Managing 3d model assets

[Nats]

Hi I am new to 3dsmax and having a problem with some asset models that I have used in a scene. I created this scene a while ago and since then have updated my computer and reinstalled max. When I now go into the scene I get a message saying all the assets have missing textures. I have re-set my project folder correctly and also added all the asset folders of the models (in a separate library folder at the moment) as user paths. I was wondering if I should copy all the models into me project folder rather than leaving them in my library as I have presently? Or should I leave them in the library and just change some other max setting?

 

I was wondering what professionals do with their 3d models? These ones are of boats that have been created by other people but I will shortly be also wanting to get some cars and people into my model as well. Is it better leaving all these 'standard' models in a library where they will no doubt be used on several jobs. Or are they better copied into the project folder of any project I use them on. That would increase the disk space required quite a bit I would think and if I ever want to change them I would have to change every one in every project so I cant see that being very sensible?

 

Any advice would be really appreciated thank you.

[datacrasher]

Nigel

You're texture should be where you placed them still to my knowleadge if you re-install max, max will not removed them from the folder unless you deleted the folder into you're Recycle Bin open it and restore them if you have not empty it. if you have i don;t think there is anyway to get them back. or you have moved them to another location. if you backup your model and textures then you should still have them on dvd/cd somewhere.

 

of course you can copy your model into another folder if you want too just use the save as button in the file menu.

 

i useally burn my models and texture onto a dvd so i have a backup just incase windows or max crashes.

 

if models are create by other people and you want to use them in your scene then i would email the creaters and ask them, if they are free then it should be ok. due to the copyright law i would email first before you use them. if you brought them unless there is a readme file saying you can use them if not i would get contact before using them

Edited January 16, 2012 by datacrasher

[Dave Buckley]

Try asset tracking to help max relocate the moved texture maps.

[Nats]

Tis ok - it seems to have found them, changed from Relative back to Absolute and it found them when I restarted Max. I had a look at Asset Tracking and it said 'found' after all of them so maybe that did it. Anyway its ok now. I thought it might have been the fact the Library was in my My Documents folder that was causing the problem but obviously not.

[id_ivan]

Hi.

I've been struggle with your problem too and IMHO, there's no way I can avoid duplicated textures/objects from happening. From a point of view, yes it is a wasted in term of disk usage, but another advantage which important is you would never lose any reference you've made before, in case reinstall/reconfiguration happened.

 

For now, I made copies of each textures/objects i used in it's own directory under its specific project directory. Bitmaps goes to "maps" subdirectory, proxies goes to "vrayproxies" and so on. When i finished the project I compressed them into single .rar file and burn them to the archive. This way, I wouldnt worry about losing the "authenticity" in the future. This archives is ready to reproduced the same way they were before, regradless where i put textures and/or another reference in the future.

 

I also want to note one thing. If you did the "File > Archive" (which is the sum of what i explained), watch your zipped content. In many cases, if I have two different textures with the same name, 3ds Max would grab the first it found in its registered path (system path, user path) rather than the specified bitmap slots directory. I'm still using 3dsmax 9 though, this bug probably have been fixed in higher release. It would give you heart attack if you ever found out unwrapped bitmap replaced with standard 3dsmax "cement.jpg", wouldnt it? )~