Solution:
3ds Max can import to and export from a wide variety of industry-standard 3D file formats, as outlined in this article: 3ds Max Geometry File Formats.
For a more in-depth look at these formats, please note the following:
The 3ds Max .MAX file format
The native 3ds Max .MAX file format is a complete scene format, which contains all the components and references to scene contents within that file. As such, a .MAX file can only be opened directly by a compatible version of 3ds Max.
Backwards Compatibility
3ds Max 2021, for instance, should be able to load any .MAX file created in an earlier version of 3ds Max, but 3ds Max 2020 cannot open a 3ds Max 2021 file. However, 3ds Max can save legacy versions of 3ds Max scene files back three (3) versions by using the File > Save As command.
3ds Max 2021 can save files back to 2020, 2019 and 2018 formats, as shown in the following image. 3ds Max 2019 can save files back to 2018, 2017 and 2016, and so forth.
Import File Formats
3ds Max can import the following file types:
- Autodesk (.FBX)
- 3D Studio Mesh (.3DS, .PRJ)
- Alembic (.ABC)
- Adobe Illustrator (.AI)
- Catia V5 (.CATPART, .CATPRODUCT, .CGR)
- Autodesk Collada (.DAE)
- LandXML / DEM / DDF (.DEM, .XML, .DDF)
- Legacy AutoCAD (.DWG)
- Flight Studio OpenFlight (.FLT)
- Motion Analysis HTR File (.HTR)
- IGES (.IGE, .IGS, .IGES)
- Autodesk Inventor (.IPT, .IAM)
- JT (.JT)
- Catia V4 (.MODEL, MDL, SESSION, EXP, DLV, DLV3, DLV4)
- gw: OBJ-Importer (.OBJ)
- ProE (.PRT, .NEU, .G, .ASM)
- UG-NX (.PRT)
- Revit importer (.RVT) (can also use the File > Link to RVT feature to link to Revit files)
- ACIS SAT (.SAT)
- 3D Studio Shape (.SHP)
- SketchUp (.SKP)
- SketchUp (2015 and older) (.SKP)
- SolidWorks (.SLDPRT, .SLDASM)
- StereoLitho (.STL)
- STEP (.STP, .STEP)
- Motion Analysis TRC File (.TRC)
- Universal Scene Description (.USD, .USDA, .USDC)
- Autodesk Alias (.WIRE)
- VRML (.WRL, .WRZ)
- VIZ Material XML Import (.XML)
Export File Formats
3ds Max can export to the following file formats:
- Autodesk (.FBX)
- 3D Studio Mesh (.3DS, .PRJ)
- Alembic (.ABC)
- Adobe Illustrator (.AI)
- Arnold Scene Source (.ASS)
- Autodesk Collada (.DAE)
- Publish to DWF (.DWF)
- AutoCAD (.DWG)
- AutoCAD (.DXF)
- Flight Studio OpenFlight (.FLT)
- Motion Analysis HTR File (.HTR)
- ATF IGES (.IGS)
- gw: OBJ-Exporter (.OBJ)
- PhysX and APEX (.PXPROJ)
- ProE (.PRT, .NEU, .G, .ASM)
- ACIS SAT (.SAT)
- StereoLitho (.STL)
- LMV SVF (.SVF)
- Universal Scene Description (.USD, .USDA, .USDC)
- VRML97 (.WRL)
Link to AutoCAD, FBX or Revit Files
3ds Max can do "live links" to content created in AutoCAD and Revit. For more information, see Linking to AutoCAD, FBX or Revit files.
Send To Feature (Maya, Motion Builder, Mudbox)
Although 3ds Max cannot natively load files from Maya (.MB or .MA), Motion Builder or Mudbox, you can use the File > Send To feature to send a live link of a 3ds Max scene's contents to Maya, Motion Builder and Mudbox, respectively.
For more information, see
Sending Geometry to and from Autodesk Products.
Note: if encountering difficulties with the "Send To" feature, see the following:
3rd-Party 3D Conversion Tools and Plug-ins
Okino Software makes
Polytrans, a powerful program for converting between a large variety of 3D model types. Polytrans includes
plug-ins for 3ds Max allowing it to import and export to a larger variety of file formats than the native 3ds Max software.
