Working with Assets
Add assets to 3ds Max projects and download media from partner locations using the following techniques.
To import an asset into 3ds Max:
- Position the two application windows on your monitor(s) so that both Asset Library and
3ds Max are visible.
- In the Asset Library window, use the Navigation panel to find the file to be accessed or imported.
- Set one of the following import options:
- Drag the file onto any viewport and release the mouse button.
- Click anywhere in the viewport to add the asset to the 3ds Max scene. If Object Paint is enabled, click to add further copies to the scene.
When dragged into 3ds Max:
- 3D objects appear at the position clicked after the mouse button is first released. For objects added with the Object Paint option enabled, clicking adds further copies.
- 2D images and videos pop up a dialog box asking whether to apply the file as a viewport background and/or an environment map.
- Scripts are immediately run.
To import compatible image files into the Material Editor:
- In the Compact Material Editor, drag the file from the Asset Library to a sample slot.
- In the Slate Material Editor, drag the file to the Active View area. A bitmap node is created.
To download assets locally from a partner location:
- In the Asset panel, click the Download button on a thumbnail. In List view, right-click the asset and choose Download.
The file is saved to the Downloads folder.
Note: You will need to sign into an A360 account in order to begin downloading. Partner sites such as Creative Market must also be connected to this account. For more information, see the Menu Bar section in
Interface Overview.
To add a location:
- In the Locations panel, click the + icon.
- Select the Location folder from the dialog.
To delete a location:
- In the Locations panel, select the location to delete.
- Click the Trash Can icon, or right-click the location and choose Remove from Favorite .
Note: When deleting locations from the Asset Library, the source files and folders are not affected. Partner locations and the Downloads folder cannot be deleted.
To view a local file or folder in Windows Explorer:
- Right-click a location in the Navigation panel and select Show in Explorer. In the Asset panel, hover the cursor over a thumbnail and click the Show in Explorer button. If in List view, right-click the asset and choose Show in Explorer.
Working with Collections
Create, share and import collections as follows:
To create a collection and add assets:
- In the Collections panel, click the + icon.
- Type a name for the new collection, if desired.
- In the Locations panel, navigate to a location.
- From the Asset panel, drag and drop an asset directly onto a collection in the Collections panel.
- Repeat to add more assets to the collection.
You can also right-click assets and choose either Create Collection From Selected or Add Selection to Existing Collection.
To share a collection:
- In the Collections panel, right-click the collection.
- Choose Share Collection.
An email is created with the file attached.
To save a collection to another location:
- In the Collections panel, right-click the collection.
- Choose Save Collection.
- In the Save As dialog, navigate to the desired folder and click Save.
To import a saved collection:
- In Windows Explorer, navigate to a saved collection file (.3dsmal).
- Drag the file into the Collections panel.
Note: All collection files are assigned a collection ID number when created. This collection ID persists even when the collection name is changed. If you share a collection or save it to another location, change the name, and then import it back into Asset Library, you will overwrite a collection with the same ID even though the name has been changed.
To delete a collection:
- In the Collections panel, select the collection to delete.
- Click the Trash Can icon.
Note: When deleting collections from the Asset Library, the source files are not affected.
Performing Special Searches
You can search for files containing specific properties by entering strings in the Search field using the following syntax:
<property>: <optional search term> <optional number>
Search properties for Max files:
- build
- cameras
- faces
- helpers
- lights
- objects
- render
- shapes
- version
- vertices
Search properties for image files:
- density
- depth
- height
- helpers
- label
- quality
- width
Special searches are supported for the following image file types: bmp, png, tif, jpeg, jpg, jpe, tga, gif,tiff, vda, icb, vst, dds, rla, exr, fxr, hdr, psd, rgb, rgba, sgi, int, inta, pic, bw, cin.
Supported search terms:
- more than
- less than
- >
- <
- <max file version> (for version property only)
- <max saved as renderer> (for render property only)
- <max file build version> (for build property only)
Examples:
- To find files containing more than ten thousand faces, type:
faces: > 10000
- To find files containing exactly four lights, type:
lights: 4
- To find files saved with 3ds Max 2017, type:
version: 2017
- To find files saved with the ART renderer, type:
render: ART
Wildcard characters such as * and ? may be used with all search strings.
Using the Preview Panel
You can view metadata, manage thumbnails, and toggle the display type in the Preview panel.
Customizing Thumbnails
You can add, remove, and set default thumbnails for selected assets in the Preview panel.
To add a thumbnail:
- Right-click the thumbnail area of the Preview panel.
- Choose Add Thumbnail.
- Select a thumbnail and click Open.
To remove a thumbnail:
- Right-click the thumbnail to remove.
- Choose Remove Thumbnail.
To set a thumbnail as default:
- Right-click the thumbnail to remove.
- Choose Set as Default Thumbnail.
Toggling Thumbnail and Texture Map Display
You can display either thumbnails or texture maps for a selected asset.
To toggle between thumbnails and texture maps, do one of the following:
- In the Preview Panel, right-click the large thumbnail and choose Toggle Thumbnails or Texture Maps.
- In the Asset panel, right-click an asset and choose either Thumbnail Preview Display or Texture Map Preview Display.
Tag Editor
Use the Tag Editor to add searchable tags to your assets. To save time, you can also copy and paste entire sets of tags directly from the Asset panel.
Tag Editor
To add a tag to an asset:
- In the Asset panel, move the mouse over a thumbnail and click
, or right-click an asset and choose Edit Asset Tags.
The Tag Editor opens.
- Type the desired name into the tag field and click Add. You can also press Enter.
- Repeat the procedure to add more tags.
- Click Exit to finish.
To remove a tag from an asset:
- In the Asset panel, move the mouse over a thumbnail and click
, or right-click an asset and choose Edit Asset Tags.
- Click the X on the tag that you want to remove.
To remove all tags from an asset:
- In the Asset panel, right-click an asset and choose Remove Asset Tags.
To copy and paste tags:
- In the Asset panel, right-click an asset and choose Copy Tags.
- Right-click another asset and choose Paste Tags.
Managing Dependencies
You can manage dependent files for each asset by right-clicking the entry in the Asset panel and choosing Manage External Dependencies. A dialog will open where you can view the files and resolve the location of any missing items.
You can change the path of missing dependent files or redirect found items to a new version of the same file in a different location. Please note that the Max file will be overwritten with new information. If the file is also open in 3ds Max, inconsistencies can be introduced. Editing object xref dependencies is not suggested for the same reason.
For more information, see
Managing External Dependencies.