by Marius Silaghi·Modeling
Images © Marius Silaghi. Used for product review; image policy.
Relax Pro earns its spot for tackling the two habits that make the standard Relax frustrating, volume shrinkage and border movement, while keeping smoothing consistent regardless of polygon size.
Relax Pro is a smoothing modifier for 3ds Max built by Marius Silaghi. It smooths meshes while holding onto their volume, in contrast to the standard Relax modifier, which shrinks meshes considerably. Setting it to slide vertices over the surface keeps that volume intact, so smoothing does not pull the model inward.
The modifier smooths in a resolution independent way, meaning areas made of large polygons receive the same amount of smoothing as areas of small polygons. Its smart border smoothing addresses a common weakness of the standard Relax by stopping borders from expanding or shrinking as the mesh is smoothed.
Where the smoothing lands can be driven by any selection type, soft selection or vertex colors, and smoothing groups give further control over the process. Relax Pro lists compatibility across 3ds Max releases from 2013 onward, with requirements extending to the 2025, 2026 and 2027 versions on 64-bit. A demo video is available.
Relax Pro is best for smoothing meshes in 3ds Max without the volume loss and border shrinkage of the standard Relax modifier.
Relax Pro is completely free to download and use.
Relax Pro lists compatibility with 3ds Max 2013 through 2024, and its requirements note support extending to the 2025, 2026 and 2027 releases, all on 64-bit versions. If you run any release in that range, the modifier fits your setup. For the most current compatibility details and to confirm your specific build, check the developer's page before installing. The supported range spans more than a decade of 3ds Max releases.
Relax Pro differs from the standard Relax modifier mainly in how it treats volume. Where the standard Relax shrinks a mesh noticeably as it smooths, Relax Pro can slide vertices over the surface so no volume loss happens. It also adds smart border smoothing, which stops the border from expanding or shrinking, a common problem with the standard Relax. On top of that, its smoothing is resolution independent, so large-polygon and small-polygon areas receive the same amount of smoothing.
Relax Pro lets you steer where the smoothing happens using any selection type, soft selection or vertex colors, so you can concentrate the effect on specific parts of a mesh. It also gives control over the smoothing process through smoothing groups. Combined with the smart border smoothing that keeps borders from expanding or shrinking, these controls let you decide which areas of the model the modifier affects and how strongly it works across them.
Relax Pro is listed as free here. Pricing and licensing can change over time, so for the current terms and to download the modifier, visit the developer's page maintained by Marius Silaghi. That page also carries requirements and version details, letting you confirm the tool matches your 3ds Max release before you install it. Checking there first is the reliable way to see the latest licensing arrangement.
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