3ds max Commands

The general syntax for 3ds max commands is:

max <command_name>

MAXScript allows you to invoke 3ds max menu and toolbar commands from within scripts using the max construct. For example:

max file open

max unhide all

max hold

max time play

The keyword max is followed by one or more words that describe the command. The available commands can be displayed using the '?' character in a partial max command:

max time ?  -- show all the time-related commands

max sel ?   -- show all the commands with 'sel' in them as a substring

max ?       -- show all the commands (there are a lot!)

The max command always returns the system value ok.

Note: The max spacebar max command appears to do nothing when invoked from the Listener window, because the spacebar command is window-specific and only locks selections in the active window. Because it is the Listener window that is active, 3ds max effectively ignores this command.

3ds max Command Name	Command description
max ?	Displays all max commands to listener
max accel pan	Activates viewport Pan mode
max acthomegrid max activate home grid	Makes home grid the active grid
max activate grid object	Makes selected grid the active grid
max adaptive persp grid max adaptive perspective grid toggle	Changes look of grid in non-orthographic viewports.
max align	Activates Align mode
max align normals max alignnormals	Activates Align Normals mode
max align camera	Places you in Align Camera mode
max angle snap toggle	Toggles Angle Snap toggle
max apply ik	Same as clicking Apply IK button in Hierarchy/IK panel
max array	Displays Array dialog
max backface max backface cull toggle	Toggles Backface Cull for selected objects
max background max background display toggle	Displays Viewport Background dialog
max bind space warp mode max bindwsm	Activates Bind to Space Warp mode
max box mode max box mode selected	Toggles Display as Box for selected objects
max box mode toggle max box toggle	Toggles active viewport's shading mode to/from Bounding Box
max configure paths	Displays Configure Paths dialog
max create mode	Sets Create command mode active
max customize UI	Displays Customize User Interface dialog
max cycle select	Cycles through Selection Region types û Rectangular, Circular, Fence
max cycle sublevel max cycle subobject level	Cycles through sub-object levels. Must be in Modify panel with Sub-Object active.
max default lighting toggle max def lgt toggle	Toggles between default viewport lights and scene lights for viewport rendering
max delete	Deletes selected objects or sub-objects
max display floater	Displays Display Floater dialog
max display mode	Sets Display command mode active
max dolly max dolly mode	Activates Zoom/Dolly mode
max drawingaids max drawing aids	Displays Grid and Snap Setting dialog
max fetch	Activates Edit/Fetch û displays About to Fetch dialog
max file archive	Activates File/Archive û performs a scene file archive operation
max file export selected	Activates File/Export Selected û displays Select File to Export dialog
max file import	Activates File/Import û displays Select File to Import dialog
max file insert tracks	Activates File/Merge û displays Merge Animation dialog
max file merge	Activates File/Merge û displays Merge File dialog
max file new	Activates File/New
max file open	Activates File/Open û displays Open File dialog
max file preferences	Activates Customize/Preferences û displays Preference Settings dialog
max file replace	Activates File/Replace û displays Replace File dialog
max file save	Activates File/Save
max file saveas	Activates File/Save As û displays Save File As dialog
max file xref object	Activates File/XRef Objects - displays XRef Objects dialog
max file xref scene	Activates File/XRef Scenes - displays XRef Scenes dialog
max fov	Activates Region Zoom/FOV/Falloff mode
max freeze inv	Freezes non-selected objects. Same as clicking Freeze Unselected in Display panel.
max freeze selection	Freezes selected objects. Same as clicking Freeze Selected in Display panel.
max fullinteract	No operation
max grid nudge down	Nudges active grid down
max grid nudge up	Nudges active grid up
max grid toggle	Toggles display of active grid in active viewport
