Long load or save times when opening older scenes or Xref scenes in 3ds Max 2017 and 2018

Autodesk Support

Oct 8, 2023

Products and versions covered

Issue:

Older 3ds Max scenes (2016 and prior) may take 3x as long to Load, Save or work with 3ds Max 2017 and 2018 than in previous versions. This includes update times during Auto-Save intervals.

Loading older scenes containing XRefs may take up to 6x longer than previous versions.

Causes:

Slow file resolution in newer versions of the program using older scene files can be caused by: 
  • 3rd-party plugins that have not been recompiled for 3ds Max 2017 or 2018.
  • Non-existent servers/server shares specified for assets within the scene.
  • Mis-matched Unit scales.
  • Excessive bitmap file reloading when dealing with scene and object Xrefs can cause scenes to load much slower than in 3ds Max 2016 or earlier.

Solution:

Possible resolutions to decrease Load and Save times in 3ds Max 2017 to present versions would be:
  1. Install the most recent update for the 3ds Max version used.
    • Slowdowns in loading older 3ds Max scenes (2016 and prior) which use XRefs has been addressed in updates for 3ds Max 2017 and subsequent versions.
  2. Plugins used for 3ds Max 2016 need to have been recompiled by the manufacturer for 3ds Max 2017 and 2018.
    • Note: This is due to the SDK change from 3ds Max 2016 to 2017 and 2018.
  3. Re-path assets so all file paths have been resolved or are using UNC pathing.
  4. Keep bitmap paths/directories under the 256 Windows character limit. Shorter file paths will resolve faster, as there are less characters in the path to inspect upon reload.
  5. Set Unit scales to be congruent with older versions.
    • Note: When a file with a mis-matched Unit scale is opened, a dialog will appear asking to scale the scene to match the System Units for that Max version being used. Additionally, there is an option to keep the Unit setup from the original file.

Products:

3ds Max;

Versions:

2017; 2018;

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