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MAX2C4D Interface Guide — Every Button Explained

MAX2C4D has exactly two windows: an Export dialog inside 3ds Max and an Import dialog inside Cinema 4D. This page walks through every button, checkbox and dropdown in both — short version first, hit the + for the full details.

Every option coveredDefaults explainedCorona + V-RayUpdated for v1.2.3
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How the Two Dialogs Fit Together

The 3ds Max side exports your scene into a folder — geometry as scene.obj, materials, lights, cameras and render settings as scene_materials.json, plus a tex/ folder with copied textures. The Cinema 4D side imports that folder and rebuilds everything as native C4D objects and shaders.

You can drive this two ways: manually (click EXPORT SCENE in Max, then IMPORT SCENE in C4D), or fully automatic with IMPORT .MAX FILE, which launches 3ds Max invisibly in the background and does both steps for you.

Both dialogs stay in sync
The export path and options are stored in a shared preferences file. Set the folder once — in either app — and the other side picks it up automatically. That's also how the license works: activate once, both apps are unlocked.

The Export Dialog (3ds Max)

Open it from the MAX2C4D toolbar icon or menu inside 3ds Max. It does one job: turn the current scene into a folder Cinema 4D can read.

MAX2C4D Export dialog in 3ds Max: export path, scene options, DIAGNOSE and EXPORT SCENE buttons

Export path

Export Path + Browse…

The output folder where the exported scene is written.

Default

Resets the path to the standard folder, C:\TEMP3D\max2c4d\.

Options

Full Scene / Selection Only

Default: Full Scene

Export the entire scene, or only the objects currently selected in the viewport.

Skip hidden objects

Default: on

Hidden objects are left out of the export.

Export with Subdivision (TurboSmooth/MeshSmooth)

Default: on

Bakes subdivision modifiers into the exported mesh, so C4D receives the smoothed geometry.

Keep original texture paths (no copy)

Default: off

Off = textures are copied next to the export. On = keep the original absolute paths, copy nothing.

Actions

DIAGNOSE

Pre-flight check: a full report of everything that could go wrong before you export.

EXPORT SCENE

Runs the export: writes scene.obj, scene_materials.json and the tex/ folder.

The Import Dialog (Cinema 4D)

Open it from Extensions → MAX2C4D Import in Cinema 4D. This is where scenes are rebuilt — and on Windows, where the one-click .max workflow lives.

MAX2C4D Import dialog in Cinema 4D: import buttons, renderer selection and import options

Path

Path + Browse…

The folder to import from — the same shared folder as the Max side.

Import

IMPORT .MAX FILE

Windows only

One-click import: pick .max (or .zip / .rar) files — 3ds Max launches invisibly in the background, exports, and the scene lands in C4D automatically.

IMPORT SCENE

Imports an already-exported folder (scene.obj + scene_materials.json).

Options

Renderer: Auto / Corona / V-Ray

Default: Auto

Which material converter to use — Auto detects it from the scene.

Convert instances

Default: on

Recreates 3ds Max instances as true Cinema 4D render instances.

Override render settings

Default: on

Applies the render resolution and Corona/V-Ray render settings from the Max scene.

Skip hidden objects

One-click only

Only used by IMPORT .MAX FILE — tells the background export to leave hidden objects out.

Keep original texture paths

One-click only

Only used by IMPORT .MAX FILE — link textures at their original locations instead of copying them.

Rebuild object hierarchy

Default: on

Recreates 3ds Max groups and parent/child links in Cinema 4D.

Keep Max alive: Off / 5 / 10 / 15 / 30 min

Windows only

After a one-click import, keeps 3ds Max running in the background so the next import skips the slow startup.

Explore the rest of MAX2C4D

Features

Every supported material, shader and renderer setting.

How it works

Step-by-step walkthrough of a real conversion.

Batch exporter

Convert 40 .max files overnight, unattended.

Use cases

Asset libraries, client deliveries, studio migrations.

Pricing

One-time purchase. 1 year of updates. Money-back guarantee.

Related Guides

How to Open .max Files in Cinema 4D

Why C4D can’t read .max natively — and the workflow that fixes it.

Convert 3ds Max Scenes to Cinema 4D

Full conversion guide — geometry, materials, lights, cameras and render settings.

3dsky / Evermotion Assets in C4D

How to use .max archviz asset libraries in Cinema 4D without losing materials.

Frequently Asked Questions

One-click .max import drives 3ds Max in the background, and 3ds Max only exists on Windows — so the button only appears in the Windows version of the Cinema 4D plugin. On macOS, export from 3ds Max on a Windows machine first, then use IMPORT SCENE to load the exported folder on your Mac.

No. Activate your key once — in either app — and the other side auto-detects it. The License button also lets you deactivate a machine to free the seat for another workstation.

Two dialogs. One click. Every material intact.

Now that you know what every button does — put them to work.

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