Troubleshooting .MAX 3d model conversions
Okay, so you want to convert a Max 3D model. Maybe you got your hands on the perfect model, maybe you purchased one. And maybe you thought you'd just convert it, and it'd be fine.
Let's cut this short: If you have a friend with 3ds Max, ask them to save it as an FBX or OBJ for you. If not, keep reading. We can solve this together.
And maybe you've tried everything. And it's just resisting. What's the deal with this format?
3ds Max files are special
Here's the deal. It's a proprietary format. Unlike USD or OBJ which are open, the Max format is pretty much a secret, and has been since it first saw the light of day all the way back in 1990. That's right, 35 years ago.
To make it worse, it's version-locked, meaning that files saved in a newer version of 3ds Max don't necessarily work in older versions. This speeds up development for Autodesk and probably also keeps the price tag down, but it's not always great for compatibility.
Finding out what to do
You don't need 3ds Max to convert a Max file, but it is the easiest way.
Grab a free trial of 3ds Max—or get it at a discount
If you have 3ds Max you're probably not reading this. But you may not realize that you can get download a free 30-day trial. So if you haven't done that before, this is a great option.
Get the discounted 3ds Max for indies (5x less)
If you or your project makes less than $100,000 you can get 3ds Max for $320, that's more than five times less than the regular price of $1,945 (prices are from April 2025).
Exporting your model from 3ds Max
- Set System & Display Units – avoids 0·01× or 100× scale errors in FBX/OBJ/glTF exports.
- Save an Incremental Backup - keeps a clean copy before any destructive edits.
- Reset XForm & Collapse Stack - removes hidden transforms and bakes modifiers so every DCC sees the final mesh.
- Relink / Collect Textures - prevents pink-shade models caused by missing bitmaps.
- Convert Materials & Bake Procedurals - translates proprietary shaders and freezes procedural maps so they survive export.
- Test-Export One Mesh - spot problems early before batch-processing dozens of scenes.
Using scripts to export from 3ds Max
Autodesk: Batch Export Objects from a Series of MAX Files
Without 3ds Max
If you don't have access to the app at all, you can still convert your model
Blender
There's a relatively new Blender plugin for importing 3ds Max files. It might not work for every single file, and you may have to adjust a few things, but worth a shot.
Some limitations are: animations, special shaders (like Arnold), procedural textures (will just be skipped), z-up/y-up mixed up, textures outside project folder, and so on. Most of these can be fixed by reexporting from 3ds Max. In some cases you don't need it, so your milage may vary here.
Blender add-on: Import Autodesk MAX (.max)
Tutorial: Import 3ds Max files to Blender with a free Add-on