Find C# Menu API for 3DS MAX 2025

[yybluephantom]

I am a newbie in development. I am trying to migrate Babylon Exporter (For 3DS MAX) from version 2024 to 2025. Due to the revision of the 3DS MAX Menu system, the C++ API has changed from the original IMenu / IMenuItem to the current ICuiMenuManager / ICuiMenuItem, etc. In the old version, C# only needs to introduce Autodesk.max.dll, use the below code to call menu-related APIs.

​using Autodesk.Max;

IIMenu menu;
IIMenuItem menuItem; 

However, in the SDK of 3DS MAX 2025, I cannot find the corresponding API in Autodesk.max.dll and UiViewModels.dll. How can I call the latest Menu API (CuiMenu) in C#? Or is a completely new system used to manage menus in C# ?

[tuiday17 · Accepted solution]

3DS Max 2025 not support menu as ver. 2024.

You can use menu command "Customize"/"Menu Editor..." => save to a file (same cui command in AutoCAD) => 3DS Max auto load this menu when start.

But changed from .NET Framework to .NET Core. Autodesk.Max.dll is having some problems - not work in C# (I am using Windows 10). See below links (nobody help me fix this problems - I hope Autodesk will fix this in next hotfix):

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/3ds-max-programming/3ds-max-2025-net-core-8-error-in-c-autodesk-max-d...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/3ds-max-programming/3ds-max-2025-net-core-8-0-error-my-c-plugin-as-3d...

Best Regards,

DMD

[yybluephantom]

Very valuable answer, I will follow up with experiments, thanks a lot!