How do I install mentalray render engine in 3DS MAX 2017?

[mrmister001]

Hi, is very strange... I have installed 3DS Max 2017... and I do not see the mentalray render engine... however in the plug ins manager says it is already loaded?

???

Why I cannot see it?

Should I have to reinstall it?

I am attaching several pictures...

Plugin manager:

The render window (I don't see here mentalray)

The render settings (I don't see mentalray here)

Where is mentalray?

It is said that it is installed by default... however I don't see it.

I would appreciate your help.

Cheers

[spacefrog_]

You seem to have "mentalray.dlz" missing from your loaded plugins list. This is the main renderer plugin

If there is no "mentalray.dlz" in your "<MaxRoot>\Plugins\NVIDIA\" you could try to reinstall only mental ray by doubleclicking/launching "Mentalray2017.msi" from your extracted installation folder ( something like c:\Autodesk\Autodesk_3ds_Max_2017_EFGJKPS_Win_64bit\x64\Mentalray\  )

In case the installer detects a previous installation, just choose repair.

Of course you should have Max closed when doing this 

There is another mental ray related installer in the path mentioned above (MentalrayPlug\MentalrayPlugins2017.msi ) which installs the mental ray submodules, but it seems that you already have them installed

[mrmister001]

Hi,

When I've installed Max 2017 I did not have any box to tick the installation of the mentalray plugin. I only had a big button, saying Install on this computer. I've just pressed that button, the installation finished, and now I see I cannot see the mentalray render engine.

I do have the file mentalray.dlz, in fact I have the file mentalray.dlz.mui. I have this file in all the languages the software is provided, english, french, german, etc. I am using English, so yes, I have the file and the folder is:

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2017\Plugins\NVIDIA\Plugins\en-US

The extracted installation folder, don't have inside anything about Max, it is just empty.

This is the first time I've installed Max in this computer.

I had installed Maya 2016 and uninstalled it.

Then, I've installed Max 2017.

I do not know how to tackle a repair, I don't see any option in the installation file setup.exe giving you the option for a repair.

How may I solve this?

By the way in this blog says that mentalray is now installed as a separate subcomponent. ???

What is that?

http://www.cgrecord.net/2016/03/autodesk-3ds-max-2017.html

Cheers

[spacefrog_]

The *.mui files are - as you expected - only the language related files of the plugins. So if you don't have exactly the file "mentalray.dlz" without any other extension in your Plugins\NVIDIA folder , your mental ray installation is incomplete.

Mental ray is now an extra installation option, but AFAIK it is checked by default, anycase - you would'nt have the other mental ray related files there if it wasn't checked.

Now regarding the empty  "c:\Autodesk" folder:

I thought this folder would have been kept intact after installation and extraction, but i might be wrong here, as i delete this folder myself always manually after install. In case you installed using the  webinstaller ( only option when doing a trial install ), i guess this might be another reason for the folder being empty.

Regarding the repair option :

This would simply appear in the dialog that opens after you double click the "Mentalray2017.msi" in the above mentioned folder

The second option to trigger a full 3ds Max repair , simply open the "Control panel->Programs and Features", select "Autodesk 3ds Max 2017" and click Uninstall/Change. In the window that opens you can select "Repair or reinstall"

This should fix all issues ( theoretically )

[mrmister001]

I did a repair of the product as you suggested me and don't work. It repairs the product successfully, but I still don't see the mentalray renderer in it.

Is not possible to download the Mentalray.msi plugin from Autodesk for Max 2017 and force the installation?

In Maya you can download and install the mentalray plugin.

Repair don't work at all.

I really don't know why these people from Autodesk makes the things so complex.

I have found this screenshot in Internet about how to install the mental ray plugin in Max

However... with Max already installed, I don't know how to get this screen and force the installaton of the plugin without having to uninstall and reinstall everything.

Also, even if I have to uninstall and reinstall, I don't know how to reach this screen, Configure Installation.

Where is it?

Cheers

[spacefrog_]

Just click the small arrow below the "Autodesk 3ds Max 2017" checkbox and those options will appear

So now that you have reinstalled/repaired the whole thing is a prove that the extracted installation package has to sit somewhere on your harddisk

I would perform a search on your complete computer ( all drives and all files ) for the file called "Mentalray2017.msi" ( be sure to have file extension display enabled in the explorer). Once you found that file - which should be exactly 1,761,280 bytes in size - you can double click it and launch the mental ray installer manually.

