3dsmax custom menus

cw

For some reason 3dsmax.ini is not getting the new menu file when I save my ui.

Anyone else have this before (Per?)

3dsmax2012 - pu5, here's the bit in the ini which refuses to update. I'm gonne change it manually to see if that works.

[CustomMenus]
FileName=C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2012\UI\MaxStartUI.mnu

It should be pointing at 'myui.mnu'

GeeDave

Edit
Shit, no hang on... the below advice is sort of wrong. That saves out the Quad Colour scheme, the .qop extension.
/Edit

If I remember correctly you need to tell it to make your .mnu the default startup one. For example I had "GeeD_Quads.mnu" and it works just fine. I assume the .mnu is for quads? I save out all my UI stuff and the only .mnu extension I have is for my quads. I wonder how many more times I can say "quads" in this paragraph? Quads.



Edit
Although, it's interesting that my .mnu isn't named the default name, and it still works correctly for me.
/Edit

Mark Dygert

GeeDave, it saves out multiple files for each of the tabs, kbd, clr, cui, mnu, qop, bpr bla bla bla... I'm pretty sure the save startup feature in the advanced quad menu option will only save the mnu =/ You probably need to manually save the others as maxstart to get them to work. Or get it all set up the way you like and then close and relaunch max. It saves the UI each time it closes, but doesn't when it crashes. So if you make changes to the UI close and relaunch max because if it crashes your new UI changes are toast. I totally agree with GeeDave back up that stuff. I put it in my dropbox, it never fails when April rolls around I'm updating 2-3 machines, its a pain in the ass, thank you subscription!

But saving all those maxstart.XXX files introduces another problem, where do you save maxstart.mnu and all the others? They keep copies of the default max files all over the place, in the root directory of max, in the users/app data/local/autodesk/max, in your my documents folder... in a bunker hidden under a Swiss bank, its a mess...

I think they do this because different systems configurations don't allow access to various files so they seed them in places that you will be able to save/modify them. When max loads it checks all of these places and figures out which one to load. There is a hierarchy to it and I think the max root directory is king over all other, if you have access to it...

The horrific thing is that when you save over one it doesn't update all the rest so its easy to think you have a "maxstart" file in the right spot but then accidentally load an old one from another spot. To add to the convenience, confusion and pain max saves whatever UI you have to a super secrete default location (I think in users/app data/local, but I don't remember off the top of my head).

Yea its a mess they haven't fixed in a very long time and they REALLY need to sort it out. I remember it making it up pretty high on a "FIX THIS SH!T" list last year so who knows maybe they'll get around to it for 2014... which if they keep to their schedule will release in April 2013.


Don't get me started on the dark icon schemes from UI's saved from older versions of max bringing back the old colorless icons when you load an old UI... GAWD its a mess... Especially if you're on subscription and have to update every April...

I always like to start my mornings off with a big bowl of max's sour grapes, ha... yea off to work.

GeeDave

Mark Dygert wrote: »

do you know if it saves the entire UI or just the quad menu? If its the whole menu that was a stupid place to put it... If it doesn't save the entire UI, why don't the other tools have that feature? Or do they expect you to use the Customize > Load/Save UI menu to do save the whole thing?

I'm pretty sure it just saves the colour scheme of the quad menu, I have no idea why it's buried there... on one hand, it sort of makes sense "this is the quads tab, sort out your quad related stuff here" but on the other hand it was confusing as hell because I was searching through the normal Colors tab for ages trying to change my quads. Feels "tacked on" I guess.

So, just to clarify for anyone who's a bit lost. You save out your ".mnu" from the Quads or Menus tab (can anyone confirm if these are the same file?) which just deals with the bits you've added or removed from the menus, and the ".qop" is literally just for the colour scheme of the quads, which seems to be separate from Max's global colour settings.

Edit

GeeDave, it saves out multiple files for each of the tabs, kbd, clr, cui, mnu, qop, bpr bla bla bla... I'm pretty sure the save startup feature in the advanced quad menu option will only save the mnu =/ You probably need to manually save the others as maxstart to get them to work.

I'm not the OP by the way , I'm not having any issues and for whatever reason all of my UI files are uniquely named and they work on startup just fine. OP seems to be having trouble with this though, likely from what you were talking about with various files in various locations.

Mark Dygert

GeeDave wrote: »

I'm not the OP by the way , I'm not having any issues and for whatever reason all of my UI files are uniquely named and they work on startup just fine. OP seems to be having trouble with this though, likely from what you were talking about with various files in various locations.

Yea sorry about that, that wasn't all aimed at you, I answered my own question and was editing my post when you replied, of course the edit still looks like I was replying to only you, so... yea sorry about that.

I only meant to point out (to you) that it might only save out the .mnu file.

The rest was aimed at the OP in case he was tinkering with the other bits (keyboard, toolbars, main menu ect) then he will need to manually manage those and that gets messy (see long rambling rant above, heh).

cw

For reference, fixing it in 3dsmax.ini works for me in 2012, shame it doesnt update properly via the UI but hey, just one more for the list.

monster

A guy at work had this problem. He needed to Run As Administrator for Max to save settings. I just turn of UAC in Windows 7 to avoid permission issues.