running 3Ds Max through windows 10 using boot camp on a mac

[Anonymous]

I have the latest macbook pro 16, and am considering uploading windows 10 through boot camp. Can anyone tell me if there are any implications with this when working with autoCAD and 3Ds Max etc. Will they run as efficiently as through a PC? Thanks

[jon.bell]

Hi Zoe,

Thank you for your question! Although it's possible to run 3ds Max (and other Autodesk software) under Windows 10 in Bootcamp on a Macintosh, Autodesk does not consider this as a supported workflow. (That is, you may be able to get it to work successfully, but if you have issues with this we can't easily offer technical support for this configuration.)

A big issue when running 3ds Max under Bootcamp is to make sure sure you've downloaded and installed the latest Windows 10 drivers (manually) for the video card running on the Mac. The Apple-approved Bootcamp configuration for running Windows 10 installs older drivers, which may not be best for 3ds Max. However, if you download and install the latest GPU drivers (for Windows) under Bootcamp, then Apple no longer certifies this setup if you need help.

I don't mean to completely discourage you completely from trying this, but just wanted to note that you may have to jump through some hoops to get it to work successfully.

I hope this information helps!

Take care,

[Anonymous]

thank you for getting back to me.

I am in the unfortunate situation that I have only just purchased a new Mac
as I have been using Mac for years now and like how they operate. I looked
into what was needed to run cad programs but I was concentrating on how
much RAM and processing power I needed. Being new to CAD I wasn’t aware
almost all of them concentrate on pc versions making it virtually
impossible to do it on a Mac.

This is really devastating to find out having spent a fortune on the new
16” MacBook Pro.
I’ve done a lot of photography and used adobe in the past so am used to
macs being the best at design. But not in the case of CAD it seems.

I’m a bit stuck as I’ve been running the free version of autoCAD on the new
laptop so have been using it and have owned it for just under a month, so
don’t think returning it is an option now having used it.

If I were to be able to return it, what pc laptop would you recommend? What
graphics cards, processors etc shall I look for?

I chose the Mac as I could get the i9 processor, where as most pc laptop
seemed to only have the i7.

I brought the newest MacBook Pro in order to future proof myself, but I
feel I’ve just wasted £2500 on something that can’t do what I want it to do
as the programs are not supported.

Frustrating I didn’t find this out earlier. But it seemed there was a Mac
version of autoCAD and it wasn’t until I went to render I began to find out
the issues and also realise you need different packages to achieve the
photo realistic imagery.

Any help you can give to recommend the right pc I would need would be
greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Zoe

[jon.bell]

Hi @Anonymous,

Thank you for your detailed response, and I'm sorry if my reply seemed discouraging. But, I don't want you to have to spend any more money on this, so I'm going to do what I can to help you! 🙂

Around 15 years ago, I personally ran 3ds Max (versions 8-10, as I recall) under Windows 7 on a MacBook Pro, and I was able to get it to work well back then. If you can install Windows 10 successfully via Boot Camp on your Macintosh, then you should be able to install 3ds Max under that Windows 10 installation. The biggest caveat would be drivers -- the drivers that Boot Camp installs tend to be the "safest," most conservative drivers that Apple certifies will work on their hardware under Windows 10. For best performance under Windows, I would recommend (at the very least) going to the GPU manufacturer's website and installing the latest Windows video card drivers for your particular Mac's GPU, before installing 3ds Max. These should give Max the best performance under Windows 10. (Depending on your Mac's screen resolution, though, you may have to tweak your Windows 10 display settings to get 3ds Max to look acceptable -- 5K iMacs seem to be finicky about such things, for instance.)

The difficulty in Autodesk "officially" supporting these installations does lie in the realm of technical support -- since few of us are running this specific configuration, it's difficult for us to test and troubleshoot issues with 3ds Max and Boot Camp should they arise. However, if you have problems with this, please post your questions here and send me a private message, if you want, and I'll do my best to help you. Ultimately, our goal is for you to be successful working with 3ds Max, so please let me know how you want to proceed!

Take care, and I hope to hear from you soon!

[jon.bell]

Hi Zoe,

I just wanted to follow up with you to see if you'd been able to install 3ds Max under Windows 10 on Boot Camp, and if you were encountering any issues with it. Again, although Autodesk doesn't "officially" support this configuration, I do know of customers who are working this way successfully, and since you spent a large amount of money on your computer, I want to do my best to help you succeed with Max. 🙂

Please let us know, and I hope to hear from you soon!

[domo.spaji]

There is no reason why it wouldn't work normally.

Computer will boot and run on Windows OS.

If Windows is installed properly with all drivers Max (or any windows program) should work like on "pure Windows system".

Drivers shouldn't be a problem if some hardware isn't manufactured specially for Mac.

