Feature availability đ
âď¸ Personal âď¸ Suite
With this main workflow, users can add new assets to the library in Connecter from a selection of objects or materials in the currently opened 3D scene. This process saves new *.max or *.mat files containing the selected objects or materials in a destination folder, which is normally already added to Connecter. Some of the benefits compared to the standard âSave asâ or âSave selectedâ commands are:
- Automatically generates custom previews, which are then automatically linked to the asset in Connecter.
- Automatically positions the asset in the center of the coordinate system, runs garbage collector, and other cleaning and organizing features.
- Automatically manage external files - search and relink missing files, collect files in specific folders, and others.
- Automatically add multiple separate assets from multi-selections.
- Adding tags and description metadata.
How to start?
To add assets from 3ds Max to Connecter, select the âAdd asset(s) to Connecterâ option in the viewport quad menu.
This will open an Integrationâs contextual menu offering several workflows for adding assets.
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Add the scene as a 3d asset: Ignores any object selections and adds the current scene as an asset. In terms of asset content, itâs equivalent to 3ds Maxâs âSave asâ command.
NOTE: The âAdd as Multiple assetsâ workflow is unavailable when adding the whole scene. - Add new 3d asset from Selection: Takes the current object selection in the scene to add as an asset.
- Add selected material Editor slot: Takes the selected material in the (compact) Material Editor to add as an asset. This workflow produces material library assets (*.mat).
- Add all materials from Editor: Takes all materials in the (compact) Material Editor to add as an asset. This workflow produces material library assets (*.mat).
- Add materials from Selection: Takes all materials from the current object selection to add as an asset. This workflow produces material library assets (*.mat).
- Add materials from Scene: Takes all materials from the current scene to add as an asset. This workflow produces material library assets (*.mat).
- Update asset options: Click this contextual command to open the âUpdate assetsâ contextual menu. Refer to the âUpdating Assetsâ section for more details.
When your current scene in Max is empty, the Integration contextual menu will show only a few available options:
To add a new 3D asset to Connecter:
- Select one or multiple scene objects and choose the âAdd asset(s) to Connecterâ from the viewportâs right-click contextual menu.
NOTE: You donât need to select any scene objects when you want to add the whole scene as an asset to Connecter. - Choose the âAdd new 3D asset from Selectionâ option from the Integrationâs contextual menu or choose âAdd the âAdd the scene as a 3D assetâ option if you want to add the whole scene as an asset to Connecter.
- Choose the desired options in the âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â dialog that appears and click the Add button.
- The Integration will save one or multiple new *.max assets in the destination folder in Connecter, along with additional metadata like tags, descriptions, and custom previews you added.
Hold and Fetch mechanism
When you add assets to Connecter from your 3ds Max scene, the Integration performs various operations on the fly, like generating previews, isolating the selected objects, etc. To ensure that after adding the asset, your scene is back to the state right before the operation, the Integration uses Maxâs âHold and Fetchâ mechanism to hold the scene state and then roll back to it once it completes the operations.
IMPORTANT: While this guarantees you donât lose any changes in your scenes, this technique may take considerable time for larger scenes. Currently, thereâs no way to circumvent this behavior.
NOTE: The âHold and Fetchâ mechanism cannot restore any object selections and undo commands available before the hold operation.
Working with the âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â interface
The âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â dialogue supports the adding-new-assets workflow with many useful options. Its interface comes in two modes: âCompactâ (the default) for the most streamlined workflow and âAdvanced,â offering additional functionality for more customized use cases. To switch from Compact to Advanced mode and back, click the Advanced toggle button at the top right.
âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â UI in compact mode:
âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â UI in advanced mode:
The following flow describes, in short, how you use the âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â dialogue to add assets to Connecter (Refer to the next section for detailed descriptions):
- Asset name: Type in the name of the asset.
- Metadata (optional): Add tags and description to the asset.
- Save in: Choose the folder where the Integration will create the asset.
- Preview type: Choose what preview type you want the Integration to add to the asset.
- Click the Add button.
Asset name
When adding a new asset, you must type in a name - this will be the assetâs filename.
IMPORTANT: Remember that object and material names stay like they are in the scene youâre adding them from. Ensure you name all elements according to your naming conventions before adding them as new assets to your library in Connecter.
