max 2018 objects not visible on layer manager

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I have the problems that objects in the scene dont appear in the layer manager. I even cannot assign them to another layer like default or a new one. I saw a post with solution for max 2016 but that script didnt work. Please help me.

im Using max 2018.4

Best regards Martin

[Anonymous]

So you already tried following script ?

layer = LayerManager.newLayer()
for n in (selection as array) do layer.addnode n

[brentscannell]

Hi @Anonymous

I do have an article on file suggesting this might be caused by corrupt user settings, can you try this reset procedure to see if it helps?

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Resetting-3ds-Max-3ds-Max-Design.html

[Anonymous]

Yes but it did not work.

[hagen.deloss]

Hi @Anonymous

Thanks for coming to the forums with your question! I would echo @brentscannell's recommendation of resetting your user profile back to default, please let me know if that doesn't end up working and we can continue troubleshooting 😄

Talk to you soon!

Please select the Accept as Solution button if a post solves your issue or answers your question.

[pokoy]

We are facing exactly the same problem in 2018.4...

Before anyone suggests to delete the ENU folder - THIS IS NOT A SOLUTION, it doesn't work.

We think that the file crashed at some point, and the modeler worked from the auto-saved file that was generated when the crash occurred.

We're facing various issues now:

- We don't see any layers in the Layer Explorer (LE)

- None of the scene content can be moved/assigned to new layers

- New layers only accept new objects, not any of the existing scene content

- saving as older max versions (2016, 2017) or opening the file in 2019 doesn't help, exactly the same problems

- your default 'delete ENU folder' advice doesn't help (sidenote - support reps are way too fast suggesting this, that's not what I'd consider good support).

HOWEVER, the short script posted above works (thanks for that @Anonymous  ). When using the script, scene geometry is back to 'normal' it seems, adding to layers, moving/nesting layers is possible again. The only problem is the file had 50+ layers and we can't tell anymore which objects are valid or not, and many objects are inaccessible and won't show up even when using 'Unhide All'. Also, I'm not sure we get 100% of scene content back this way.

@ Support:

- any other way to restore layer information?

- any way to access 'the' broken data and make it visible in LE, even if corrupted?

- please forward this to the developers and make sure layer information can be accesses/restored/reset and the commands are exposed to the UI somewhere

Thanks for any pointers!

[brentscannell]

Hi @pokoy 

I just want to be sure about one thing: Is this issue manifesting itself a) only when loading some select projects, or B)the 3ds Max session just permanently in a broken layers situation regardless of the scene that is loaded?

If we're talking about situation A, have you tried it on a different machine? Would you be able to to share it with us, so the devs can de-bug it?

[pokoy]

Thank you Brent. I followed up through PM.

[nils]

Hi, 

This issue is an old one. Usually, for me, it happens when I merge an older max file into a new scene. OR an sketchup file (more and more of these files sketchup 2015 files). It is an bug in the "metadata/object properties" of the files that gets merged. Before you could convert the objects by collapsing them or copying them on a polygon level (edit poly, select all, shift drag or detach to new clone, then making a new layer from that copy), but in max 2019 this also doesnt work. 

The script that ppl keep posting in the forum that is suppose to fix it, doesnt always work it seems, at least not in max 2019. This bug has been around for a VERY LONG TIME, and its interesting that Autodesk doesnt have a solution for this yet, cause when I read in the forum its always a surprise from the autodesk team that this is happening. Would think that (from at least 2016) this would be in some kind of database of bugs.

[myattcp]

I think there is a filter added by default to the max scene. 

If you go to your layer manager and right click there is a filters option. Untick it and it may sort your issue with using layer explorer

[hagen.deloss]

Hi @pokoy , and others!

Thanks a ton for all your help on this thread, and on the beta forums. @brentscannell reached out and asked me to write an article with a script that resolves this hidden layer issue.

Here is the article: Layers in Scene Explorer disappear in 3ds Max

Please let me know if you have any feedback, or need more assistance 😄

@nils please let me know if the script attached to the article doesn't work to resolve your issue.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if a post solves your issue or answers your question.

[pokoy]

Thank you both, @hagen.deloss  and @brentscannell , for giving all users access to the script.

It helped in my case and worked for others, too, I guess that qualifies as a solution 😄

One small thing - the actual problem of layers not being present/visible at all is not mentioned in the description of the issue in the knowledge network article. It is included in the title but I think that the description should include that part of the problem, too. As it is now, I would not have realized it's the problem I was having from the description.

Many thanks again!

[ua2125g27]

Hi! I have encountered a similar problem where my objects from the layers are disappearing. I used this suggested script but it specifies that it has syntax error and cannot be run. If you can please look into it, it would be huge help as my entire model has just disappeared from my layers despite having many copies of it. Thanks in advance!