Edit: Sorry @jon.bell , wrong address, want reply to @Anonymous 

[Anonymous]

Hi Jon,

Thanks for getting back in contact again. As I was still within the 30 days of purchasing my Mac I have successfully managed to return it. I didn't want to risk playing around with splitting the disks and loading windows if i were going to try and return it. So back to the drawing board with which computer or laptop to buy. Its a tricky one as I am only just getting started in this field, and am wanting to change career path into kitchen/interior design. I have been a joiner for many years but am wanting to move more into the design side. I would like to take the time to learn 3D packages. Having grasped the basics of autoCAD, I have since learnt that 3DS MAX would be better for modelling and rendering interior spaces, is that correct? I eventually want to learn to create photo realistic images of my designs. Its hard to know what computer to buy as I would like something that will give me some future proofing in case I do end up needing to do quite heavy rendering. But without going too wild as I may not. Going into this a bit blind, not knowing what job I may end up getting or what packages the companies will use is hard. For now I would just like to learn the packages for personal use, and start building up a portfolio. 

As I have previously said, I really like Mac and am really disappointed to  have since learnt they aren't the best for when it comes down to 3D modelling and rendering. I am desperately needing a new laptop, but are desktop computers actually a better way to go when it comes down to these power hungry software packages? 

Perhaps the graphics cards and things you get in a pc laptop are better than in the mac? I really enjoy the user face of a mac and have grown very fond of their superb tracker pad which I understand is just not the same on a pc.

When it comes down to graphic cards, what size memory would you recommend for entry level with room to progress? I would like to think I could buy a computer that if i get into this seriously it will still be useful in a few years. 

The same with the CPU, how many cores, Ghz etc to aim for? 

Sorry for all the questions, but any help you can give to help me work out where to go next so i can make some decisions and get back to actually learning these packages would be really appreciated.

Many Thanks for all your help and support

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your response to this.

When you talk about drivers Im not quite sure what you mean? Are the drivers the software packages that you are wanting to upload? 

My concern is that mac no longer support this nor do Autodesk, so if worse case senario the computer crashed or something happened while running  a package on windows, it would be difficult to fix?

Also, Ive heard that when running windows on a mac, the mac might not use its graphics cards to their full extent? 

With 1TB SSD memory it hard to know how much to assign to windows as once you choose this you cant change it.

Im i fighting a lost battle trying to make windows packages run on a mac. I just much prefer mac to pc, as i find them much smoother and things like their tracker pad are amazingly accurate and have lots of useful additional features making workflow faster. Its also simple things like icloud that i also like am have used for years. its hard to think about transitioning to a pc, but feel it might be a better bet if i am going to start getting seriously into 3D modelling and rendering for my designs. 

[dgorsman]

In general, you'll get more bang for your buck with a desktop.  Pick a laptop only if you truly need the portability.  For example, if you would only be using it to take notes in class and running 3DSMAX on a lab computer, get a desktop for home and a cheap tablet/chromebook/etc. for being out and about.  One specific thing I'll note is that laptops have worse heat dissipation so if you're planning on doing a lot of your own rendering a desktop is highly recommended (and while it's occupied you still have the other device to work with).

Hardware wise, you'll want something solidly middle of the road like a mid-range gaming computer.  Large number of cores only comes into play with rendering and a few other tasks, in most cases they'll sit unused.  So the i9, Threadrippers, etc. are overkill for most people.  You're looking for a quad or hex core at 4 GHz or faster for the base clock speed without considering any turbo boost, overclock, or otherwise. 

You'll want multiple drives, a good sized M.2 drive (at least 256 GB) for the OS and programs and a very large SSD (TB size range) for general storage.  32 GB RAM is more than enough for most and cheap enough.  If pressed for budget you could get away with 16 GB.  A discrete GPU is a must, no need to go overboard with it.

An RTX 2060 should do, a 2070 (or super) if you have a bit more budget. 

[lynn_zhang]

Hi @Anonymous 

Did the above response from @dgorsman help answer your questions? Did you find the advice and suggestions helpful? Let us know if you still need help.

[Anonymous]

Yes, thank you very much for your help. I’m beginning to get an
understanding of computers and what does what and what it is I need.

There’s just so much choice and not knowing entirely how far I will be
going with the learning/ using of said programs it’s proving tougher to
choose!

I very much need a new laptop and prefer the portability of laptops but
also appreciate desktops are more powerful and easier to upgrade.

I’m wondering whether to get a laptop that’ll get my started on the 3D
rendering and then when I know if I end up needing to use it more I can
then look at getting a desktop.

If you get the educational version, once you have it on one devise can you
move it to another?

Many thanks

[jon.bell · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous,

Thanks for your question! Yes, if you get an educational version of 3ds Max (and then transition to 3ds Max Indie or a regular commercial copy), you are allowed to install copies on two different machines so you can work from home on a desktop, say, and on the road with a laptop.

Please let us know if this helps and if you have any other questions, and we hope to hear from you soon!

[jon.bell]

Hi @Anonymous ,

I just wanted to check back to see if you had any more questions about 3ds Max, or if you felt you had what you needed for now.

Please let us know, and we hope to hear from you soon!

[jon.bell]

@Anonymous,

I just wanted to refresh this to see how you were doing with your 3D work, and if you were able to get a PC that suited your needs. (In addition, were you able to purchase 3ds Max Indie?)

Please let us know, and we hope to hear from you soon!