Autodesk 3ds Max vs Kerf

Autodesk 3ds Max is Windows desktop software for 3D modeling and animation. It is aimed at 3D generalists, modelers, animators, and look development artists working on game development, film and television production, and design visualization. Modeling tools include Smart Extrude, high-quality Booleans, and ReForm retopology. CAT and Biped provide rigging and character-animation setups. A built-in renderer and Arnold integration support rendering, while 3D print export handles output for physical production. Integrated OpenUSD support is intended to improve collaboration. Scripting and plugins such as tyFlow, thinkingParticles, and ForestPack extend the application. Flow Retopology moves mesh operations to the cloud, and Flow Studio can launch inside 3ds Max to send footage-derived elements through USD. It runs on Microsoft Windows 10 and 11. A free 30-day trial is available; paid subscriptions are $255 a month, $2,010 a year, or $6,025 a year billed every three years.

Kerf is a free, open-source CAD workspace that runs on the user's own machine and supports work across 37 engineering domains. Users can describe design changes in plain language or use the Python kerf-sdk and JSON-RPC API. Mechanical design tools include constraint-based sketching, parametric feature history, validated B-rep geometry, drawings, and persistent face references. The workspace also includes FEM analysis, topology optimization, SPICE and RF analysis, CAM toolpaths, and G-code output. Listed outputs include STEP, STL, 3MF, IFC4, Gerber, PDF, DXF, BOM CSV, Touchstone, GDS-II, and firmware binaries. The site describes workflows for mechanical and electronics engineers, BIM architects, jewelry designers, and other engineering users. Kerf runs locally without accounts and keeps Git history for file revisions. Workshop content can be used offline once pinned. Installation options include source or Docker, with release archives listed for macOS arm64, macOS x64, and Linux x64; source installation requires Python 3.11 or later. The chat workflow can use a bring-your-own LLM; no bundled model or paid hosted plan is listed.