[mrmister001]

Hi, I've been searching the whole hard disk C: and 😧 and nothing, I don't have any Mentalray2017.msi file.

In fact, I even have searched *mental*.* to see any file I could have inside my hard disk with the words mental in any part of it, and I don't have the file you told me.

I don't see any installation package inside my hard disk?

The screenshot I've posted is not taken from my computer, I found it in Internet.

In fact, I don't know how to arrive to that particular screen "Configure Installation", in which you can select the NVIDIA mentalray plugin installation.

When I install 3DS Max 2017 the first screen I get is this one:

I've pressed Install (and with this, you won't get the mentalray plugin installed).

Should I execute again the installation and select Install Tools and Utilities?

Or could I download the mentalray pluin for Max 2017 from Autodesk or other place?

As far as I know, Mental ray is a render engine from NVIDIA, right?

May I download it from NVIDIA?

I have seen the mentalray website from NVIDIA and they sell minimum 10 licenses for 600 dollars more or less.

I don't understand if this is not free, how you get it for free with Max 2017 ?

Cheers

[spacefrog_]

You don't get any dialog after the first one ?

For me - the next dialog after the one with the big install button that you show in your post is this one

Then i click on the small triangle marked by the red arrow and get to following dialog

You really do not see those two dialogs ?

[mrmister001]

to be honest, during the installating I think I did not click in the arrow... 😞 just next...

So probably I installed it without the mentalray plugin...

please, tell me do we have a way to install the mentalray separately without having to uninstall and reinstall everything ?

😞

do we have any way?

or do I have to uninstall all?

😞

[spacefrog_]

I already described the way to install mental ray manually and seperately , but for this you have to find the main mental ray installer file ( Mentalray2017.msi ). As long you can't find that file, you can't install mental ray seperatly...

Are you using the web installer or did download one big package ( several gigabytes big), which extracted itself to C:\Autodesk ?

The web installer would be about 331KB only and would download the install files in the background when you run it ...

[mrmister001]

There is no extraction package, so I don't have Mentalray2017.msi file in my computer.

I was using the big package, extracted in c:\Autodesk (perhaps, I don't remember for sure)... I know Maya extract there but 3DS Max 2017, I don't know sure.

For Maya 2016 you can find mentalray packages you can download and install directly from Autodesk.

Wouldn't be possible Autodesk provide the Mentalray2017.msi file for 3DS Max 2017, to those users that did not install it and now don't want to uninstall the whole application and reinstall everything again?

[spaziods]

hi how to see the answers here....dump feeling kinda

---

@mrmister001 wrote:

Hi,

When I've installed Max 2017 I did not have any box to tick the installation of the mentalray plugin. I only had a big button, saying Install on this computer. I've just pressed that button, the installation finished, and now I see I cannot see the mentalray render engine.

I do have the file mentalray.dlz, in fact I have the file mentalray.dlz.mui. I have this file in all the languages the software is provided, english, french, german, etc. I am using English, so yes, I have the file and the folder is:

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2017\Plugins\NVIDIA\Plugins\en-US

The extracted installation folder, don't have inside anything about Max, it is just empty.

This is the first time I've installed Max in this computer.

I had installed Maya 2016 and uninstalled it.

Then, I've installed Max 2017.

I do not know how to tackle a repair, I don't see any option in the installation file setup.exe giving you the option for a repair.

How may I solve this?

By the way in this blog says that mentalray is now installed as a separate subcomponent. ???

What is that?

http://www.cgrecord.net/2016/03/autodesk-3ds-max-2017.html

Cheers

---

---

@mrmister001 wrote:

Hi,

When I've installed Max 2017 I did not have any box to tick the installation of the mentalray plugin. I only had a big button, saying Install on this computer. I've just pressed that button, the installation finished, and now I see I cannot see the mentalray render engine.

I do have the file mentalray.dlz, in fact I have the file mentalray.dlz.mui. I have this file in all the languages the software is provided, english, french, german, etc. I am using English, so yes, I have the file and the folder is:

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2017\Plugins\NVIDIA\Plugins\en-US

The extracted installation folder, don't have inside anything about Max, it is just empty.

This is the first time I've installed Max in this computer.

