Issue:
When working with 3ds Max on a 4K monitor, the following behaviors occur:
- Certain UI elements, such as Bitmap Load buttons, may be missing from the Material Editor (either Compact or Slate)
- Certain UI elements are missing in the Modifier Stack. (for example, Visibility icons and SubObject drop-down lists for Object Modifiers.)
- The Modifier List extends below the monitor screen and items at the bottom of the list can no longer be scrolled to.
- Drop down menus do not activate.
Image: Visibility and Subobject drop-down icons missing in the 3ds Max Modifier Stack.
Image: Modifier Stack with Visibility and Subobject drop-down icons showing properly.
Image: Assign Controller missing from Motion tab
Image: Bitmap paths missing from the Compact Material Editor.
Causes:
Includes, but is not limited to:
- 3ds Max 2020 and above versions have not been updated.
- Windows scaling is set to more than 100%, truncating some 3ds Max UI elements.
- Windows Compatibility mode is turned on, or requires additional changes to the settings.
- Windows security software (anti-virus or firewall) is blocking various features of 3ds Max designed to load external files, such as bitmaps or even point cloud data (.RCP or .RCS files).
- Custom toolbars or scripts.
- 3rd Part Plug-ins.
Solution:
The following is a collection of the most up-to-date solutions available. The list is not complete, and the final solution may require one, or a combination of the following:
Update to the latest version of 3ds Max
Some incomplete UI issues that were present in 3ds Max 2020 were fixed in the 2020.3 update.
To address these issues, log into your
Autodesk Account > All Products and Services > 3ds Max > 2020 > Updates and Add-ons, then download and install the 2020.3 update. (For later versions of 3ds Max, download their latest updates as well.)
Note: 3ds Max updates are inclusive of the fixes and feature improvements found in the preceding updates. If there are three updates for any version of 3ds Max, download and install Update 3 only to include all the features of Updates 1 and 2.
For more information, see
Can't download 3ds Max 2021 updates from my Autodesk Account.
Update the Graphics Card driver
If the 3ds Max UI appears incorrectly there may be an issue with the current graphics hardware or drivers. To update the graphics card drivers, navigate to the manufacturer's website and search for the latest version available for the video card on the PC:
Change the Windows Display Scaling
- On the Windows Desktop, right-click to bring up the Properties menu.
- Choose Display Settings.
- Under the Scale and Layout section, change the scaling value to 150% or lower. 3ds Max UI will always appear correctly at 100% Window scaling for each monitor set this scaling factor.
- Restart the machine, or sign-out of Windows, to apply the changes
Change from 4K to HD Resolution
Should menu items still appear missing or truncated:
- Try reducing the display Resolution to 2560 x 1440, with a scaling of 150%.
Note: This should give the same relative icon size and viewport aspect as 4K with 225% scaling.
- Should the issue persist, reduce the Windows display to HD resolution (1920 x 1080 or 1920 x 1200).
Change the Windows Compatibility mode for 3ds Max
To change the compatibility modes for an application in Windows:
- On the Windows Desktop, right-click on the 3ds Max shortcut icon.
- Choose Properties.
- Select the Compatibility tab.
- Click the Change High DPI Settings button.
- In the next window, enable the following options testing for improvement after each:
- Program DPI: Use this setting to fix scaling problems for this program instead of the one in Settings. (Use the DPI when logged in to Windows.)
- High DPI Scaling Override: Override high DPI scaling behavior. Scaling performed by: System (Enhanced).
- Click OK and Apply to apply the changes.
- Restart the machine.
Configure or uninstall data protection software
Check for any anti-virus or firewall software that may be restricting 3ds Max features from loading external files, such as bitmaps (in the Material Editor menus) or point clouds. These programs' settings may result in certain 3ds Max icons failing to appear in the user interface, or to appear dimmed.
- Consult antivirus or firewall documentation to add exceptions to the 3ds Max executable file, then reboot the PC and test.
Remove or disable 3rd Party Plug-ins
A plug-in that worked in a previous edition of 3ds Max may crash newer editions.
Disable the plug-in for testing purposes, or remove it until the author recompiles the plug-in for the newer edition of 3ds Max.
Products:
3ds Max;
