Initially introduced in 2021 and still officially in beta, USD for 3ds Max allows users to import and export data from 3ds Max in the Universal Scene Description (OpenUSD) format. Now, the plugin can import and export meshes, materials, cameras, lighting, and animation data, and it supports .usda, .usdc, and .usdz file formats.

Additionally, USD for 3ds Max 0.5 has added MaterialX support. MaterialX is an open standard developed by ILM for extensive material and look-development data, which is increasingly being used in other DCC applications. This update allows importing or exporting MaterialX shaders in .mtlx format and editing MaterialX shader graphs in the Compact Material Editor or Slate Material Editor.

It's worth noting that the USD Exporter has gained support for the Morpher modifier from 3ds Max, enabling the export of facial animations based on morphs by exporting Morpher channels as overlay shapes to USDSkel.

USD for 3ds Max is compatible with 3ds Max 2022 and later. The beta version is free for registered 3ds Max users.

3ds Max itself is available for Windows 10 and above. It's offered on a subscription basis, priced at $235 per month or $1875 per year. In many countries, artists earning less than $100,000 per year and working on projects with budgets under $100,000 per year are eligible for the Indie subscription, which now costs $305 per year.