Swapping Max files seamlessly?

Drav

Hi guys, I'm doing some work for a programmer that only really uses max for viewing and exporting, so he has next to no clue about the material editor, shaders etc.

I am trying to find an easy way of sending him a max file/zip with all the textures etc, and all he has to do it double click the file and Max finds all the textures, loads the shaders etc etc.

I am using the 3 point shader, but have talked him through getting that on his machine, so now I just need a way to point max to the same texture files on a different machine......he uses exactly the same version of max, so all should be ok there.

I feel really retarded asking for help on something that seems so simple, but i am terrible at the project organisation side of things, and its time I remedied this.



Any ideas?

Project file?

Farfarer

There's a way to set the absolute local paths to relative paths using the Asset Manager (burried somewhere in the file menu, I think).

That way so long as your textures are in a subfolder of the folder that contains the Max files, it should all load up.

Or you could set up a virtual drive to a certain folder and ensure you load in all the textures from there and load/save the Max files from there. That way you can dump it all into that drive and it'll find the right path wherever you've each got the virtual drive set up.

Although the 3PS shader would be installed once and separately.

pior

Yeah the latest Maxs have project folders, just like Maya. I find them not as good as the maya ones tho. You could always put the files at the root of a given drive ? That should work... (thats what I do myself .... everything in one 'CREA' drive, that I can easily swap around, I just need the drive letter to be consistent ...)

Good luck hehe

Drav

fantastic, thanks a lot guys!

Mark Dygert

Like Talon pointed out, you can use asset tracking to retarget paths "File > Manage > Asset Tracking, highlight the paths you want to retarget and click Paths > Set Path, browse to the path (you can also right click). It will be helpful if all the files are kept in the same folder so you only have one path to set.

This way you can keep your files in C:\my\crazy\project\art\ref\doodles\junk\hippie\fuel\ and he can keep his in C:\stuff
That way file and folder structure isn't a problem any more. It still helps to maintain some kind of folder unity but it isn't necessary.

Also use asset tracking to make sure all of your files are properly linked then use File > Save As > Archive which will gather and zip all the files connected to your max file (provided the links aren't broken).
I unzip the archives without paths so I get all the files in one folder, which makes using asset tracking that much easier if the file came from someone who uses a ton of different folders.

Drav

Vig, just used the archive function.....Wow, the time I've wasted gathering files, making zips and so on. Thanks for the help!