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When I set up the scene in 3D Max ( as with the beta) and try to render I always get a noisy black and white image. The set up of materials, emitters and so on are the same with the previous beta but nothing to do. When I open the mxi in Studio I must to reorder some things, like materials and emitters to have the right rendering. Can anyone explain why in 3D Max it is impossible to reneder in the right way? It is because a bug or I loose something?

Getting the 3ds Max plugin to work

The 3ds Max plugin won't read the Maxwell Materials created with the Beta version.

Short and Quick Explanation
You will need to create new MXM materials using the Standalone for RC1.
(Read further down for an explanation on how to create the MXM's)
Export the MXM's material to a folder on your hard drive.

Inside 3ds Max, open the Material Editor, create a new Maxwell MXM shader. Click the box labled "MXM file:"
and find the MXM you just created and placed on your hard drive, load it into the material editor.
Map this material to your scene in Max as usual. You will need a diffuse material and at least one emitter to light the scene.

Resolve the license setup as well as Configure User Path issues before you attempt to render from 3ds Max.
(check the board for those postings)

To render from 3ds Max check the box "Launch render after saving MXS" in the MXS Export Options panel in the System tab in Max's Render Scene Dialog. To view your scene while it is rendering include -d in the "MXCL command line options" in the system tab. (Same as the Beta)


To Create an MXM in the RC standalone
Open the Maxwell standalone.
It is not necessary to have any objects or cameras in the scene.

Right click in the "Maxwell Material list" panel, select Create material.
Give the material a name other than default, such as MXM DiffusePurple01, click OK.
Highlight the new material in the list. Click the paint brush brush icon to Launch Material editor from the toolbar .
(it's to the left of the render button)
With the editor open select a color for "Reflectance" the picker panel should appear with the color wheel. Pick a color, close the picker.
With the Material Editor still open go to File "Export Material". Name the file and place in a folder on your hard drive. This is start of your new Maxwell Material library.

Creating the Emitter
Right click in the "Maxwell Material list" and Create material. Name this one, MXM Emitter01. Select MXM Emitter01 in the list. Use the paint brush to Launch Material Editor. In the panel where it says "material layer" pick "basic", right click and Delete layer. When it asks to delete selected layer click Yes. Right click to "Add emitter". Select the new emitter in the material layers box to activate it and adjust properties as desired. With the Material Editor panel still open export this material
as an .mxm

Apply these materials inside 3ds Max and render scene.

Same, my environment variables are all there but it can't find mxcl.exe. What's the secret and more importantly, why does it need to be so difficult?

ok got it to find MXCL.exe and now it says "License file is invalid!"

fixed through sheer luck

I finally got it working:

1. De-installed the RC and deleted the directories
2. Installed RC in a new directory i called c:\NextLimit (with no spaces not sure it matters)
3. Copied the license file to both the Maxwell main directory and the mxcl subdirectory
4. Checked the user environment vaiable for MAXWELL_ROOT = (path to maxwell)
5. Added \mxcl to the user environment variable called path
6. Reboot PC
7. In 3ds max chose Configure paths and add path to the mxcl in under External files tab
8. set up a scene in 3ds max. Only diffuse materials and CUSTOM emitters with w/m^2) and a maxwell camera.
9. Assign maxwell as render
10. Change the .mxs output filename

Try RC2 and latest plugins please.