3ds max file turning Auto Backup off

Davision3D

I have this prolem with a few of my 3ds max files that when i open one of these that it turns off the" Auto Backup Enable" tick box. Since 3ds max was never a stable programm this is a big issue for me, all crashes counted together i might have already lost days worth of work. Merging everything into a clean new file doesnt help either. I cant make any sense of it but maybe someone here knows what it could be? Im using 3dsmax 9 SP2.

Mark Dygert

max9 wow... I dunno. But you could copy this maxscript into maxscript editor, then highlight and drag it into the toolbar to create a button that turns it on and off, it will tell you in the lower left if its on or off. Feel free to adjust the orange numbers to your liking.

if autosave.Enable != true then (
    autosave.Enable = true
    autosave.NumberOfFiles = [COLOR=DarkOrange]15[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOliveGreen]--number of files before it starts overwriting[/COLOR]
    autosave.Interval = [COLOR=DarkOrange]20[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOliveGreen]--min between intervals[/COLOR]
    autosave.filename = maxfilename [COLOR=DarkOliveGreen]--The autoback name will match your file name plus the standard 00, 01, 02 ect...[/COLOR]
    print "On!" [COLOR=DarkOliveGreen]--Tells the user its on[/COLOR]
)
else (
    autosave.enable = false
    Print "Off!" [COLOR=DarkOliveGreen]--Tells the user its off[/COLOR]
    )

I can't think of a way to turn all this on automatically when you load a file or launch max. I hope there is a more permanent solution and I'm just not thinking of it right now. But this would save you from having to dig thru a bunch of menus to get it on/off.

Davision3D

thx for the script! But yea if it would automatically get turned on everytime i load a file it would be great.

monster

That sounds like an ugly problem. Working from Vig's script, you can put the function inside a general event callback so that it runs automatically every time a file is opened.

Save this code to a new text file named EnableAutoback.ms. And put it in the Max\Scripts\Startup folder. Like Vig said, feel free to change the settings. I changed them to my settings for testing. BTW, you need to restart max after saving the file.

[COLOR=DarkOliveGreen]--MAKE THIS FUNCTION GLOBAL[/COLOR]
global EnableAutoback

[COLOR=DarkOliveGreen]--A FUNCTION THAT TURNS ON AUTOBACK[/COLOR]
fn EnableAutoback = 
(
    if autosave.Enable != true do
    (
        autosave.Enable = true
        autosave.NumberOfFiles = 20 --number of files before it starts overwriting
        autosave.Interval = 10 --min between intervals
        --autosave.filename = maxfilename --The autoback name will match your file name plus the standard 00, 01, 02 ect...
        autosave.filename = "AutoBackup"
        format "Autoback Enabled\n" --Tells the user its on
    )
)

[COLOR=DarkOliveGreen]--REGISTER THE FUNCTION TO LOAD EVERYTIME A FILE IS OPEN[/COLOR]
callbacks.addScript #filePostOpen "EnableAutoback()" id:#EnableAutobackScript

Davision3D

Thx, that script is just not working for my problem files, they still turn it off but every other file that i open after it turn it on again which is already a big help. Maybe it could work if there could be delay before the script runs? But then again i have no idea how max script works.

monster

Try changing the callback from #filePostOpen to #filePostOpenProcess. I'm not sure that will work though.

Would it be possible for you to upload the file? Autoback isn't usually a setting that is saved per file. You could also try a demo of a newer version of Max to see it still happens.

Davision3D

That script tweak didnt change it. I tried opening some of the files with 3ds max 2009, it always freezes while loading. I guess the files are corrupted in a very strange way. I Couldnt imagine either how the autoback setting is connected to the files but with 3ds max bugs everything is possible i guess. Atleast i dont need to work much anymore in these corrupted files.

Mark Dygert

startup folder... callback...
/forehead slap =P
Nice one Monster!

Davision, that's freaky and I agree its probably max being max. If I had to guess they where files that crashed at some point. Disabling autoback sounds like something they would do when saving or trying to crash max gracefully. It probably stuck hard and won't let go. I know you said you merged the files into new scenes but can you do something like export to obj and import that? Or is there more to the scenes than just meshes?

Either way good luck! Hopefully it will all be over soon...

Davision3D

The max files are all game levels, lots of intances, groups, layers etc, so exporting wouldnt help really. I managed to merge some of the assets that i currently need into a new file without getting the bug. I just continue doing it like that and hope i dont get it again.