When adding new assets from a selection of multiple objects, an additional workflow for adding separate new assets from each object is available. In this case, you can use the additional naming options to define the assetsâ names. Refer to âAdding multiple assets from selectionsâ section for more details.
Handling duplicate names
When you add new assets, it may be the case when a new asset name is the same as an asset already existing in the same destination folder. When this happens, the Integration automatically applies the naming rules in Connecter settings to name the assets and avoid duplicate name conflicts.
These naming rules are also used when multiple assets with the same name get created and must be numbered. Refer to the âConnecter | Global Settingsâ section for more details.
Metadata
When adding assets to Connecter, you can also add tags and descriptions so the assets get added to your library catalog with some meaningful metadata. This, however, is optional as you can add tags, descriptions, and other metadata at any time later from within the Connecter app.
Adding tags
To add tags to the asset youâre adding to Connecter:
- Click the Tags button.
- The Integration will pull from Connecter all available tags and list them in a âTagsâ browser that will appear on the right.
- Select one or more tags. The selected tags get listed in a row below the Tags button.
- To remove a tag, deselect it in the Tags browser or click the button with the tag name;
- To remove all added tags, click the âxâ button on the far right of the tags row.
Adding description
To add a description to the asset youâre adding to Connecter:
- Click the Description button.
- Type in a description.
NOTE: By default, the Integration auto-fills in a description based on the object name if a single object is selected or a âSelection Objects: 2â pattern if multiple objects are selected. The Integration will add any description added (by the user or the auto-suggested) even when the Description button is not selected and the description field is hidden.
Save in
When adding a new asset, you must specify a destination folder where the Integration will add the asset. To choose a destination folder:
- Click the â...â button at the right of the folder path field.
- The Integration will pull all folders already added to Connecter and list them in a âSave inâ browser that will appear on the right.
- Browse and select a folder from the folder tree. The selected folderâs full path will appear in the folder path field.
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- Click the âBrowse For FolderâŚâ button to choose the destination folder that has not yet been added to Connecter. Once the asset gets added in Connecter, the following dialogue appears asking to add the folder to Connecter.
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- Click the âCreate subfolder with the assetâs nameâ button if you want the Integration to create a new folder within the selected folder named after the asset name. Use this option when adding multiple assets in separate folders in a parent folder.
NOTE: The last used destination folder gets automatically selected the next time the âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â interface opens.
Recently used destination folders
You can select a recently used destination folder by clicking the arrow at the right end of the folder path field and then choosing a folder from the dropdown list that appears.
Preview type
A central part of the add asset workflow is the ability to add custom previews to your assets. A custom asset preview is a separate image file linked to the asset and shown as an asset preview thumbnail in Connecterâs asset viewport and as a full-size preview when browsing the assetâs preview gallery. Multiple options exist to generate or add existing custom previews to an asset.
Grab From Viewport
When this option (default) is selected, the Integration will generate previews by grabbing screenshots directly from the Max viewport.
Generate preview options
Additional preview generation options are available in the âGenerating previewsâ section in the âAsset Optionsâ interface, accessible by clicking the settings button at the top right of the âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â main interface.
âZoom extentsâ
With the âZoom extentsâ options selected by default, the Integration isolates the selected scene objects and sets the view so that the selection best fits in it to generate a preview showing only the selection since, in most cases, you wouldnât like to have in the asset preview the rest of the scene content irrelevant to it. Uncheck the option if you want the asset preview to show what you see from the whole scene when adding the asset.
You can control how much free space (margin) to have around the objects in the preview when using the âZoom extentsâ option. To set the margins:
- Select the âZoom extentsâ option.
- Click the settings button next to the âZoom extentsâ option.
- Type in the desired margins (5% by default) as percentages of the length and height of the preview.
- Click the Save button to apply the changes.
Using custom perspective views
In addition to the âZoom extentsâ option, you can define a custom perspective view for generating the previews.
To set a custom perspective view:
- Select the âZoom extentsâ option.
- Click the settings button next to the âZoom extentsâ option.
- Click the âUse custom perspective viewâ checkbox.
- Type in the desired values:
- Film gate (0 to 999mm): Specifies the horizontal size of the film gate in millimeters.
