How to reduce 3ds max file size?

VizAcademy answers your questions: “How do I make my 3ds files smaller?

3d Max rendering files can get big quickly. Smaller render files are obviously easier and quicker to process and share. So how do you keep 3ds files small?

Before we look at ways to make 3ds max files smaller, let’s understand how and why 3ds files get so big, and how to check their size as we render in 3ds.

3ds rendering project files have various elements – things like proxy, linked geometry etc. But there are two overarching components: 3d models, and texture files. Monitoring model and texture file sizes during render is essential to keeping 3ds file sizes smaller.

How to check your 3ds file size?

Hit key 7 on your keyboard (you can also configure this in a Vieport image 1 – shortcut Alt + B). This will turn on vertex and the polygon number in the scene, and show you your 3ds file size at each stage of the rendering process. We recommend around 1-2 million polys for simple interiors and 2-3 million polys for simple exteriors. (Your poly count can go up to 5 or 10 million if you have 32 Gb RAM and a fast processor. You can find our poly count suggestions on our Instagram.) Most VizAcademy student folio 3ds renders have around 1-2 million polys for interiors and 2-3 million polys for exteriors.

3d models vary a lot in quality! Modelled badly, a small light spot might only have a few million polygons. To avoid this, check the layer list. Turn on Toggle Scene Explorer (image 2) and add a column with Faces to check how big each model or group (image 3) is.

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You can find model wire density in the Viewport (image 3). There, press F4. The wire density will show you where the model has high poly (image 4). If you see dark areas in the Viewport, analyse the areas because they can be problematic.

How to make 3ds files smaller by saving textures correctly

The way you save your textures affects 3ds file size a lot. Exr, hdr (<?? N) or tiff formats are data hungry. Check your textures folder. If some of the texture files are 10Mb and more, resave them as a png or jpeg file to reduce the file size. HDRi map or background images can be large, too; but don’t touch them because they are key to the eventual render’s quality.

 How do I compress a 3ds Max file to make the 3ds files smaller?

3ds max files can be compressed easily. Data compression makes archiving more rational. To make your 3ds files smaller, first make sure your 3ds files are properly named (no strange symbols, please!”£%^&*(]())*%^$£!) To save your file click Files (top right of the 3ds max window – image 5). In this window you can select the files’ save location. You can also choose which 3ds max year version you would like to save it in (image 6). Remember: if you would like to open your 3ds file in older versions of 3ds max you must have saved it in that same year version. E.g.: if you work in 3ds max 2021 and you want to open a file archived in 3ds max 2018, you need to select 3ds max 2018 (image7) to open it. After that you will see a black screen with only packing info on it. No need to call Ghostbusters! This is standard 3ds max packing process. After a few minutes, your 3ds file will be packed in a selected folder.

Viz tip: If you get an error message after clicking save, check the Autodesk official forum. Again don’t worry! It’s usually something simple like incorrect 3ds max admin access, or insufficient space on your PC. 

How do I clean my 3ds Max to make 3ds files smaller?

Cleaning your 3ds max file will help to reduce the file size. To clean your 3ds Max files to reduce your 3ds file size, hide all models which are not visible in the render. Viz tip: If you have a lot of invisible models, they slow down your render and increase your files size.

Now reduce your 3d models with a Turbosmooth modification. Viz tip: If the model is far from the cam and you don’t see details, you can downgrade Turbosmooth strength to 1 or 0. Each Turbosmooth iteration upscales your poly count quickly; so downgrading from 5 to 1 can be important for big models like, say, a sofa, an armchair, or a car.

 Next, optimize your models with ProOptimizer modifier. With this, you can reduce 90% of vertexes from a selected model. Just select your model and add a ProOptimizer modifier from the modifier list. Then select Protect border and Keep Textures. Viz tip: Those options will save your models overall form, and mapping options. (image 7). 

In image 8 you can see the difference between models before and after ProOptimizer. The upper model has 61834 vertexes and the lower one (after optimisation) has only 12368. That’s 80% less! You can reduce the vertex and poly count as much as you need. If the model is closer to the cam, you can try to reduce around 10-30% of the vertexes and polygons. But if the model is far away you can reduce by anything from 30% to 95%.

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So that’s our rough guide to making 3ds files smaller. Smaller 3ds files will make them easier to archive, rework, and share, and will be a lot easier on your PC’s rendering processor.

Got a rendering related question for the VizAcademy? We’re all ears!

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