Importing and Exporting 3DS Files

3DS is the 3D Studio Release 4 mesh-file format. You can import and export 3DS files from 3D Studio MAX.

When you import a 3DS file, you can merge the imported objects with the current scene or replace the current scene completely. If you choose to merge the objects with the current scene, you'll be asked whether you want to reset the length of the animation in the scene to the length of the imported file (if the imported file contains animation).

When you import a 3DS file, the following information is imported:

• Backgrounds (solid, gradient, and bitmap).
• Fog, Layered Fog, and Distance Cue.
• Ambient light level.
• Subtractive transparency is converted to 3D Studio MAX "Filter" transparency and the filter color is set equal to the diffuse color.
• Transparency falloff settings.
• All map channels that are enabled. Map channels that are turned off in the 3DS file do not import into 3D Studio MAX.
• All map parameters, including UV transforms, Negative, Mirror, and Rotation. Some Map Parameters such as Blur, Luma, RGB, and Alpha work much differently in 3D Studio MAX. These values are converted to new values that produce a similar affect.
• Mask bitmaps are imported as a 3D Studio MAX mask texture.
• When materials with both Texture 1 and Texture 2 are imported, a composite texture is created and added to the Standard material’s Diffuse channel.
• Reflection maps, auto-cubics, and mirrors.
• Automatic reflection map Nth frame and Map Size settings.
• SXP translation for Marble and Noise materials.
• 3DS/DOS IK joint parameters.
• 3D Surfer patch data.

When you import a 3DS file, the following information is not imported:

• Morph keys.
• Keyframer instances.
• Map channels that are turned off.
• Custom .cub-format cubic maps.
• Decal transparency using the RGB color of the upper-left pixel of the map.

When you import a PRJ file, all of the above items are imported, plus the following:

• Shapes

When you export a 3DS file, the following information is exported:

• Position, Rotation and Scale animation. If the controller is a TCB controller, the TCB, Ease In, and Ease Out values are also saved. If the controller is any other type of key controller, the keys are saved but the tangent information is lost. If the controller is not a key controller, only the object's transformation at frame 0 is saved.
• Basic material color/parameters from the Standard material.
• Single maps with their amount, offsets, scales, etc.
• Auto-cubics and Mirrors.
• Target cameras, target spotlights and omni lights.
• Most "static" parameters for cameras and lights, and animation tracks for Roll, Falloff, Hotspot, and FOV.

When you export a 3DS file, the following information is not exported:

• Composite and procedural maps.
• UV mapping coordinates.
• Grouped object transformations. There’s no concept of group hierarchy in the 3D Editor. Groups export to the Keyframer because the Keyframer understands hierarchies.
• Global shadow parameters.

When you export a 3DS file, the following occurs:

• All non-mesh geometry, such as procedural primitives and patches, are collapsed to meshes before export.
• Objects are exported as they exist on the frame 3D Studio MAX displays at export time. If you want to output morph targets, go to each frame and export the target to a different filename.
• Meshes are saved with edge display information and smoothing groups.
• 3D Studio MAX instances are saved as Keyframer instances.
• Modifier and morph animation is frozen at the current frame, collapsed, and exported as a simple mesh.

3D Studio Save-Selected Import Problem

There is a known problem in 3D Studio MAX Release 1 in which 3DS files that have been created by the 3D Studio Release 4 Save Selected method do not import correctly. To work around this problem, reload the file created with Save Selected into 3D Studio MAX and create a new file with the Save command. Then import this file into 3D Studio MAX.