Saving and Loading Custom User Interfaces

You can customize your workspace by saving and loading custom user interface (UI) schemes.

A custom UI scheme is saved as a set of six files:

.cui: Stores toolbar and panel layouts.
.clr: Stores all color settings (except quad menu colors).
.mnu: Stores menu bar and quad menu contents.
.qop: Stores quad menu colors, layout, and behavior.
.kbd: Stores keyboard shortcut assignments.
.ui: Stores the icon scheme (Classic or 2D Black and White).

You can load and save each of these files individually from their respective panels in the Customize User Interface dialog. You can also load an entire set of UI scheme files at once with the Load Custom UI Scheme dialog, and you can save the current UI scheme as a complete set with the Save Custom UI Scheme dialog.

By default, two sets of UI schemes are present in the 3dsmax\UI\ folder: maxstart and defaultUI. Upon startup, 3ds Max uses the maxstart file series if it exists; if not, it uses the defaultui series.

WarningDo not save over any files that begin with defaultUI, as doing so permanently overwrites the default UI scheme.

Procedures

To load a custom UI scheme:

Set up the custom UI scheme within 3ds Max using the options on the Customize menu Customize User Interface dialog.
Save the custom UI scheme with Customize menu Save Custom UI Scheme.
During your current 3ds Max session or any later session, choose Customize menu Load Custom UI Scheme.
In the Load Custom UI Scheme dialog, select a type of customization file (.cui, .mnu, .clr, .kbd, .qmo, or .ui) from the Files of Type drop-down list.
Choose any file with the appropriate extension. 3ds Max will search for (and load) any other type of UI scheme file with the same base file name.
If you choose a UI scheme for which one of the six file types is not present, the part of the user interface for which there is no file will not be changed.

To return to the default UI scheme:

If you start 3ds Max and its user interface has an unfamiliar layout, you can always return to the default UI scheme.

Choose Customize Load Custom UI Scheme.
From the Load UI File dialog that displays, choose defaultui.cui, and click Open.
All the default UI files begin with the base file name defaultui. When you choose defaultui.cui, 3ds Max loads all default UI scheme files.

To start 3ds Max with a custom user interface:

Arrange the user interface as you would like it to appear when you start 3ds Max.
Choose Customize menu Save Custom UI Scheme, and save your custom UI scheme with the base file name maxstart.
The next time you start 3ds Max, 3ds Max uses the current UI scheme.

NoteIf the Save UI Configuration On Exit option on the Customize menu Preferences General tab is on (which it is by default), the state of the user interface when you close 3ds Max overwrites the maxstart UI scheme files.

To start 3ds Max with a custom user interface from the command line:

Save your custom UI scheme with a descriptive base file name with the Save Custom UI Scheme dialog.
Right-click the 3ds Max icon on the Windows desktop, and choose Properties.
In the Target field, change 3dsmax.exe to 3dsmax.exe -c, followed by the name of your .cui file.
Example: 3dsmax.exe -c myfile.cui. Be sure to leave a space both before and after the -c.

If you want to move the UI scheme to a different computer, copy all the files in the 3dsmax\UI\ folder that start with the custom UI scheme base name to the new 3dsmax\UI\ folder. Alternately, you can add the path name to the command line.

To save a single UI scheme file:

Choose Customize menu Customize User Interface.
Access the panel for the type of user interface item you want to save.
On the panel, click Save.

To change the icon display from Classic to 2D Black and White:

Choose Customize menu Save Custom UI Scheme, enter a filename, and click Save.
On the Custom Scheme dialog, next to Icon Type, choose the type of icon you want to display.
Click OK to close the dialog and save the scheme.
Choose Customize menu Load Custom UI Scheme and then open the UI scheme you saved.

Load Custom UI Scheme
On the Load Custom UI Scheme dialog, you specify the base file name of the custom UI scheme you want to load. You can select any type of UI scheme file from the dialog, and 3ds Max will load any other type of UI scheme files with the same base file name.
Save Custom UI Scheme
This standard Windows file save dialog lets you save your customized UI scheme.
Revert to Startup Layout
Revert To Startup layout automatically loads _startup.ui, which returns the user interface to its startup settings. This temporary system file is created automatically when you start 3ds Max. Use this option to return the UI to startup settings.

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