max grids align	Aligns active grid to active viewport
max group attach	Enters Attach Object to Group mode û user clicks on group to attach selected objects to the group
max group close	Closes active group
max group detach	Detaches selected objects from group
max group group	Groups selected objects û displays Group dialog
max group open	Opens selected group
max group ungroup	Ungroups objects in selected group
max help about	Activates Help/About û displays the About 3ds max dialog
max hide camera toggle	Toggles Camera in Hide by Category rollout in Display panel.
max hide command panel toggle	Toggles display of command panel
max hide floating toolbars toggle	Toggles display of floating toolbars
max hide helper toggle	Toggles Helpers in Hide by Category rollout in Display panel.
max hide inv	Hides un-selected objects. Same as clicking Hide Unselected in Display panel.
max hide light toggle	Toggles Lights in Hide by Category rollout in Display panel.
max hide main toolbar toggle	Toggles display of main toolbar
max hide object toggle	Toggles Geometry in Hide by Category rollout in Display panel.
max hide tab panel toggle	Toggles display of Tab Panel
max hide selection	Hides selected objects. Same as clicking Hide Selected in Display panel.
max hide shape toggle	Toggles Shapes in Hide by Category rollout in Display panel.
max hide system toggle	Toggles Particle Systems in Hide by Category rollout in Display panel.
max hide wsm toggle	Toggles Space Warps in Hide by Category rollout in Display panel.
max hierarchy mode	Sets Hierarchy command mode active
max hold	Activates Edit/Hold
max ik terminator	Toggles Terminator in Hierarchy/IK, Object Parameters rollout
max ipan	Interactive Pan û places center of active viewport at current mouse location
max izoom in	Interactive Zoom In û zooms in active viewport at current mouse location
max izoom out	Interactive Zoom Out û zooms out active viewport at current mouse location
max key mode	Toggles Key Mode Toggle
max link	Activates Link mode
max load custom UI	Activates Customize/Load Custom UI û displays Load UI File dialog
max lock UI layout	Toggles locking of the UI layout
max material browser	Displays the Material/Map Browser dialog
max mirror	Activates Mirror mode û displays Mirror dialog
max modify mode	Sets Modify command mode active
max motion mode	Sets Motion command mode active
max move	Activates Select and Move mode
max mtledit	Activates Tools/Material Editor û displays Material Editor dialog
max next mod	Moves up one level in modifier stack
max override	Toggles Degradation Override. Executing this command works on the active window only, so if executed from Listener does nothing.
max pancamera	Activates Arc Rotate/Orbit mode
max panview	Activates Pan/Truck mode
max persp	Activates Zoom All/Perspective/Hotspot mode
max prev mod	Moves down one level in modifier stack
max preview	Activates Rendering/Make Preview û displays Make Preview dialog
max properties	Displays Object Properties dialog
max quick render	Performs Quick Render
max redo	Performs Redo operation
max renamepreview	Activates Rendering/Rename Preview û displays Save Preview As dialog
max render last	Performs Render Last
max render scene	Activate Render Scene û displays Render Scene dialog
max reset file	Activates File/Reset
max revert custom UI	Activates Customize/Revert to Startup UI û displays confirmation dialog
max rns	Activates Edit/Edit Named Selections û displays Edit Named Selection dialog
max roll	Activates Roll mode û active viewport must camera or light viewport
max rotate	Activates Select and Rotate mode
max rotateview	Activates Arc Rotate/Orbit mode
max save custom UI as	Activates Customize/Save Custom UI As - displays Save UI File as dialog
max safeframe toggle	Toggles viewport Show Safe Frames
max saveplus	Activates File/Save As in incremental file naming mode
max scale	Activates Select and Scale mode
max scale cycle	Cycles through Scale modes û Scale, Non-Uniform Scale, Squash
max select	Activates Select mode
max select all	Activates Edit/Select All û selects all objects
max select by color	Activates Edit/Select by Color û user then picks object, all objects with same wireframe color selected
