Move 3ds max config to new machine/newer version

[dlparisi]

Anyone have any tips or tricks to move your current 3ds max setup (UI/scripts/etc) to a new machine or a newer version? While I can save the current UI, when I reload it in the new version a lot of stuff is broken (grayed out icons) or missing. Anything to make it a little less painful would help.

[Donald2B]

Moving to a new machine isn't too bad, but upgrading to a newer version pretty much sucks. I have not found a way to take my current config and apply it to an newer version. What usually tends to happen is that I overwrite the menus so any new feature is removed because my previous setup didn't have it in my menus.

Are the grayed out Icons used for controlling maxscripts or other plugin type stuff?

I will definitely be watching this thread to see if anyone has a better solution. I typically just have both versions of max open and transfer as much as I can. The rest I just update as I go, especially with the Shortcut keys. I usually don't remember all of them until I need them and they don't work! LOL.

[dlparisi]

Moving to a new machine isn't too bad, but upgrading to a newer version pretty much sucks. I have not found a way to take my current config and apply it to an newer version. What usually tends to happen is that I overwrite the menus so any new feature is removed because my previous setup didn't have it in my menus.

I typically just have both versions of max open and transfer as much as I can.

Unfortunately I'm doing both. I'm updating to a newer version and to a new OS, and to make it worse it's actually the same machine (dual install) so I can't have both versions open at the same time. To get around the menus being lost I saved out the default menu from the customize dialog box and then I reapply it later after I've loaded my old setup.

Are the grayed out Icons used for controlling maxscripts or other plugin type stuff?

Mainly maxscript I think. I'm just going to copy my scripts folders over to the new directory and see what sticks. Anything that's still grayed out doesn't work I'll have to reinstall.

[cecofuli]

Hi dlparisi

I use many, maaany script and free plug-ing. I built myself my custom toolbar ( I hate ribbon!), quadmenu, menu and a lots of shortcut

About the script/plug, I create my folder in my hard drive with all my script in the correct installation folder (script, UI, macroscript etc...)
So, I just copy-paste this folder in the new 3ds max installation directory and all works fine. Some script need a manually installation (drag and drop in the viewport), but this scripts are in the custom folder.

About menu, quad there no fast solution. You must recreate from scratch every 3ds max release AD add some extra menu and, if you don't want to loose thas, you must do manually.
This is the very boring part. Usually, this operation take me 1-2 working days, if all work fine. In fact, I change my 3ds max version after 6-10 month after the official release date, due to the free pluging upgrade by Dave (maxplugins.de admin)

For the shortcut, I copy-paste my old configuration

For Color, same as the shortcut.

Hope this can help you