[Wynott]

I've been opening the 3dm I want materials from, applying the desired material to a box then pasting the box into the new file. I think this faster than going through the mxm export/import process.

I'm envisioning an import material option where you can select a 3dm file and then get a box with all the materials in that file.

With that said I haven''t fully explored the database manager and setting up a central library of materials.

[JDHill]

I don't think there's any way, technically, to do what you ask (having the plugin open a 3DM file, in order to read the Maxwell materials it contains).

If there are materials that you will use in several models, you need to get them out of the context of a particular 3DM; drag your material from Scene Manager > Materials to Database Manager > MXM Browser to write it to your disk as an MXM. You can then later drag that MXM into whatever model you want. It is also possible to establish a link between a material in the scene and an MXM file; to learn more about the relationship between materials and MXM files, please see here.