MassFX

MassFX for 3ds Max provides a toolset for adding realistic physics simulations to your project. This plug-in emphasizes 3ds Max-specific workflows, using modifiers and helpers to annotate the simulation aspects of your scene.

To see some examples of what you can do with MassFX, play this video:

MassFX simulations use rigid bodies: objects that do not change shape during the simulation. Each rigid body can be one of three types:

For more information on the rigid body types, see Rigid Body Types: Dynamic, Kinematic, and Static.

Also available for use in simulations is the mCloth modifier, which lets cloth objects participate fully in simulations.

Running the simulation combines the outcome of the physics calculations with your own predefined animations. The result displays entirely within the viewports, in real time or near-real time, depending on scene complexity.

If you are using MassFX to set up a simulation for use in a game or other real-time project, you can export the settings for loading into the PhysX and APEX SDKs from NVIDIA.

If you are using the plug-in to add simulation to a scene that you will render, you can bake the results to animation keyframes. This speeds up your workflow (fastest repeatable renderings), locks down your results (no unexpected variations), and allows you to tweak the resulting animation as desired. Later, if you need to tweak the simulation, you can unbake the animation, restoring the original dynamic nature of the scene.

Additional features of MassFX include: