Five apps
The same license opens .max files in SketchUp, Cinema 4D, Blender, Maya and Houdini, each with its own renderers. It also opens them in 3ds Max, if you have it.
Maya · V-Ray · Arnold · Redshift (beta)
Open .max files in Maya. No 3ds Max.
Moving a scene from 3ds Max to Maya usually means an FBX round-trip and rebuilding every shader. Oruva reads the .max scene itself and opens it in Maya as a native .ma file, with editable materials for V-Ray or Arnold.
14-day free trial10 conversionsNo credit cardAccount required
How it works
From .max to Maya. No export step.
- 01
Add your folder
Point Oruva at the folder that holds your .max files and their preview pictures. It connects each picture to its model.
- 02
Send to Maya
Right-click the picture, choose Send to, Maya, then V-Ray, Arnold or Redshift. Missing textures are listed before sending.
- 03
Edit natively
A native .ma scene opens with real, editable node materials. Anything approximated is listed in a report.
98.5%
of 335 .max files picked at random from a real 73,871-file model library converted in our October 2026 test. Anything approximated is listed in the conversion report.
What comes across
- Files saved in 3ds Max 2009 through 2027
- Native Maya geometry, object names and hierarchy
- Materials rebuilt as editable nodes for V-Ray or Arnold, with Redshift in beta
- TurboSmooth arrives as native subdivision; MeshSmooth, Shell, Edit Poly, UVW Map, Bend and Twist are applied
- Textures found by filename next to the .max, in nearby maps folders, or in a folder you add once
- Renderable splines, including Sweep, and V-Ray proxies (as regular geometry when the proxy file comes with the model)
Good to know
- Maya 2024–2027 on Windows today. Oruva for Mac is coming.
- Redshift in Maya is in beta: it works and is supported, with less real-world testing than V-Ray and Arnold.
- Forest Pack, RailClone and Corona proxies aren’t supported yet.
- Symmetry, Mirror, Chamfer and some other modifiers aren’t applied. Oruva uses the base mesh and warns you.
- Renders won’t always match 1:1. When a renderer can’t express something exactly, the report says so.
One license
More than a converter. Your whole library.
A library that finds things
Local AI tags and describes every preview, so you can search by words, colour or a photo. It runs on your computer.
Scenes built by ChatGPT or Claude
Give your assistant a photo or a sentence and it builds the scene with the models you own. Included with a paid license, on Windows.
Your options
Ways to open a .max without buying 3ds Max
| Option | Needs 3ds Max | Renderer materials in Maya | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oruva | No | Editable nodes for V-Ray or Arnold | $99 once (launch price) |
| 3ds Max plus an exporter | Yes | Depends on the exporter | 3ds Max is $2,010 a year |
| The model’s FBX or OBJ download | No | Lost; rebuild them by hand | Free |
| Browser converters | No | Basic values at best | Free |
Questions
Before you download
Do I need 3ds Max installed?
No. Oruva reads .max files on its own.
Which 3ds Max versions can it open?
Files saved in 3ds Max 2009 through 2027, including the older versions most model libraries still use.
Which Maya versions and renderers?
Maya 2024 to 2027 on Windows, with V-Ray or Arnold, and Redshift in beta. Oruva only offers renderers your Maya can load.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. Conversion runs on your computer. Your account is used for the license check only.
Does it work on a Mac?
Not yet. Oruva for Mac is coming.
What does it cost?
$99 once at the launch price, until 22 March 2027, then $149. It includes one year of updates, for one person on up to two computers. No subscription.
Try it on your own .max files.
Ten conversions, fourteen days, no credit card.