Managing Scenes and Projects

These topics are concerned with managing 3ds max scenes, projects, and the files that make them up.

File-Handling Commands

The principal commands for handling files are found on the default File menu, as in most Windows applications.

File-Handling Utilities

Several utilities help you manage files:

The Asset Browser provides another way to find and preview files and use them in 3ds max scenes
The Bitmap Path Editor lets you view bitmap paths or remove them from the scene file.
The MAX File Finder is another resource for finding 3ds max scenes.
The Resource Collector copies or moves a scene's bitmaps into a single directory.

Geometry File Formats

You can import a variety of geometry file formats into a scene.

Image File Formats

You can use image file formats in a variety of ways: as textures for materials, as backgrounds to viewports, as background environments, as Image Input events in Video Post, and as images projected from a light.

RAM Player

You can preview images by using the View File command, or by using the more interactive RAM Player.

External References (XRefs) to Objects and Scenes

External references to objects and scenes are a powerful way to manage a project, especially when it involves multiple contributors.

Schematic View

Schematic View displays the scene as a graphic schema instead of as geometry. It gives you an alternate way to select or rename the objects in your scene, and to navigate among modifiers. It is especially useful for viewing objects in a hierarchy.