Once a drawing is linked or imported to 3ds Max, you can modify or replace the materials. The File Link Manager maintains a list of materials that it links to 3ds Max. If you change the properties of an assigned material while working in 3ds Max, the new properties can get overwritten the next time you reload an updated drawing, exported from Revit.
During a File Link reload, if the Show Reload Options switch is turned on, you can control how materials are handled by using the Use Scene Material Definitions or Use Scene Material Assignments on Reload options.
AccuRender materials consist of one or more base materials. For each base material you can set attributes such as color, reflectivity, transparency, index of refraction, bump maps, and image maps.
The Procedures list displays the simple materials that combine to form your final material definition and the rules for combining them. For simple materials, there is only one item in the list: Base. For complex materials, a tree indicates how the components combine. For example, the marble procedure consists of a Base material and a Vein material. While the Base material is considered a 'procedure', it is translated because it's at the bottom level of the material. The Vein material is ignored.
AccuRender materials that are applied to objects in the Revit drawing are translated when you link or import the drawing to 3ds Max. If the texture used for the material is a digital bitmap like a BMP or JPG file, the texture will be included with the material.
However, if the texture being used is one of the Procedures, the texture is not translated when the drawing is brought into 3ds Max. In these cases, you will see only the diffuse color.
To retain material settings made in 3ds Max during a reload:
The updated DWG file is reloaded and Revit materials retain the setting changes you made in 3ds Max.