3ds Max 2024 - "-a <filename> - splash not working

[tagopinath]

Hello all,

I am trying to run 3dsmax.exe from command line.

in the previous versions (i used 2018 last), i can change splash.bmp so that it will display before loading.

Now, i am working with 2024 version and i am not able find splash.bmp in the folder.

Found in one solution in this forum, like, we can add -a splash.bmp in the target of shortcut file

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/3ds-max-forum/3ds-max-2022-custom-splash-screen-doesn-t-work/td-p/102...

But when i run the same with command line, its not showing image from splash.bmp, it shows the original 3ds max 2024 splash screen.

i am using command like this.

"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2024\3dsmax.exe" -a splash.bmp

i tried with some other flags, looks like it works.

Any suggestions ?

Regards,

Gopi.

[Diffus3d · Accepted solution]

The reason for this is because you are not running 3dsmax from the 3dsmax folder, you are running it from whatever your command shell default is.  (System probably.).   So, the path to the file is incorrect as you don't have a splash.bmp in your system folder.  The easy way to fix this would be to go to the 3dsmax folder before you run 3dsmax, then it should work.  

cd "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2024\"

3dsmax.exe -a splash.bmp

or, you could put the splash.bmp in the default cmd folder which is C:\Windows\System32.  That's probably not a great practice though. 

If you really need to run 3dsmax from the system32 folder for whatever reason, there is another workaround.  The -a command doesn't seem to like paths with quotation marks in it, which is the only way to communicate a path with spaces in it in the command line.  (At least, that I know.)  So, you can't just put the long path to 3dsmax in the splash.bmp in the command line argument because of the space in "Program Files".  However, you can drop the splash screen onto the root of any drive and use the path there since it has no spaces in the filename.  That would look like this:

"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2024\3dsmax.exe" -a C:\splash.bmp

I've tested all 3 of these and they are working, so let me know if you have problems.

Best Regards,

[tagopinath]

Thank you,

i tried all three, works fine. will use one suitable method.

Regards,

Gopi.

[Diffus3d]

Glad to hear it worked out and thanks for confirming!

Best Regards,