- Focal length (0 to 99mm): Specifies the equivalent focal length of the camera lens.
- Horizontal angle (0 to 360°): This sets the camera position along the imaginary line that circles the object selection at the world XY coordinate plane. Value â0â positions the camera at the Y axes (negative numbers). Values bigger than â0â move the camera around the object selection counter-clockwise.
- Vertical angle (-90 to 90°): This sets the camera position along the world Z axis. Value â0â positions the camera at the 0 of the Z axis. Values bigger than â0â move the camera higher (above the world XY coordinate plane); negative numbers move it lower (below the world XY coordinate plane).
- Click the Save button to apply the changes.
Current Render Settings
When this option is selected, the previews are generated using the current scene render settings, including active render engine, render output size, etc. Refer to the âRender Presetâ section below to learn how to use predefined render settings with presets.
Preview Studio
âPreview Studioâ is a powerful option to generate previews using dedicated âpreviewâ scenes. You can use ready-to-use preview studio scenes available for download in Connecter or add your own custom scenes. When such a preview studio is selected, the Integration opens the related 3D scene and then merges the objects you add to Connecter to generate a preview. The preview scene is then closed, and the Integration opens back your work scene's current state saved right before opening the studio scene. To generate a preview using Preview Studio:
- Select the âPreview Studioâ preview type option.
- The Integration will pull all preview studios set up in the Connecter app and list them in the âSelect a preview studioâ interface. Select a preview studio from the list. If you have many studios in the list using different render engines, use the filtering by the renderer to narrow down the list by showing the studios relating to a particular renderer.
NOTE: If you havenât yet set up a preview studio in Connecter, youâll get instructions on how to proceed. See below for more information about adding preview studios.
Using readily-available preview studios
Connecter offers ready-to-use preview studios you can download and use for generating previews. Refer to the Adding preview studios in the Connecter Guide for more details.
Using your custom preview studios
The Integration can use custom preview studios you add in Connecter. Refer to the Setting up Your Custom Studio Scenes guide for more details.
- Click the Add button to add the asset to Connecter or the âGenerate previewâ button in the âPreview Galleryâ section.
Generating custom previews in Connecter
You can generate previews of Max 3D scenes and materials when adding assets from 3ds Max to Connecter and directly in the Connecter app. Refer to the âGenerate Custom Previewsâ guide for further details.
Existing Preview
This option allows you to add one or more images as custom previews to the asset youâre adding to Connecter. To add an image file as a custom preview:
- Choose the âExisting Previewâ as a preview type.
- Select an image file in the File Browser that opens.
NOTE: To view thumbnails of the previews you add, switch the âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â interface to Advanced mode and click the âPreview Galleryâ toggle button in the âAsset previewsâ section. This will open an additional interface showing thumbnails of the added previews. There, you can click the âAdd existing previewâ button to add more previews to the asset gallery.
NOTE: Currently, itâs only possible to add existing custom previews one by one. Itâs also impossible to rearrange or remove already added previews. This functionality will be updated asap to offer more convenient workflows.
Render Preset
This option allows you to select a ârender presetâ you saved when generating previews for the assets you add to your library. You can have as many presets as you need to fit with your pipeline (e.g., renderer, asset type, presentation style, etc.). To use a render preset:
- Select the âRender Presetâ preview type option.
- Browse and select a render preset (*.rps) file.
- Click the Add button to add the asset to Connecter or the âGenerate previewâ button in the âPreview Galleryâ section.
IMPORTANT: Make sure to verify your presets by making some test renders before using them to generate previews. If the generated previews donât look as expected, just load the preset in the Render Setup and make a render from the same view to compare the output before writing us for help.
Editors Thumbnail
An additional âEditors Thumbnailâ option is available when adding material assets. If selected, the Integration will add the preview thumbnails from the Material Editor as custom previews for the assets in Connecter.
NOTE: The size of these preview thumbnails is technically limited to only 90x90px.
No Preview
Use this option when you donât have the Integration to generate previews for the asset youâre adding. This option is also applicable when you are done adding all asset previews through the Preview Gallery(read the next section for further details).
