Crash when importing materials from .max file via “Open Material Library” in SME

[Spejlvendt]

I’ve encountered an issue with the Slate Material Editor (SME).

When I select Material/Map Browser Options → Open Material Library... and choose a .max file, 3ds Max immediately crashes.

In older versions of 3ds Max, this worked and was a very useful feature that I used frequently to quickly access and reuse materials from other .max projects.

It seems that this functionality is now broken, as selecting a .max file consistently causes 3ds Max to crash.

Can anyone confirm whether this is a known issue or if this functionality has changed in newer versions of 3ds Max?

Thanks!

[A娘]

you should aware what you select is not a valid file , it's 0 kb

[Spejlvendt]

Yes, I know. It's just an empty text-file renamed to *.max for the screenshot.

[Casey_H_]

Always a good idea to include the update version of Max you are using when an issue is occurring. 

That said, I can confirm there is an issue with this procedure in 2025.3.4. This is what happened when I tried to pull materials from a .max file through the SME. 

I had to force quit Max to disengage from the endless error dialogue as closing the top one a new one takes its place. 

However, after restarting Max I switched to the Compact Material Editor (CME) and the procedure worked fine. Luckily, it is easy to switch between the editors.

Edit: Just wanted to share an alternate method. At some point I started putting cubes into my scenes and applying my materials AND UVW Maps to them. This way I can simply use Merge to grab the mat-cube that I need and it comes with UVW Maps for all of the materials. I keep a master file with all of the cubes and update it as needed.

[Spejlvendt]

Yes, you're right — sorry about that. The version is 2027.2 (see attached screenshot).

This has actually been an issue in previous versions for some years now. I know because it's been one of the first things I've checked whenever installing a new version of 3ds Max, hoping it had been fixed.

I finally decided to report it, as this used to be a very useful feature in my workflow.

[Spejlvendt]

And thanks for the workaround — much appreciated! 🙂

[lauri_barnhart]

Welcome to the community, @Spejlvendt.

Hope you are well. It sounds like you found a workaround through one of the replies above. Would you be willing to mark that reply as the accepted solution by clicking on the 'Accept Solution' button on that post? 

Best,

[Spejlvendt]

Hi Lauri,

Unfortunately, after some further testing, it turns out that the workaround does not solve the issue after all.

It seems to work with relatively simple .max files, but 3ds Max still crashes when trying to import materials from more complex files.

I’ve been able to narrow it down further: in one test file I have two sets of Multi/Sub-Object materials. Either set can be imported successfully on its own, but when both are present in the same .max file, importing the materials causes 3ds Max to crash.

I’ve also tested this using both the Compact Material Editor and the Slate Material Editor, and the behavior appears to be the same in both modes.

So unfortunately, I don’t think the previous reply should be marked as the accepted solution yet.

Best regards,
Niels-Ole