If you have Max 2015 or newer you can use the "Select and Place" tool on the main toolbar to place objects on another mesh. For older versions of Max there's the Advanced Painter script, but I'm not sure if that works in any Max versions after 2012, so you might have to find something else if you're running Max 2013 or 2014.
Like Polyhertz was saying in the graphite modeling tools theres a tab called "Object paint" I dont know much about it but it does what you want and I know theres youtube tutorials on how to use it.
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For older versions of Max there's the Advanced Painter script, but I'm not sure if that works in any Max versions after 2012, so you might have to find something else if you're running Max 2013 or 2014.
I dont know much about it but it does what you want and I know theres youtube tutorials on how to use it.
http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/scripts/autoplace