File Load: Units Mismatch Dialog
 
 
 
Command entry:Change the system unit scale. Open, Merge, XRef, or drag geometry from a file with a different unit scale.

This dialog appears when you open or merge a file that has been saved with system unit settings that are different from those of your current 3ds Max session. The default system unit setting is Inches.

If you open a file with the system unit set to meters, for example, you will see this dialog.

When this happens, you have two options:

NoteThis dialog appears only if Respect System Units In Files is enabled on the System Unit Setup dialog.

Interface

Rescale the File Objects to the System Unit Scale

Objects from the file are rescaled to the current session's system unit scale.

NoteMany features depend on the scale of the scene, so choosing to rescale the file objects can have unpredictable results, particularly in scenes using radiosity. Reset and recalculate radiosity if you have rescaled the file objects.
TipUse the Zoom Extents All button if the geometry is no longer visible in the viewport after rescaling.
Adopt the File's Unit Scale

The system unit scale is changed to match that of the other file. This is the default option.

Choosing Adopt The File’s Unit Scale adds two settings to your 3dsmax.ini file: UnitType= and UnitScale=. For this reason, this change is persistent between sessions until you reset it manually.

To get back the default System Unit Scale, you can edit your 3dsmax.ini file and remove those settings; or go to Customize Units Setup System Unit Setup and change the units back to the default scale, Inches.

TipObjects with a UVW Unwrap may lose their texture coordinate information when you choose this option. If this occurs, choose the Rescale option rather than the Adopt option.