What is the best way to make the terrain in 3D Studio Max?

To get a realistic terrain, I think it is better to use terrain compound object with contour lines. Also you can use some plugins to download terrain data .

If you want to make roads on terrains,TerrainAxe is a good choice.https://youtu.be/JG9AmbZZ0Ug

Terrain Compound Object 

Terrain compound object creates planet surfaces from a contour. 

Also, there are a number of Scripts and plugins work with 3Ds max which you could use, to create 3D Terrains.

The Terrain compound object creates planet surfaces from contour-line data.

• Select spline contours. >  Create panel >  (Geometry) > Compound Objects > Object Type rollout > Terrain
• Standard menu: Select spline contours. > Create menu > Compound > Terrain
• Enhanced menu: Select spline contours. > Objects menu > Compound Objects > Terrain

To produce a terrain, you select editable splines representing elevation contours and then click Terrain, whereupon 3ds Max generates a mesh surface over the contours. You can also create a "terraced" representation of the terrain object so that each level of contour data is a step, resembling traditional study models of land forms.

https://ruclip.com/video/8YBIK6Kbjaw/3d-studio-max-tutorial-how-to-make-road-on-terrain.html

Hi!

You can use several ways. 

The best way is to sculpt terrain you need using sculpting features in Graphite Modeling Tool inside 3ds Max. They are similar to Zbrush (Mudbox) brushes and help to move, scale, rotate, shift and so on your poly-mesh. Begin with low-poly mesh and then increase subdivision by applying Turbosmooth (Tesselate or similar mesh-subdividing modifiers). 

Also you can use displacement map in Displacement modifier above medium (or high) resolution map, that's rather quickly way to get 3d view of black-and-white terrain texture. White areas will be shifted up, black parts - down. 

There are scripts like SplineLand, that allow you to recreate 3d terrain from AutoCAD (if you have). 

Sincerely,

Ilya. 

am using displacement maps then u can controle it .

In Latest 3dsmax you can use Paint deform tools to model terrain surfaces easier.

it can found under freeform tab after you sect an editably poly object.

Hope it will help

there are many ways to make terrain in 3d max but i prefer using displacement maps