VERY bloated file size in 3DS Max 2019

[NHHiker]

Was working on an auto accident animation when the project file started reporting sizes in excess of 700MB. This happened within a few incremental saves with nothing significant being added. I started trying to strip away things from the scene without much success and eventually decided to work backwards. I removed everything except for a single box object. THAT resulting file size currently sits at over 157MB.

So any idea what is going on or how I might be able to "purge" the .MAX file of old data? I can't find anything frozen or hidden. Nor are there any keyframes for animation.

I've included an .RAR file (2MB itself when zipped) of just the box scene.

Thanks in advance,

John

Your post subject line has been edited by @hagen.deloss: VERY bloated file size

[hagen.deloss]

Hi @NHHiker

Thanks for the test file, that is one big scene for such a small cube! I was able to lower the size of the scene a little bit by running this script, which deletes camera track node data.

I'm not sure what is causing the rest of the file bloat. It looks like your cube is super small, and very far away from worldspace 0, but I couldn't find anything else hidden in my first pass.

I would suggest exporting your scene assets into an fbx and importing it back into a fresh scene, if possible.

Let me know if the script I linked above helps at all! I'm looking into your other post about the video post feature right after this 😄

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

[darawork]

Hi, Unfortunately this file was created in a later version of max than I am currently using (2016),

But I have a suggestion for a few more scripts:

http://www.scriptspot.com/files/cleaner8.ms

and https://www.sinisoftware.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=195

To download free Forensic, you need to create a free login to SiNi software and then go to your user dashboard, Product Downloads and then download the "Workstation Installer" Version 1.11.0

*As always, when working with scripts: Make a copy of your original file and test them out on the copy first.

Regards,

[NHHiker]

Okay, so you'll love this. Ran all three scripts. Deleted the box object. File size still the same. Attached is a screencap of the Forensic software scan of the scene. (SPOILER: There's nothing in it.)

[darawork]

Hrmm... seems your scene file is haunted.

Have you tried this maxscript entry?

https://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2018/ENU/?guid=__files_GUID_CA7ABB4B_6CB6_47B7_903D_84D2F45D99...

Basically you just type the code below into the listener window, and it magically gets rid of the garbage (although more often than not it does nothing).

gc()

Another 'solution' would be to start a new reset blank scene and 'merge' the elements from your bloated file into it, all the whole hoping that the file doesn't unexpectedly swell up again. 

[darawork]

Oh, and here's two more to try after the above, if you still have the will to continue:

http://www.scriptspot.com/forums/3ds-max/scripts-wanted/clean-bloated-max-file

[NHHiker]

Ran all three of those scripts. No better. Appreciate the suggestions.

If I start with a new scene and import the box object, the file size is 600k. The problem is definitely in the scene itself. Somewhere.

I do really need to find a solution. This was making a 200MB file nearly 800MB. Would not want to see that happen next project.

[darawork]

Ok, well hopefully the new file stays small this time.

In the meantime, please cast your vote here:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/3ds-max-ideas/scene-optimization-manager/idi-p/6785192

Regards,

[hagen.deloss]

Hi @NHHiker

Did you get a chance to run the camera trackview nodes cleanup script? It definitely lowered the file size when I ran it on your test scene. 

t=trackviewnodes;n=t[#Max_MotionClip_Manager];deleteTrackViewController t n.controller;gc()

Thanks for linking all those cleanup scripts @darawork I will have to bookmark a few of those 😉

@NHHiker if importing the new geometry into a fresh scene doesn't resolve the file bloat issue, please let me know and I can look into it further. 

[NHHiker]

Hi Hagen,

I tried running that script a couple of times but saw NO difference in resulting file size. I'm curious as to what the size of your file was after running it and saving the file.

As stated above, the box is not the problem as saving the scene after it's deleted has next to no effect on resulting file size.

[NHHiker]

I'm pretty sure the problem stems from the use of Archvision RPC's. I used about 100 of them in the original file, but none are there now.

