As posted by Blizzard:

Support for the Art Tools?

Please note that Blizzard does not directly support the Warcraft III Art Tools, and the technical support staff will not be able to respond to any related inquiries. However, detailed and illustrated instructions on how to use the software are included with the download.

3d Studio Max

You must have a valid license for Discreet’s 3ds max 4 in order to use these art tools. We highly recommend that you use 3ds max version 4.26 with the service pack 1 fixes. Windows 2000 or Windows XP is suggested.

Where do I get 3ds max?

http://www.discreet.com/

If you're really interested in the tools, don't have 3ds max, and are a student, you should check with your local university or community college. Often these institutions will offer software packages like 3ds max at drastically discounted rates to students (including high school students in some cases) for educational purposes.

I don't want to have to buy 3ds max to use the Art Tools!

This update is intended for advanced map makers and modders. No one expects you to buy 3ds max. You may still benefit from its release because of content created by people who do have the program or are interested enough to obtain the software required to use the tools. Please accept the Art Tools in the spirit they were given.

Art Tools for Mac?

3ds max is not currently available for Mac, thus it is unlikely that the Art Tools will be released for Mac.

What exactly is included in the Art Tools package?


The art tools include the following plug-ins for 3ds max:

Model Exporter plug-in (ModelExp)
Warcraft III Material plug-in (War3bmtls)
Warcraft III Preview (SGView)
User Property Editor (UserProp)
Warcraft III Particle plug-in (BlizPart)
Warcraft III Ribbon plug-in (Ribbon)

Model Exporter Plug-in
You will use this plug-in to export your custom model. This plug-in handles converting the model from 3ds max data into data that Warcraft III can use. It also handles converting and exporting your model textures into the correct format for Warcraft III.

Warcraft III Material Plug-in
A material is a combination of render states (such as transparency, textures, and lighting); Warcraft III uses this combination to draw models on the screen. You will use the Blizzard Material plug-in to manage these render states. The Model Exporter also uses the Blizzard Material plug-in to export rendering information to an output file.

Warcraft III Preview
When activated, the Model Previewer opens a 3D window that displays your current model and animations in the same way that Warcraft III will display them. This tool allows you to more rapidly test your model and animations during development.

User Property Editor
Some information for Warcraft III models is stored in 3ds max user properties. You can use the User Property Editor to change these properties via a 3ds max rollout panel instead of typing them by hand.

Warcraft III Particle Plug-in
The Warcraft III Particle plug-in provides a custom particle system type. You will use this particle system in your models to create particle effects in the game. The plug-in has a large rollout panel with many parameters that alter how the particle effects look in Warcraft III. Many effects are possible by changing these parameters.

Warcraft III Ribbon Plug-in
The Warcraft III Ribbon plug-in provides a custom ribbon object type. You will use this object in your models to create trail-like ribbon effects. The plug-in has a rollout panel that includes many parameters for customizing ribbon appearance and behavior. Many effects are possible by changing these parameters.