Max Neural Studio

Bring a new level of realism to your renders with Max Neural Studio for Autodesk 3ds Max. Explore the neural look live in your Arnold viewport, adjust the effect to suit your scene, and create enhanced final images with a simple click. Focus on your creative vision—Max Neural Studio handles the processing for you.

Features

• Live preview with widths of 640, 960, 1280 or 1920 px.
• Adjustable effect intensity, two neural passes by default, and an experimental X2 option for four passes.
• Clean live view with editing overlays restored when live preview stops.
• Render and process using the resolution configured in 3ds Max.
• Process an existing image or video.
• PNG, JPG and TIFF output for still images.
• User-selected result and component folders.
• Final still-image results contain the original and processed image only; successful-job temporary files are removed.

Getting started

Install the MZP, open Max Neural Studio, and use Set up / download components. Choose a component destination and grant download consent if components are missing. For live preview, activate Arnold ActiveShade in the viewport, then click Start live. For a final still image, choose a results folder and output format, then click Render and process.

Tips for best results

For the best results, start with carefully crafted scene lighting and correctly configured exposure. I recommend using 3ds Max’s Physical Camera Exposure Control and adjusting it to suit your scene.

The plugin isn’t magic: it won’t turn simple shapes and flat shading into a photorealistic image. Think of it as an enhancement tool that builds on a well-prepared scene, supporting the work you’ve already put into lighting, materials, and composition.

Requirements and compatibility

Windows and Arnold are required. Version 1.5.0 beta has been tested in 3ds Max 2023 on an NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti. Other Max versions, GPUs and driver combinations have not been verified. Runtime compatibility depends on the external runtime and graphics driver.

No need to find and install the processing components manually. After installing the plugin, open Set up / download components: Setup checks what is already available and highlights anything missing. Choose a destination folder, give your download consent, then click Download and set up automatically to download and configure the required community neural runtime, Python and image libraries, and FFmpeg/FFprobe. You can also connect an existing runtime folder. These components are downloaded separately rather than bundled in the MZP; an internet connection is required for downloads. The automatic setup workflow is implemented, although a complete installation on a PC with no existing dependencies has not yet been verified.

Experimental processing

Standard processing applies two consecutive neural passes. X2 applies four passes for a stronger effect. Additional passes take longer and can introduce artifacts or alter scene details. Live preview and video use estimated guides; Arnold still renders can use the native Z pass. Processing runs locally. The integration uses a community runtime containing modified, unsigned NVIDIA components, with third-party license terms. Max Neural Studio is not an official NVIDIA product.

Free plugin by Dennis Cabella.