I had installed Maya 2016 and uninstalled it.

Then, I've installed Max 2017.

I do not know how to tackle a repair, I don't see any option in the installation file setup.exe giving you the option for a repair.

How may I solve this?

By the way in this blog says that mentalray is now installed as a separate subcomponent. ???

What is that?

http://www.cgrecord.net/2016/03/autodesk-3ds-max-2017.html

Cheers

---

[Alfred.DeFlaminis · Accepted solution]

Hello @spaziods

Just to have them in this thread, I have attached the mental ray installer.  Does this help?  I'm not sure what your post means or if you are having issues but I thought it would be nice to attach them here in case other users find themselves in this situation.  

@mrmister001, 

Did you ever resolve this?  This thread is a bit before my time here but I wanted to follow up.  Thanks!

Best Regards,

[ramy.moris]

Hi guys,

i think i solved. once you finish installing the mentalray2017.msi, go to Program Files\Autodesk\Plugins and copy the NVIDIA folder to

Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2017\Plugins. that's all.

[3d-labor]

Hi Alfed,

thank you very much for the post. I installed 2017 today because I had so much projects since last summer. Had the same problem, that MR was not in the renderer list while the NVIDIA directories were in the Plugins directory. I´m sure, that I unfolded the options of 3dsMAX2017 and left all options marked (not sure if there was a MentalRay option).  So I used your installer and all was fine. You saved my day (evening). Thank you for that.

I was very disappointed, that 3dsMAX now has other command icons, but luckily there is a way to get the old ones.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2017/ENU/3DSMa... (hope there is a English version too)

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @3d-labor,

Thanks for the update and confirmation!  That's nice of you to let me know, it's always great to know that someone was helped by a comment or post of mine.  

Regarding the icons, there is a megathread here about the icons.  A very helpful user by the name of @zaluski went through all the icons and restored the 2016 icons for 2017.  That link goes right to the latest post with the icons for the light theme.  I believe he also did dark icons on the next page.  (I  zaluski.)  

Best Regards,

[3d-labor]

Hi Alfred,

here an additional note regarding installing mental ray. In my subscription I saw two updates for the mental ray renderer, called "NVIDIA mental ray and IRay rendering plugin for 3ds Max 2017 SP3" and "NVIDIA mental ray and IRay rendering plugin for 3ds Max 2017.1 Update", both published on the same day, both with the same description and with a minor change in the size of the downloaded file. At first I was confused until I saw, that one version seems to be for 3dsMAX 2017 SP3 and the other for 3dsMAX 2017.1. Why does Autodesk call the first one "Service Pack" and the other on "Update"? Hard to understand. Every year a new release of the Building Design Suite and inbetween service packs and updates and, to confuse the custumer some more, security fixes. If I was the one who had to decide it I would let follow SP4 after SP3 instead of Update 1.

Best Regards,

Holger

[yossia6UQWE]

Thank you Alfred,
I have the same problem, No MR on my program, not even after re-installation or repair,
I do not have the option.
May you have a way to explain\show how to install the correct  MR file that you linked for us?
I still can't solve it. 
Much appreciated,
Yossi

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @3d-labor and @yossia6UQWE,

I apologize for my absence, I was on vacation for a week.  Thanks for your patience while I was away.  I am scrambling right now to catch up but I wanted you to know that I wasn't ignoring your message.  

I agree with you about the naming of service packs and the versioning.  Recently Autodesk has decided to simplify this by removing service packs and extensions and instead calling them updates.  This happened this year, so the SP3 issue you are detailing is sort of caught in the middle of the transition, but moving forward they will simply be called updates.  There have been a number of people who expressed similar concerns and I tend to agree with you about this. 

@yossia6UQWE,

Did you use the installers I linked in post number 13 of this thread?  Can you please detail what happened a bit more for me?  I have an article here that may help with this, please check it out.  Then, this article can show how to update it to the latest version.  Please let me know if you have any problems.

Best Regards,

[3d-labor]

Hello Alfred,

at first I installed MR with the help of your installation file and it worked. But the installation of the update of MR was tricky.

I created a new post regarding installing the update for menatal ray and solved my problem myself. See here:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/installation-licensing/cannot-install-mental-ray-update-1-for-3dsmax-...

BTW: I think, ´nobody needs to apologize if he goes in the vacation. 

Best regards,

Holger