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3ds Max 2026.1: More Than Just a Modifier Update

3ds Max 2026.1 updates Push, Attribute Transfer and XForm modifiers, improves spline optimization and skin performance, and bumps OCIO to version 2.4.2.

Push Gets Physical The Push modifier in Autodesk 3ds Max 2026.1 now supports volume, making it far more production-friendly for character sculpting and shape deformation. Artists can now choose to preserve the volume of a mesh when pushing vertices, ensuring that inflation-like operations don’t lead to balloon animals. The new algorithm approximates volume constraints by projecting affected vertices along averaged normals and applying corrections post-transform.

There’s also a new "Use Normals" mode that supports Smooth, Face, and Edge Corner normals as input types, offering more granular control over the deformation direction. For more nuanced sculpting workflows, the modifier supports a "Push Normal Bias" parameter and even provides an optional vertex color channel for custom weighting—meaning you can paint influence directly onto your mesh. This expands the Push modifier from blunt tool to nuanced modeling instrument. XForm Gets Smarter The XForm modifier—long the go-to for non-des...


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