3D Studio Max (or just Max) is a payware 3D computer graphics program by Autodesk (originally Discreet) that can be used for Halo asset creation. It is an alternative to Blender.

Max is the original 3D software used by Bungie and modders, with Max 5 documented in the 2003 HEK tutorial. For many years it was the only tool with exporters available for the HEK and H2V. Modern versions of Max are supported by the Halo CE Max Toolkit and FBX pipeline for H1 to H3.

Older Max versions

The Halo Custom Edition HEK originally included a limited plugin called Blitzkrieg. Community plugins like, Chimp, Bluestreak, and others later emerged to improve support.

Gmax was a freeware version of Max with a limited feature set, discontinued in 2005. The Chimp and Bluestreak plugins could be used to export JMS files from Gmax. TurboSquid no longer hosts Gmax as of 2021, but it was also used for custom content creation in Trainz and Flight Simulator 2004 so you may be able to find mirrors from those communities.