What Happened to My Textures?

Textures disappear from files if you move or delete any textures from the relative and absolute paths of the associated media files location. This can happen when you give the FBX file to someone using a different computer who does not have that texture in that directory on your computer drive.

Use the Embed media option to make the FBX plug-in include (embed) associated media (textures, for example) within the FBX file. The plug-in then extracts the media to an .fbm folder at import. The plug-in copies the embedded media to a <fileName>.fbm folder in the same location as the FBX file and is named after the FBX file.

Note When you activate Embed Media, the media is contained within the FBX file itself, and this has an impact on file size. It is good practice to use this option only when you transport an FBX file to a location where the original media source is no longer accessible by the receiver.

If you disable the Embed Media option, the FBX plug-in stores the relative and absolute paths of the associated media files at export time. This causes problems if, for some reason, the path is no longer accessible. Make sure that the associated media is accessible to ensure the proper import of these media files.

Embed Media is Active, But I still Do Not See My Textures

In previous versions of the 3ds Max FBX Plug-in, when you saved an FBX file with the Embed Media option activated, the embedded files were extracted to a folder in the same location as the FBX file. If you did not have write permission for the folder, then the media files were not extracted. You can experience this lack of write permission when you work over a network.

With the current version of the 3ds Max FBX Plug-in, if you do not have write permission for the folder creation, the media files are sent to a temp folder instead. See Embed media.

Note If you export your file in ASCII format using FBX versions 2010 and earlier, no textures can be embedded.

Why Are My Textures Mapped Incorrectly?

You will get incorrect texture mapping when you import objects into 3ds Max Design that meet the following conditions:

Objects are created in 3ds Max Design with the Real-World Map Size (UV Mapping) option activated
Materials have the Use Real-World Scale (Bitmap Coordinates rollout) option disabled
UV Tiling is set to anything other than 1.0.

If you have objects that fit all these criteria you will have mapping issues when importing into 3ds Max Design because the imported materials reset the Real-world Scale option back to On. This inconsistency occurs because 3ds Max Design has different defaults from 3ds Max.

To compensate for this, once the file is imported into 3ds Max Design, disable Real-world Scale in the Material Editor Bitmap Coordinates rollout.

Poser-created Collada (DAE) Files in Maya

Files lose their texture maps if you import Collada (DAE) files created in Poser. When the FBX plug-in encounters this limitation the Missing Map Files dialog box appears when you render. This is because 3ds Max cannot locate the files.

You can address this if you add the location to the External Files path list.

To keep textures visible:

In 3ds Max, click Customize Configure User Paths.
The Configure User Paths dialog box appears.
Select the External Files tab and click Add.
Navigate to the location of the texture files in the Choose New External Files Path dialog box.
Click Use Path.
When you render your file, the texture maps are shown.

For a description of this limitation, see Missing texture maps in DAE files.