Perhaps you are open to using Sketchup.

a better explanation of what you are trying to achieve, an example?

there are several Rhino tools

http://www.rhinoterrain.com/

http://en.wiki.mcneel.com/default.aspx/McNeel/PointsetReconstruction.html

what i like to do is just stepping with extruded flat planes using the topo lines themselves and apply a cardboard corrugated textures to the edge faces

vertical slices?

Antisthenes,

Did you mean something like that? But how do you imitate the long sides of the cardboard? ;)

if you wanna use max there are plenty of tutorials out there

http://www.kxcad.net/autodesk/3ds_max/Autodesk_3ds_Max_9_Reference/terrain_compound_object.html

good if you already have cad lines