Tim's Online Portfolio - Tutorials - Changing Multiple Texture Paths in 3ds Max Quickly and Easily

Tutorials > Changing Multiple Texture Paths in 3ds Max Quickly and Easily

Changing Multiple Texture Paths in 3ds Max Quickly and Easily

When using multiple machines to render an animation or still image, it's important that every computer has access to every texture in the scene. Unfortunately when working on a project there are usually always a few textures that can only be found on the computer you have been using. Texture paths can also be broken when working on a scene using a different computer.

There is however a brilliant tool built right into 3ds max to change multiple texture paths at the same time, and get them all pointing to the correct folder. It's a very good idea to always check for any texture path related issues before sending the job off to render.

Navigate to the Utilities tab in 3ds Max (the hammer) and click on 'More...'

A window will pop up showing a load of other utilities build into 3ds Max. Click on 'Bitmap/Photometric Paths' and press OK.

A couple of buttons will appear in the utilities tab under the name 'Path Editor'.

If you have textures in your material library that arn't in the material editor make sure you tick 'Include Material Library'.

Click on 'Edit Resources...'

A window will open displaying every texture in your scene.

Press the 'Select Missing Files' button. All textures that have missing paths will be highlighted.

Press the '...' button to the right of New Path and choose the folder where all the textures can be located.

Click on 'Set Path' and you will see that all the highlighted textures now have the new path.

If you are preparing your scene for network rendering, it's a good idea to select all texture paths and make sure they all point to a network shared texture folder.

Click on 'Select Missing Files' again and hopefully nothing will be highlighted. This means that every texture can be found and the paths have been set correctly.

Thank you for reading this, and I hope you will find it useful. Tim.

Comments - please feel free to leave a comment :-)

Aneel says:

11th November, 2009 at 6:49pm

I love you!

Tim - timsportfolio.co.uk says:

11th November, 2009 at 6:49pm

Erm... thanks.

naveen says:

11th November, 2009 at 6:49pm

great.. thanks :)

CelebrenIthil says:

11th November, 2009 at 6:50pm

I love you too! :D
Thanks a lot, this is so useful to know: you just saved my renders! :)

aas says:

11th November, 2009 at 6:50pm

gr8
it must be helpful thank you!
can you give me some tips on animation????

Anonymous says:

11th November, 2009 at 6:50pm

its really helpful dude keep it up thanks to help to new comer which is one for me too

Vishesh says:

11th November, 2009 at 6:50pm

thanks for the great tip. it will save alot of my time in the future.

cheers !!!

Rico says:

29th November, 2009 at 7:09am

Hi.. its very nice to share your knowledge with other..^.^.. this is my email..
Riconetz@hotmail.com/Riconetz@facebook.com... hope could be keep in touch..

ertaro says:

25th December, 2009 at 6:46pm

thanks =)

adi says:

11th January, 2010 at 1:00pm

simple and extremely useful.
thanks a lot!