Preview Gallery
You can use existing previews and generate new previews before the asset is added through the âPreview galleryâ section to add a complete multi-previews gallery to an asset. This can be very useful in different use cases like:
- You want to combine different preview types for the same asset (e.g., Grab from viewport, Preview Studio, etc.). If you donât use the Preview Gallery functionality, you can only add previews from one type when adding assets to Connecter, as you can not select multiple preview types. The Integration takes your current Preview type selection to generate the previews;
- You want to combine already existing image files (e.g., previews, references, etc.) with generate previews;
- You want to test different preview types, render settings, preview studios, etc., before proceeding with adding the asset to Connecter;
- You want to compare previews generated using different render settings or preview studios to choose which ones work best for the asset youâre adding;
- For example, you want to keep only the best views from all previews generated using a preview studioâs multiple cameras.
IMPORTANT: When you use the Preview Gallery to add existing or generate previews when you click the Add button to start the adding process, the Integration also checks your Preview type selection. If itâs not âNo Preview,â it will generate and add previews to the ones you added in the Preview Gallery.
Using the Preview Gallery
To use the Preview Gallery to add existing or generate new previews:
- Click the Advanced button at the top right of the âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â interface.
- Click the âPreview Galleryâ button at the right of the âAsset previewsâ section.
- Choose a preview type (e.g., Grab From Viewport, Preview Studio, etc.) and click the âGenerate previewâ button. All successfully generated previews will appear in the Preview Gallery below. To add an existing image file as a preview, click the âAdd existing previewâ button to browse and select an image. You can add multiple existing previews.
NOTE: Currently, itâs only possible to add existing custom previews one by one. Itâs also impossible to rearrange or remove already added previews. This functionality will be updated asap to offer more convenient workflows.
External Files
When adding assets, there are various options to manage their external files. The Integration will check if external files link to the objects and materials you add as assets to Connecter.
It'll offer you options on handling them so that you donât end up with an asset linking to missing or scattered all-over-the-place external files. The Integration will use the rules set in the âAuto-find External Filesâ settings when external files are missing. Refer to the âManage External Files workflowsâ section for more details.
There are three use cases related to the external files when adding or updating assets:
- No external files: If no external files are linking to the scene or the objects you add as an asset, â0 external fileâ info text appears, and the âManage External Filesâ button is disabled.
- External files are linking to the asset: If external files are linking to the scene or the objects you add as an asset, info text showing the number of external files appears, and the âManage External Filesâ button is enabled:
- External files are missing: If there are any missing external files, an additional warning text in red showing the number of missing files appears:
When you click the Add button, a warning that there are missing external files appear:
When the âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â interface is in advance mode, and external files are linking to the asset youâre adding, additional options for managing the external files are available.
Copy external files
You can use this functionality to copy all external files linking to the asset in a specific folder.
- Donât copy (selected by default): The external files are not copied to another folder.
- Copy in: {assetâs folder}: The external files get copied into the same folder where the asset is added.
- Copy in folder: The external files get copied in a specific folder. To add a folder:
- Choose the âCopy in folderâ option from the âCopy external filesâ dropdown.
- Click the browse â...â button.
- Browse and select a folder from the Files Explorer.
The âCopy in: {assetâs folder}â and âCopy in folder:â options have additional customization options:
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Create subfolder: Select this option if you want the external files copied into a subfolder of the folder specified above.
- Prefix (âmapsâ value added by default): Type in text to add as a prefix at the beginning of the subfolder name. If the âFilenameâ and âAsset nameâ options are unselected and the âSuffixâ field is blank, the text added to the prefix will be the folder name.
- Filename: The subfolder gets named as the current opened sceneâs name.
- Asset name: The subfolder gets the same name as the asset.
- Suffix: Type in text to add a suffix at the end of the subfolder name. If the âFilenameâ and âAsset nameâ options are unselected and the âPrefixâ field is blank, the text added to the suffix will be the folder name.
Nested folder: When this option is selected, the external files get copied to a subfolder of the folder you specify with the âCopy inâ options. This subfolder takes the asset name.
IMPORTANT: The âNested folderâ is an experimental workflow. Use with caution!
Manage external file paths
In this section, you choose how the Integration manages the external file paths of the assets you add to Connecter.
