Announcements
Attention for Customers without Multi-Factor Authentication or Single Sign-On - OTP Verification rolls out April 2025. Read all about it here.

Why can't Autodesk release it's earlier versions for free or for maybe like 20$

Obelisklaser
Advocate

Why can't Autodesk release it's earlier versions for free or for maybe like 20$

Obelisklaser
Advocate
Advocate

Why can't Autodesk release it's earlier versions for free or for maybe like 20$? because it would be nice to have access to very old versions which cost nothing or next to nothing?

 

3DSMAX 1 from 1996 should be released

 

Someone please reply!

 

Thanks 🙂

0 Likes
Reply
347 Views
7 Replies
Replies (7)

CAMedeck
Advisor
Advisor

I agree that there are times it would be nice to have access to a really old version of 3ds Max just to be able to open and update a very old project.  But that will not happen.

Autodesk is a company, and companies exist to make money.  Giving away product, even old and outdated, means fewer licenses get purchased.  

Another thing to keep in mind is how Windows has changed.  Very old versions of pretty much any software may not be stabile on a current OS, if they run at all.  

Chris Medeck
Did you find this post helpful? Feel free to Like this post.
Did your question get successfully answered? Then click on the ACCEPT SOLUTION button.

EESignature

0 Likes

Obelisklaser
Advocate
Advocate

But why not? do you really think that autodesk will loose licenses just because an older version of 3DSMax is released? Not likely at all...because most license owners depend on a new version of 3DSmax to continue with their projects.

It would just be a nice thing for the public and those who cannot afford it and actually to be honest if you released a lets say 3DsMax 1 for people to use for free, it would bring in a whole new generation of people who are or will become interested in 3D modeling itself which will lead to more licences to be purchased. You sound like a corporation the way that you reply to this message "companies exist to make money" That's exactly the problem here though, they should exist to do the right thing in life not to "Make money"

0 Likes

jibijib
Collaborator
Collaborator

I think = the same reason why car companies don't release old versions of their cars, it just doesn't make sense to keep old versions released.

Agree really old versions like <2004 should be released into public domain, but it's up to them. There are a load of plugins licensed at the time to Autodesk that Max wouldn't work if they were removed (Mental Ray, Character Studio, Surface Tools, etc) - there must be loads of other legal restraints why.

 

There are other ways to get old versions though, you only have to look, and you don't need subscriptions as they came with a lifetime serial key. I still have my 2005 and 2007/8 on CD.

0 Likes

dmitriy.shpilevoy
Collaborator
Collaborator

GMax was free, but it got discontinued.

Imho having simplistic max variation, stripped of all fancy features could actually be beneficial for autodesk.

 

If someone wants to learn 3D modeling they probably won't invest into 3dsmax nowadays, seems more practical to learn blender. Then they will get hired and continue using it. Yeah yeah, in real life scenario there are tons of legacy plugins, scripts and workflows that often require max in pipeline, but that's gambling. While providing a free... lets just call it gmax version would allow people to learn it and become good enough with it for company that hires them to buy  a 3dsmax license.

 

0 Likes

CAMedeck
Advisor
Advisor

I just have to say that I've seen a number of people on forums complaining that Autodesk doesn't properly support their main software.  Wanting them to devote any time to a free option would mean less time spent developing and fixing the software that earns revenue.

 

"do you really think that autodesk will loose licenses just because an older version of 3DSMax is released?"

Yes, but not a lot.  There would be some people that would not purchase a license and choose to get by with a free version and deal with the limitations.

 

"they should exist to do the right thing in life not to "Make money"".  

Well, that's Blender.  Funded largely by donations, as well as a few smaller revenue streams, it's a free software open to everyone to do anything.  But I feel that makes them more reactive, adding features that are requested and not really trying to innovate anything new on their own.  Corporations, especially publicly traded ones, need to generate revenue, show growth, and have value.  That gives them the ability to look forward, develop things people never knew they needed, and try to justify the cost of their product to the consumer.

Chris Medeck
Did you find this post helpful? Feel free to Like this post.
Did your question get successfully answered? Then click on the ACCEPT SOLUTION button.

EESignature

0 Likes

Obelisklaser
Advocate
Advocate

That's much different thought because in order for a car company to release an old version of one of their cars they would have to find a way to construct the car again whereas all that's needed here is a simple tiny modification to one of their programs then have it be released for anyone to use.

You're right dmitriy. In my opinion Autodesk is missing out on becoming much more popular by not releasing and old and,/or modified version (made to run well on windows 10/11 for example)versions of their program. I've talked to people on discord about this and they tell me there's no point in posting because Autodesk is too rich and is too greedy. I don't mean to sound ungrateful for the program they created though.

There must be a way to convince them to do it!

 

I suggest for example releasing the old msdos versions for free and releasing a modified version of 3dsmax 1 from 1996 that's made to work on modern versions of windows. This would barely hurt the license purchases as CAMedeck pointed out, plus the popularity of the program would go up for sure leading to more purchases. Conmon guys having the attitude of "Oh it'l never happen' Is the reason it wouldn't happen. It's our attitudes about it that's the problem.

0 Likes

jibijib
Collaborator
Collaborator
It's the same in that it is going backwards with their intellectual property, and both Max and older cars were quite flaky back then compared to today from memory, I didn't mean having to find old parts.

I would say most people don't want old versions of Max released, they just want stable current versions with features - if you want old ones, they are easy to find on the internet, good luck getting them working on Windows 10/11 though. 😉
0 Likes