# invisible cameras and lights **URL:** \ **Category:** Off-topic\ **Created:** [November 30, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269 "2010-11-30T22:46:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![simmsimaging](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/simmsimaging/32/49287_2.png) [@simmsimaging](https://forums.chaos.com/u/simmsimaging)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/1 "2010-11-30T22:46:43Z")
I’m sure it’s just a toggle somewhere, but I have managed to run off all viewport visibility for cameras and lights. They are ‘visible’ in the layers palette and are selectable, but I can’t see them except for their gizmo when selected. I’ve looked and googled but can’t figure it out. Anyone know what to turn off/on? Thanks! b ---
**Author:** ![Dariusz\_Makowski\_Dadal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@Dariusz\_Makowski\_Dadal](https://forums.chaos.com/u/Dariusz_Makowski_Dadal)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/2 "2010-11-30T22:52:59Z")
Right click \> Object paremeter \> Untick Display as box ? Alternative viewport clipping uder second menu in left upper viewport corner… F3 ? ---
**Author:** ![simmsimaging](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/simmsimaging/32/49287_2.png) [@simmsimaging](https://forums.chaos.com/u/simmsimaging)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 10:56pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/3 "2010-11-30T22:56:11Z")
Thanks, but that isn’t it. Viewport clipping is off, and the objects are not set to display as box. It happens across all standard lights, all cameras, and in all my current files. I think its a Max setting thing somewhere… b ---
**Author:** ![Dariusz\_Makowski\_Dadal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@Dariusz\_Makowski\_Dadal](https://forums.chaos.com/u/Dariusz_Makowski_Dadal)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/4 "2010-11-30T22:58:34Z")
Humh Restart Reinstall Format C:// Kick Window… Move to second monitor might be display/driver issue.. ---
**Author:** ![AJ\_Jefferies](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/aj_jefferies/32/50682_2.png) [@AJ\_Jefferies](https://forums.chaos.com/u/AJ_Jefferies)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 10:03am UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/5 "2010-12-02T10:03:58Z")
I’m sure you’ve tried this, but do you have them hidden by category? Look under the Display tab. It shouldn’t transfer the settings to other files though, so it’s certainly strange behaviour. ---
**Author:** ![simmsimaging](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/simmsimaging/32/49287_2.png) [@simmsimaging](https://forums.chaos.com/u/simmsimaging)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/6 "2010-12-02T16:45:14Z")
I checked that tab and it’s all in order - nothing is hidden. Very odd. I can see the target line for Vray Cameras, but no camera. Same with lights. The only light I can actually see is the VrayLight when set to rectangle mode - the rest are only visible as gizmos when they are selected. I have tried everything I can think of - it’s odd. Checked 32bit 2011 though, and it is still showing them fine so I don’t think it’s a display driver issue, but who knows? Very annoying. b ---
**Author:** ![pixela](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/pixela/32/2876_2.png) [@pixela](https://forums.chaos.com/u/pixela)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/7 "2010-12-02T17:33:56Z")
I am sure you already know this but anyway: shift + C …toggle for camera visibility shift + L …toggle for light visibility ---
**Author:** ![simmsimaging](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/simmsimaging/32/49287_2.png) [@simmsimaging](https://forums.chaos.com/u/simmsimaging)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/8 "2010-12-02T17:40:15Z")
Just tried that too - didn’t help either 🙂 It makes the camera and light target lines invisible, as well as the camera/lights themselves, but no joy on getting the objects to show. Weird. Hate to have to reinstall Max and all the plugins/scripts, but looks like I might have to try that to fix it. Thanks for the pointer in any case 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Donald2B](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/donald2b/32/3244_2.png) [@Donald2B](https://forums.chaos.com/u/Donald2B)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/9 "2010-12-02T20:26:28Z")
Have you tried deleting the 3dsmax.ini file? When you launch max it will recreate the file based on the defaults…it may help. ---
**Author:** ![simmsimaging](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/simmsimaging/32/49287_2.png) [@simmsimaging](https://forums.chaos.com/u/simmsimaging)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/10 "2010-12-02T20:34:05Z")
I haven’t tried that - but in searching I can’t seem to find that file for 2011. I have one for 2008/2009/2010, but not for 2011. Is it called something different in the newer version, or located somewhere funky? Thanks! b ---
**Author:** ![Donald2B](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/donald2b/32/3244_2.png) [@Donald2B](https://forums.chaos.com/u/Donald2B)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/11 "2010-12-02T20:41:38Z")
C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsmax\2011 - 64bit\enu Should be buried in there. 😉 EDIT: That is for Vista/win7 installation, you would need go to the appropriate location in XP, which I don’t have in front of me at the moment. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![simmsimaging](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/simmsimaging/32/49287_2.png) [@simmsimaging](https://forums.chaos.com/u/simmsimaging)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/12 "2010-12-02T20:46:02Z")
Yes! that did it. Thanks very much. Not sure why that file didn’t show up in my desktop search - thanks for the extra pointer 🙂 b ---
**Author:** ![Donald2B](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/donald2b/32/3244_2.png) [@Donald2B](https://forums.chaos.com/u/Donald2B)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/13 "2010-12-02T20:48:25Z")
Did you happen to save the file somewhere else? We could then do a file compare and figure out what setting in there got messed up. ---
**Author:** ![simmsimaging](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/simmsimaging/32/49287_2.png) [@simmsimaging](https://forums.chaos.com/u/simmsimaging)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/14 "2010-12-02T20:52:05Z")
> [@CA\_Portugal](#): > > Did you happen to save the file somewhere else? We could then do a file compare and figure out what setting in there got messed up. I did save it - attached the old one and the new one in the zip. Thanks again b [max\_ini.zip](https://forums.chaos.com/uploads/short-url/aoOwuwr3pHr0hiojD7BozdsHNho.zip) (7.95 KB) ---
**Author:** ![pixela](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/pixela/32/2876_2.png) [@pixela](https://forums.chaos.com/u/pixela)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 7:00am UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/15 "2010-12-03T07:00:52Z")
What happens when you create a new camera? Are they created invisible too? Maybe it can be a corruption in your file. If new cameras are visible, you can try create new light and cameras and align with the old ones and delete the old ones. ---
**Author:** ![simmsimaging](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/simmsimaging/32/49287_2.png) [@simmsimaging](https://forums.chaos.com/u/simmsimaging)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/invisible-cameras-and-lights/26269/16 "2010-12-03T15:29:18Z")
> [@sea2stars](#): > > What happens when you create a new camera? Are they created invisible too? > > Maybe it can be a corruption in your file. If new cameras are visible, you can try create new light and cameras and align with the old ones and delete the old ones. New lights and cameras were created invisible too, and in any new fiches as well. It was not scene specific. Deleting the ini file seems to have done the trick though.