3ds Max add-in for Vault issue

[ForrestJudd]

Currently the 3ds Max add-in for Vault cannot recognize relative paths that reference locations outside the current Max project structure but that are still inside the Vault working folder.  This has been verified by product development, and if need be I can provide an Autodesk Support case number for reference.

This has implications if a user wants to configure their environment with all three of the following criteria:

1.  Allow users to define their own Vault Workspace in both 3DS Max and the Vault Client
   • This is definitely possible, though not necessarily a best practice
2. Organize their files such that each Max project is in a separate folder
   • Definitely possible and a best practice
3. Maintain a folder outside of the structure described in Item 2 above for common assets
   • Definitely possible and I believe a best practice
   • Requirement is that this folder be maintained in Vault and be accessed from the local computer, therefore it must be inside the local Vault workspace

I have confirmation from development that all three criteria can not currently be met by the 3DS Max add-in for Vault.  To meet all of these criteria:

• Relative paths must be specified for references located in the folder described in Item 3. 
• The Vault add-in for 3DS Max does not recognize files outside the current Max project location if relative paths are specified
  • Therefore absolute paths must be used
• That violates requirement 1, as users will not have the same workspaces (making the absolute paths incorrect from user to user)
• Specifying a shared Network folder for Item 3 is the only other alternative, and per customer requirement the folder specified in Item 3 above cannot be a shared network location.

To boil it down, if a relative path for a reference document in the Max scene is specified as ".\SomeFolder\Somefile.jpg" the Vault add-in can recognize it just fine.  However, if the reference document is specified as "..\Assets\SomeFolder\Somefile.jpg"  (meaning that the Assets folder is one level above the current Max project location, but still inside the Vault) then the Vault add-in doesn't recognize it as existing in the Vault.