3D Max 2009 - File open failed

JostVice

hello there, today I was going to get back to my scene where i've been working for a few weeks and I discover that 3dmax says 'File open failed'

I usually open the files from the 'Open recent' menu, so I closed max, went to the folder it is in, and tried opening it. Same error

I started a new scene, went to the open dialog and to open the file (Note, the usual thumbnail didn't appear ) for the same error. I tried merging too, same error.

No autobacks as I've been working on other stuff, no other saves... I've lost it? any solution?

this is the kind of stuff that totally kicks your inspiration :thumbdown:

aesir

Always save in iterations. 01 02 03 04 05. Sorry dude

renderhjs

had the same not to long ago and I blamed max2010 back then for it. My speculations were:
- RAM full, scene data got due to heavy rendering so the file could not be saved proper (my scene was like 700MB large)
- disc failure: with network or usb drives for example or some bad or broken hd'seven

even I did not succeeded with merging or trying to open it in other and so I have been way more careful after that. In addition to autobackup (which does not always makes sense with huge scenes) I try to work with xRef scenes when rendering big scenes (by splitting up stuff) and convert high density poly objects to Mesh objects so they eat less RAM with renderings.

sucks but you learn from such situations

Mechadus

I get that error pretty frequently at work with Max8 - usually if you start a new scene, then File --> import and select the corrupted file you can import the meshes into the new scene. usually when max corrupts a scene (max8 anyway) its one object thats messing the entire scene up. If you import object by object, or in small groups, you can usually narrow down the specific object that corrupted the scene and salvage the rest.

Sorry about your luck, but like aesir said - save iterations like a crazy monkey.

-N!

JostVice

Thanks everyone, I will work in the projects stuff (Didn't have any idea) and be saving in iterations... and yeah, when I was working in big big scenes I had to turn off autoback, 2 minutes to save the file is annoying

Importing gives a 'no import module found' or something like that error.

Edit: Would anyone explains what would defining project do? it will save autobacks not overwritting for the scene?