In Slate Editor, if I do a Zoom Extents, it shows "RenderQueue: 8425" in the very bottom left-hand corner. If I click on the button to "enable rendering", it begins slowly counting down from this number and identifying specific .RPC files.

Eesh. What the heck? Screenshot attached.

[hagen.deloss]

@NHHiker

Yes it looks like you have about 6000 unused textures in your slate material editor! You can try running a script to delete them, or delete them by hand ( I deleted a few and it lowered the file size significantly!) I will post back when I find out more.  

[NHHiker]

Thanks for confirming that Hagen.

Can you advise how I can go about seeing/unused textures?

[darawork]

See here:
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/3ds-max-forum/how-to-remove-unused-maps/m-p/6402815/highlight/true#M1...
As per usual, there's a 3rd party script for that basic functionality. Can we please get a 'Purge' command now? Please? 
😉

[NHHiker]

@darawork

Thanks. Just tried that. Made no difference. I think this has something to do with the way Archvision handles their textures. If they report back to me, I'll pass it along.

[darawork]

I used to use Archvision RPC people years ago. Are they still updating
them? Maybe there's better 3D people out there now? For simulations do you need RPC people specifically?

https://resources.ronenbekerman.com

Check out the 'people' section.

[hagen.deloss · Accepted solution]

Hi @NHHiker

While in the Slate Material Editor, I clicked on the materials tab, and selected "get all scene materials"... it may take a few seconds to grab them all (ctrl+a took a loooong time). Then I tried deleting them all at once...Max is still thinking about it as I type this message hahah.

Here is what that looked like on my end.

This looks like the Arch & Design Materials, but I'm not sure why they exist in the first place since you aren't using them in your scene. I will be doing some more digging and get back to you on why this is happening.

Talk to you soon, and thanks for being so patient and easy to work with on this issue 😄

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

[NHHiker]

(Sorry. This information was posted to my other issue thread inadvertently.)

Okay so - after much 'hang time' - Max let me select all materials, then delete them all. Took about ten minutes and was getting a "not responding" message, but I just waited it out. When it finished, I saved the file and now it's 656kb. Right where it should be. So that was definitely the issue.

I also started a new scene, merged all objects from the original (problem) project file, then saved it. The file size when from 730MB to 570MB - a drop of about 160MB. That's the same exact amount the "box" file reduced after it was cleaned of unused materials which verifies that that was the problem. So those materials themselves were eating 160MB of file size. Eesh!

Thanks for all the help so far. A root cause/solution would be nice - be it from Autodesk or Archvision.

[hagen.deloss]

Hi @NHHiker

I wanted to check in and see if Archvision Support has responded to you on what a possible cause for this issue could be? 

I'm not aware of your files history, otherwise i could take a more educated guess...but something created those thousands of textures! Did you use any scripts or plugins in this scene at some point? Usually un-used texture nodes were attached to an object at some point, did you have a lot of geometry that was created by a plugin that you later deleted?

That's awesome that the file size lowered when you got rid of all that junk! 

Talk to you soon

[NHHiker · Accepted solution]

Hagen,

Thanks again for following up with me. And no, Archvision hasn't responded. I will send them a follow up e-mail and see if I can light a fire under them to offer some suggestions.

In the meantime, I'm not real familiar with what is preserved or lose in .MAX files when I tried this but I wanted to get the main scene file cleaned up, so I did the following steps:

1. Opened "Main Scene." Did a Save as... "Clean Scene."

2. With "Clean Scene" as the active file, I then selected and deleted all objects from the scene.

3. Selected and deleted all materials from the scene.

4. Saved the file (which ended up being about 160MB smaller than "Main Scene."

5. Imported all objects into Main Scene - Clean.

I think by doing this I am able to keep Environment and Effects and maybe other settings? Haven't really looked at the resulting Clean Scene and may not need to. But that's what I did.

- John