We’ve noticed that there have been a few issues and errors reported about 3DS Max, so we’ve outlined solutions below what we’ve come across.
Issue:
The Shape Map is leaving Tile lines visible in 3ds Max 2016 Extension 2 and 3ds Max 2017-2018
Causes:
Shape Map Alpha channels are set incorrectly, and the Fill Background feature is checked On.
Solution:
- In 3ds Max, open the Material Editor (either Compact or Slate) and check each material using a Shape Map.
- In each Shape Map type, check the Alpha button, using Image Alpha as the source.
- Turning off Fill Background also enables the textures to be applied as “decals” on the surface and prevent hard edge lines from showing up in your renderings. Works on Diffuse, Bump and other map slots.
- To scale the Shapes on the surface of scene objects, use the Shape Map’s U and V tiling features. Uncheck the Tile buttons to place a single, non-tiling copy on objects in the scene.
Issue:
After installing Extension 2 for 3ds Max 2016, the Vector Map, ShapeMap, TextureObjMask and TextMap types don’t appear in the Material Editor Browser (either Slate or Compact.)
Causes:
This is a known defect logged with Autodesk developers, although it wasn’t reproducible on most machines, and is not present in 3ds Max 2017 or 2018.
Solution:
If possible, upgrading to 3ds Max 2017 or 2018 will eliminate this issue.
To fix this problem in 3ds Max 2016, users must be comfortable making changes to their Windows registry.
Warning!
Problems caused by improperly editing the Windows registry could render your computer operating system unusable. Microsoft provides a wealth of critical information that you need to know about the registry in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. Use the Microsoft Registry Editor only at your own risk and only after backing up the registry as outlined for your operating system in the Microsoft article How to back up and restore the registry in Windows and in the related solution How to backup the system registry. Additional information about the registry is also contained in the Help topics in the Microsoft Registry Editor.
If so, then proceed with the following:
- Close 3ds Max, and in the Windows Start menu, type regedit. The Registry Editor appears.
- Navigate to the HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1935655697-515967899-682003330-13859\Software\Autodesk\3dsMax\18.0 key. (The exact numbers after the “S-1-5-21…” header may be slightly different on different systems.)
- Open the Plug-ins_ENU key. There should be a very long list of plug-ins.
- Scroll down to the textureobjmask.dlt key and delete it.
- Scroll down to the vectormap.dlt key and delete it.
- Close the Registry Editor, reboot the PC, then re-launch 3ds Max 2016.
- Open the Material Editor and the Material Browser. The Vector Map, ShapeMap, TextureObjMask and TextMap material types should now appear.
The above solution also works for the reported issue: After installing Extension 2 for 3ds Max 2016, the Vector Map, ShapeMap, TextureObjMask and TextMap types don’t appear in the Material Editor Browser (either Slate or Compact.
Issue:
3ds Max 2016-2018 cannot archive .ai or .pdf files loaded as Vector Maps
1. If the file path for the loaded .ai or .pdf file is “stripped” out in the 3ds Max Asset Tracking menu, the file no longer stays linked in the Material Editor and must be reloaded and re-linked manually.
2. Archiving the scene file using the File > Save As > Archive Feature, or the Utilities > Resource Collector will gather and zip up all bitmaps used in the scene, but will not include .ai or .pdf files.
Causes:
Both of these behaviors are logged as defects for the 3ds Max development team and are under review.
Solution:
1. Manually reload and re-link the .ai file in the Material Editor (browse to the new file location, using UNC paths, and re-link the file.)
2. Open the Archived .zip file and manually drag the missing ai file into the .zip archive to include it, the re-close the .zip file.
Issue:
Dragging a map layer above or below another layer in the 3ds Max 2017 Composite map type doesn’t “stick” — the dragged map snaps back to its original position when exiting the Composite map, then opening it again.
Causes:
This was logged as a defect by Autodesk developers, and was fixed in 3ds Max 2017, Update 2. It is also fixed in 3ds Max 2018.
Solution:
Log into your Autodesk Account > 3ds Max > Upgrades and Add-ons, then download and install Update 2 for 3ds Max 2017. This should fix the issue.
If the update isn’t available, one workaround would be to clone existing maps to create new layers, drag the desired maps into those layers and modify their Composite settings, then delete the redundant/undesired maps from the stack.
We hope some of the solutions to the reported issues we’ve outlined above assist you with any problems your having with 3DS Max. If you have or are having any other issues with any of your other products, you can contact us HERE
