Free Student Version of 3dStudio Max, Mudbox, AutoCAD...?!?!?

[Bighouse]

I'm an adjunct instructor who teaches AutoCAD and a bit of Revit. For any students out there who use Autodesk software or would like to use it, like 3DStudio Max, AutoCAD, Revit, etc- which are great 3D tools to create models for use in Pepakura Designer- I have a suggestion for you.

Acquire an email account form your school that ends in the *.edu domain- most community colleges have such free student email accounts for registered students. I might image High Schools do something similar. Then, if you point your web browser to:

students.autodesk.com

you can apply for an account with Autodesk's Education portal. Once approved (and that's why you want a previously approved *.edu domain on your application!) you can download all kinds of great (and normally very, very pricey) software for free. Be aware of the limitations of the software so PLEASE read very carefuly the license agreements before you install them.

Note: If you can't get a student email and account that way, you can ask an instructor at your schools to sign up and acquire an account. Once they have one, they can send to you a web link that will allow you to create an account with the ability download the software you want for your studies (and making pep files!).

Cheers and happy modeling!

Robert

 

[ventrue]

You can get in there without any email addresses or help from your school as well, you just have to provide a certificate of matriculation (and possibly in a faculty that they like, like engineering or 3D design. Not sure what they do if your major is gardening or something like that).

 

[Bighouse]

...Not sure what they do if your major is gardening or something like that).

Landscape Architects use AutoCAD and 3DStudio Max too!!!

 

[Devious]

OSHIII
I am sooooo glad to be a student right now!
Downloading maya 3d right now.

 

[ventrue]

Landscape Architects use AutoCAD and 3DStudio Max too!!!

No, I was talking about actual gardening. With a shovel. ;-)

 

[Bighouse]

haha, yeah, I knew you were. That aside, it's a great system for students and educators. The Autodesk line of software for 3D creation is very much the industry standard these days (in particular with the acquisition of SoftImage, Revit and Maya) and to have what is otherwise a very costly license fee available for free to students for learning is pretty cool I think on Autodesk's part.

Be aware, anyone who signs up for this freebie, that you MUST not use the product for commercial (i.e. money-making) purposes. Not even indirectly really. So don't use it to make something for yourself and then give that file to someone who will use it for commercial purposes. In the case of AutoCAD, doing so will 'infect' their files with a watermark that you can't easily remove without contacting Autodesk for assistance with it. I would imagine they have similar blackarts in place for the other softwares as well.

 

[Hugh Holder]

This is great info, thanks for sharing! Now I can bring others over to the dark side of maya haha