Software Shader FX is FREE

[geldslaw]

Download ShaderFx 3.0 for free


Shader FX is a full-featured real-time shader editor for 3ds Max. It allows artists with no previous programming experience to build complex HLSL or CG FX shaders.

These shaders can be used inside the 3dsMax viewport, game engines or real-time (architectural) visualization.

Built inside 3ds Max, it offers a gradual learning curve.


Once you're happy with your results, you can use your shader in the 3ds Max viewport, or you can export your shader in the popular HLSL or CG FX format for use in other applications and game engines.

With Shader FX, artists no longer depend on external applications to get the effects they want. Finally artists have a tool that enables them to create stunning real-time shaders quickly and easily, and gives full control over the appearance of their real-time models. ShaderFX's powerful schematic interface lets you quickly assemble shaders that support complex effects such as parallax mapping, fresnel fall-off, and cube map reflection, all by simply connecting nodes together.

Your shader progress is displayed and updated in 3ds Max's viewport as you build the shader so you can always see your results in real-time.


- Compile shaders with shader model 1.1 to 3.0.
- Do vector math in tangent space or world space.
- Supports normal maps positive and negative Y.
- Support for both Y up and Z up environments.
- Shader performance and instruction count report.
- Export to: XNA, FXComposer, Quest3D, Virtools,
Ogre, DXSAS, CGFX and more.
- Create a whole world of shaders in one workspace.
- Insert custom HLSL code into the node tree.
- Multi-subobject material support.
- Entire creative process happens in one program.
- And much more...

[geldslaw]

by the way, it has been built with backward and forward compatibility in mind, it will work with version 6 - 2010 of Max, and has tutorials, not tried them as yet as I have only installed it but will give it a go in a few minutes, need to get coffee and have something to eat first