is there a way to package a max file for archiving so none of the paths are lost in the event of a sever name change. i have a bunch of files with hundreds of maps and since we have revamped our network all the map paths are gone so i would have to go through each and every material and locate them 1 by 1. if there is a way to package a max file so it is all located in one archived location and all the paths retain the archived location then i can start doing this. i know it will probably create redundancy but thats ok as long as the file can be reused years later.

please help. i hope i explained this good enough

3ds Max Design 2010/11/12, 64bit, Boxx technologies, dual quad core 2.8, nvidia quadro 4000, 20GB Ram, use mental ray for rendering, windows XP pro 64bit

File -> Archive

Help
>User Reference
>>Max 9 Reference
>>>Managing Scenes and Projects
>>>>File Handling Commands
>>>>>Asset Tracking
>>>>>>Archive

Note that you may still have problems “down the road” if a project uses a plugin and that project is later opened on a system without that plugin installed.

Max 4.2 through 2013.
XP-64 (SP2)
NVidia 9800GTX-512 (Driver 266.58).
Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz, 8Gb Ram, DX9.0c.

I am going to assume you are a Windows user so here goes.

Map a drive letter to the folder where your maps are located. For example:

Have drive Z on your computer map to the shared folder on the current server where the maps are located. Your network administrator should be able to do this for you. So your max file will point to the texture.jpg file as Z:\texture.jpg and not \\old_server\maps\texture.jpg

Now, if say 5 years later your network changed, you have a new server named \\new_server you can just have your Z drive point to \\new_server\maps so if max looks for z:\texture.jpg it will still find it.

Just take note to check in max under Customize -> Preferences, under the Files tab make sure the checkbox for “Convert file paths to UNC” is unchecked.

I hope this is well explained. :)

thanks for the tips. i will implement both of them.

3ds Max Design 2010/11/12, 64bit, Boxx technologies, dual quad core 2.8, nvidia quadro 4000, 20GB Ram, use mental ray for rendering, windows XP pro 64bit

You can also try Command Panel > Utilities > Resource Collecter (if you don’t see Resource Collecter, Click More and select it from the resulting list.) The Resource Collector copies all relevant files, rewrites the paths and puts them all in a single folder.

Bruce Hammond
e-nimation.com
Peterborough, NH USA

Max8-32 SP3, Max9-32 SP2, WinXP

note:
resource collector uses the same script as archive.
those do Not work if you use a plugin like Vray which uses custom maps and materials. Any location for maps within a custom map is completely ignored.
You can preview what will get archived by looking at the asset tracking under the main File menu. If a file is not listed there then chances are it will not archive/collect it.

If only autodesk would have written better access to the connection there…

thats great. i dont use any plugins other than rpc. so i dont see any issues. but does everything have to be bound (cad links, xrefs etc...) before doing any of this?

3ds Max Design 2010/11/12, 64bit, Boxx technologies, dual quad core 2.8, nvidia quadro 4000, 20GB Ram, use mental ray for rendering, windows XP pro 64bit

You’d do well to read about the Resource Collector in the User Reference.  Also has links to other options.

Bruce Hammond
e-nimation.com
Peterborough, NH USA

Max8-32 SP3, Max9-32 SP2, WinXP