opening .MAX files

[Samir Kharchi]

.MAX is a parametric file format and cannot be opened by any other application except for MAX (maybe other discreet packages but not c4d).

[Simon Carlson-thies]

Get the file converted to .3ds, .fbx, or some other format then you should be fine…

Simon Carlson-Thies

[Yoondo]

Hey, thanks for the reply. What do I use to convert? Perhaps deep exploration? Thanks again.

[Simon Carlson-thies]

Hopefully you can get whoever made the file to save it to a useful format.. but if not check around…

Simon Carlson-Thies

[Michael Munkittrick]

PolyTrans can change it, but the Max file textures do not translate very well and often get either realigned or omitted completely.

Michael Munkittrick
Gainesville, Florida USA

[Adam Trachtenberg]

[Michael Munkittrick] “PolyTrans can change it, but the Max file textures do not translate very well and often get either realigned or omitted completely”
No, Polytrans can only convert a Max file if you have Max installed on your computer.

One option is to download the Max demo which is fully functional for 30 days.

[Michael Munkittrick]

I’ve never owned 3D Studio Max, but I can redily open projects and output them as 3ds files and thereby import them into C4D. Maybe it’s a fluke, but I have had to convert numerous Max files that are sent in to our studio from other studios. Maybe the Max-to-3ds transform is the link?

Michael Munkittrick
Gainesville, Florida USA

[Adam Trachtenberg]

[Michael Munkittrick] “I’ve never owned 3D Studio Max, but I can redily open projects and output them as 3ds files and thereby import them into C4D. Maybe it’s a fluke, but I have had to convert numerous Max files that are sent in to our studio from other studios. Maybe the Max-to-3ds transform is the link?”
Hmm, you’re talking about files with the .MAX extension? If so that’s contrary to everything I’ve been told.

[Michael Munkittrick]

Over the last few years, I’ve had to work with models created in a lot of different applications, so flexibility is the key if we’re going to make money. Last year I got no less than 20 full-blown .MAX scenes that I had never had any experience with. I’ve no idea if it supposed to work or not, but it does. I hate to say it, but I’ve been sucessfully changing .max files to .3ds files for quite a while now, and with the exception of the missing or shifted texture and shaders, they all seem to be intact.

As a side note, I just saw a guy 30 minutes ago do a demo with a tool named “Modo”, and it was CRAZY! It opened everything from .dfx files to .3ds files to .cob to .lwo objects without a hick-up. In fact, Modo opened a very, very detailed scene with about 60 animated elements in it more quickly than I’ve seen from any other package…ever. I asked for the tech-guys over at Okino Software to get some information about the PolyTrans package so I’ll update you when I get a response.

Michael Munkittrick
Gainesville, Florida USA

[Adam Trachtenberg]

I stand corrected then. Good to know.