- Relink the external files paths to the âFound-inâ location: This option is available when the âCopy in: {assetâs folder} folder:â option is selected from the âCopy external filesâ dropdown. The Integration will gather all external files (present and missing in their original path but found elsewhere) and copy them to the
- Relink the external files paths to the âCopy-inâ location: This option is available when the âCopy in folder:â option is selected from the âCopy external filesâ dropdown. The Integration will gather all external files (present and missing in their original path but found elsewhere) and copy them to the âCopy inâ location, whether in the asset folder or another folder. Finally, all external files will be relinked to the âCopy inâ location.
- Strip all paths: This option will strip all external file paths. You can use this workflow if you donât want to have any specific paths saved with the asset and rely on the automatic search and discovery of external files when they are in the asset folder or subfolders.
- Donât update (Do nothing) (selected by default): This option will keep the external file paths in the scene from which you add the assets. Use caution as this may add your assets with unresolved missing external files and other related issues.
All previews generated or added for an asset are then handled by the Connecter app and linked to the asset to appear as previews when browsed in Connecter.
Presets
For both Add and Update workflows, you can save and use presets:
Settings
There are some additional options available when adding assets to Connecter. Click the Settings button at the top right of the âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â interface to open the âAsset Optionsâ dialogue.
Asset options
The options in this section help clean up any objectsâ transformations and scene elements you donât want to save with the asset youâre adding to your library
IMPORTANT: Itâs always recommended to carefully check the objects and materials youâre adding to Connecter and verify that everything is set according to your requirements. Use these options cautiously and donât rely entirely on them to automatically handle all your assets in any situation and use case.
Reset
- Position: Clears any position transformation applied to the objects youâre adding. This brings objects to the center of the coordinate system, meaning their pivot points are at the 0, 0, 0 point.
- Rotation: Clears any rotation transformation applied to the objects youâre adding. This realigns the objectsâ pivot points to world X, Y, and Z axes.
- Scale: Clears any scale transformation applied to the objects youâre adding.
- Material Editor (selected by default): Clears any materials added to the Material Editor. When this option is not selected, materials in the Material Editor slots also get saved with the asset youâre adding.
- Slate Material Editor (selected by default): Clears any materials added to the Slate Material Editor. When this option is not selected, materials in the Slate Material Editor slots also get saved with the asset youâre adding.
- Environment Map (selected by default): Clears the environment map if present in the scene youâre adding assets from.
Other
- Move pivot to the bottom center of the Asset: Positions the object pivot point at the button of its bounding box, meaning the lowest point along the world Z axis. This option is useful for many assets youâd usually want to place in your scenes âaboveâ the world coordinate system or another object. This, however, wonât work for assets âhangingâ from another object, like a chandelier on a ceiling.
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Apply Reset Xform and convert to Edit Poly: Applies a âReset Xformâ modifier on the objects and then converts them into editable poly objects. This is one way to reset any transformations, modifiers, and other features you donât want to save with the asset.
IMPORTANT: Use this option cautiously as you may lose features you want to save with the assets, including rigs, splines, etc. - Add Asset to default layer: 0(default): Moves all objects to the default layer.
- Delete empty layers: When this option is selected, any empty layers in the current scene wonât get saved with the asset youâre adding.
- Ignore hidden objects: When this option is selected, any hidden objects wonât get saved with the asset youâre adding.
Generating previews
This section offers additional functionality related to the generation of asset previews.
- Zoom extents (selected by default): When this option is selected, the Integration will apply the 3ds Max âzoom extentsâ command on the viewport so that the selected objects that are added as assets fit well into the view.
- Isolate asset (before generating preview) (selected by default): When this option is selected, the Integration first isolates the objects youâre adding (meaning all other scene objects are not visible) before executing the other adding-asset processes. This is useful when you generate previews with the âGrab form viewportâ, âCurrent render settings,â or âRender presetâ options, as it will ensure only the objects youâre adding are included in the preview.
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Custom size (pixel): You can set a custom size in pixels for the previews the Integration generates for the assets. This option will override the output size values in the Render Setup interface.
NOTE: Keep in mind that the Integration uses the output size setting not from the current scene youâre adding assets from but from the preset file (with the âRender Presetâ preview type) or from the studio scene file (with the âPreview Studioâ preview type) when either preview type option is selected. - Background: Overrides the background color setting in Environment and Effects > Environment tab > Common Parameters > Background.
