Q: I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a program that can take a complicated mesh and reduce the number of vertices it contains without losing too much detail?

A: There are two of them for 3DS DOS:

  • Optimize by Yost Group (Disk #7)
  • Imagine 3D Turbo by Schreiber Instruments (4Dvision)

    Both require R3 or higher to work.

    A demo of Optimize (can't save objects) can be found on my IPAS index page (Rendert**ls)

    Imagine 3D Turbo is Convertible Demo, that means all settings are permanent, and you have to buy a keycode from 4Dvision to unlock it. There is also a Manual for it on my site...

    BTW,MAX has the function built-in.