in the top menu bar “the tab panel “its gone…
3d Studio Max 5
3d Studio Max 9
and it took me a while looking for it and realized that they have removed it in this version of 3D Studio max. what a shame I like this shortcut function. I hope they will put it back because it quite useful feature in the old 3DS Max 5 version, this tab panel can help you access tools and functions instantly, saving you the time clicking the menus on the top bar. I hope they will put it back in the future version of 3DS Max just tell me of anyone knows how to tweak this system. or maybe its just not included in the free trial version. just tell me if I’m wrong.
New shortcut buttons were added that can be place in your User interface like the reactor, render shortcuts, snaps, animation layer, extra and the brush preset that contains more useful functions added feaure for 3DS Max 2008.
I like this reactor panel, packed with simple and ready to use functions and capabilities that you can use when creating animation. I think it’s the replacement of the character menu in 3D Studio Max 5, Im quite interested with the new tools added in reactor panel . And will try to explore it later and give you my feed back next time.
Rating: 
Reason: Because they removed the tab panel which is quite useful to me, but the rest is fine.