- Use 3ds Max default frame buffer: When this option is selected, the Integration will use Maxâs default frame buffer to generate asset previews.
Asset previews
This sectionâs options control how the preview files are handled after they are generated.
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Auto-hide in Connecter (selected by default): This option tells Connecter to auto-hide the preview files in the Asset view in Connecter. Since preview files get linked to the actual asset they visualize and are visible through the asset item in the Asset view, youâd normally want to have the preview image files not messing with the other assets when browsing your library.
NOTE: You can always use the âShow hidden assetsâ option in Connecter to see the image files used as custom previews for the assets. Additionally, you can change their state from hidden to visible if you want to see them even when the âShow hidden assetsâ option is not selected. -
Save Previews in: When custom previews get generated for an asset you add to Connecter, the Integration saves the preview image files in a location according to this setting:
- Assetâs folder (selected by default): The preview image files are saved in the same folder where the asset is added.
- Custom folder: You can set a folder to host all preview image files for all assets you add to Connecter. To add a folder:
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- Select the âCustom folderâ option in the âSave Previews inâ dropdown.
- Click the browse â...â button at the right of the folder path field that appears below.
- Browse and select a folder in the File Browser that opens.
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Connecter Database: If you use Connecter with a Personal Workspace, you can use this option to store the preview image files in Connecterâs database rather than as files on the file system. This workflow removes the need to think about where preview files are stored and ensures that assetsâ custom previews are always available, as you canât accidentally delete or move to another folder.
NOTE: This option is not available for Connecter Suite Workspaces since storing and consuming assetsâ previews from the cloud where Connecter Suite Workspacesâ databases are hosted is not feasible performance and cost-wise.
Read more about the different Workspace types in Connecter here.
- Save Previews as: The Integration can save preview image files in JPG (default) or PNG file format.
- Compression: Adds compression to the image files from 0 to 99 %, where 0 is no compression, and 99 is maximum compression. The default value is 10.
- Alpha: If the PNG format is used, you can select this option to add an alpha to the image file to make the background around the objects transparent.
Custom scripts
The Integration allows you to customize the workflow by executing scripts before the add asset operation starts or before the Integration finally adds the asset to Connecter. Although itâs a powerful way to integrate even more specific features not available with the Integration, an experienced pipeline engineer should implement and deploy your custom solution.
IMPORTANT: We donât provide support on issues related to using external scripts with the Integration.
Executing external script before the add asset operation starts
If this option is selected, when you click the Add button in the âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â interface to add the asset, the Integration will execute the external script you pointed to, and after itâs done, start the add asset operation. To add an external script:
- Select the âRun custom script before processing assetâ option.
- Click the browse â...â button next to the file path field.
- Browse and select a Max script file.
Executing external script before saving the asset to the library
If this option is selected, when you click the Add button in the âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â interface to add the asset, the Integration will first execute all add asset operations and, after itâs done, execute the external script you pointed to. To add an external script:
- Select the âRun custom script before processing assetâ option.
- Click the browse â...â button next to the file path field.
- Browse and select a Max script file.
Adding Materials to Connecter
Due to their specifics, thereâs a separate workflow for adding material assets to your library in Connecter.
Adding multiple assets from selections
The Integration allows you to conveniently add multiple assets at once from an object or material selection in the scene. If there are multiple objects or materials in the selection youâre adding to Connecter, the âAdd as Multiple assetsâ button at the top left of the âConnecter | Add Asset(s)â interface becomes active. Clicking the button adds additional options to the âAsset nameâ section. There you can set the desired naming pattern for the multiple assets that are going to be created:
- Prefix: Adds a prefix at the beginning of the asset name.
- Filename: Assets take the current scene name.
- Object name: Each asset takes the name of the respective object or material it gets created from.
- Suffix: Adds a suffix at the end of the asset name.
Except for the naming pattern, the rest of the process of adding multiple assets is the same as when you add a single asset.
The following video demonstrates in short the âAdd multiple assetsâ workflow. Note that it hasnât been updated to feature the current state of the Integration and certain functionality may be missing or looking differently: