Editing Gmax (section)

==Features==
Gmax's utility can be expanded by "game packs" which feature customized tools that allow creation and exporting of customizable content to games and websites. As Gmax did not have its parent software's [[Rendering (computer graphics)|rendering]] engine, game packs were typically required to provide those features when needed([[N3V Games|Auran]] was the first company to write and distribute a dedicated renderer for their [[Trainz|Trainz Railroad Simulator series]] Gmax gamepacks in their initial pre-production Beta Release V0.9 (2000). Thereafter Gmax was bundled with subsequent[[Trainz]] until Trainz 2009. [[Maxis]] was the second company to write a dedicated renderer for their Gmax gamepack, ''BAT'' (Building Architect Tool) for ''[[SimCity 4]]'' (ca. 2002). In both the game environments, a user can enter the virtual 3D world, interact with the environment, ride a car and sight see, or in the Trainz series of simulators - operate a carefully modeled realistic Train Locomotive, ride in an observation car, automobile, boat, airplane, or steamship.)

The introduction of Gmax and Autodesk's distribution of the core tools was thought to be aimed towards remedying the 'limited-options infringement' of 3D modeling packages that had been widespread among amateur 3D modeling and game mod communities to that point. Until the introduction of Gmax, and a similar 'game modeler' version of [[Maya (software)|Maya]] soon after, amateur modelers had extremely limited access to the tools needed for 3D artwork. Gmax enabled modelers to have legitimate access to content creation tools similar to those used by professionals.

===Redistribution===
Auran/N3V distributed Gmax from the outset as a licensed partner as an included part of the Trainz series of simulators, along with a document "Content Creators" manual, up through and including the release of Trainz 2004 Deluxe, after which they provided a download link in the many versions of TRS2006 before the technology became obsolescent.

Microsoft distributed Gmax with ''[[Microsoft Flight Simulator]]'' (MSFS) beginning with the 2002 version. Most of the freeware and payware add-on aircraft and scenery is created with Gmax and it's considered{{according to whom|date=April 2015}} to be the standard modeller for MSFS, although it does have competition in the form of the more user-friendly [[Fsds|Flight Simulator Design Studio]]. It can make use of special animations through [[XML]] coding written into parts.