max select child	Selects all 1st level children of currently selected objects
max select invert	Activates Edit/Select Invert
max select none	Activates Edit/Select None
max select parent	Selects parents of currently selected objects
max selection floater	Displays Selection Floater dialog
max shade selected	Toggles Views/Shade Selected
max show last img	Displays last rendered image
max showaxisicon	Toggles Views/Show Transform Gizmo
max showhomegrid	Toggles display of home grid
max snap toggle	Toggles Snap Toggle
max spacebar	Toggles Lock Selection Set. Executing this command works on the active window only, so if executed from Listener does nothing.
max spacing tool	Displays Spacing Tool dialog
max spinsnap toggle	Toggles Spinner Snap Toggle
max subobject sel	Toggles Sub-Object button in Modify panel
max swap layouts	No operation û no A/B layout any more
max texture correct	Toggles viewport Texture Correction
max time back	Sets time slider to previous frame or keyframe (Previous Frame/Previous Key)
max time config	Displays Time Configuration dialog
max time end	Sets time slider to end frame (Go to End)
max time forward	Sets time slider to next frame or keyframe (Next Frame/Next Key)
max time play	Plays animation
max time start	Sets time slider to start frame (Go to Start)
max toggle key mode	No operation
max toggle keyboard shortcuts	Toggles Plug-in Keyboard Shortcut Toggle
max toggle ik	Toggles IK Toggle
max toggle sound	Toggles Active in Audio group of Sound Options dialog
max tool animmode	Taggles Animate button
max tool center	Cycles through transform centers û Pivot Point, Selection, Transform
max tool dualplanes	Toggles state of Use Dual Planes in Preference Settings dialog, Viewports tab.
max tool hlist	Activates Select by Name û displays Select Objects dialog
max tool maximize	Maximizes/Minimizes active viewport
max tool x	Activates Restrict to X
max tool xy	Activates Restrict to XY
max tool y	Activates Restrict to Y
max tool z	Activates Restrict to Z
max tool zoom	Activates Zoom/Dolly mode
max tool zoomall	Activates Zoom All
max tool zoomextents	Activates Zoom Extents
max tool zoomextents all	Activates Zoom Extents All
max tool zoomregion	Activates Zoom Region/FOV/Falloff mode
max trajectories	Toggles trajectory display for selected objects
max treeview	Activates Track View/Open Track View û displays Track View dialog
max truck	Activates Pan/Truck mode
max tti	Activates Tools/Transform Type-In û display Transform Type-In dialog
max undo	Performs undo operation
max unfreeze all	Unfreezes all objects. Same as clicking Unfreeze All in Display panel.
max unfreeze by hit	Activates Unfreeze by Hit mode. Same as clicking Unfreeze by Hit in Display panel.
max unfreeze by name	Displays Unfreeze Objects dialog. Same as clicking Unfreeze by Name in Display panel.
max unhide all	Unhides all objects. Same as clicking Unhide All in Display panel.
max unhide by name	Displays Unhide Objects dialog. Same as clicking Unhide by Name in Display panel.
max unitsetup	Activates Customize/Units Setup û displays Units Setup dialog
max unlink	Unlinks selected objects from their parents
max utility mode	Sets Utility command mode active
max videopost	Activates Rendering/Video Post û displays Video Post dialog
max view file	Activates File/View File û displays View File dialog
max view redo	Performs viewport redo operation
max viewpreview	Activates Rendering/View Preview û displays last preview
max views redraw	Redraws all viewports
max views undo	Performs viewport undo operation
max vpt back	Sets active viewport to Back
max vpt bottom	Sets active viewport to Bottom
max vpt camera	Sets active viewport to Camera. If only 1 camera in scene, or a camera is selected, that camera will be used for the viewport. If there is more than one camera, and no cameras are selected, the Select Camera dialog will be displayed. If there is no camera in the scene, a No Camera in Scene warning is displayed.
max vpt disable	Toggles Disabled state of active viewport
max vpt front	Sets active viewport to Front
max vpt grid	Sets active viewport to Grid
max vpt iso user	Sets active viewport to User
max vpt left	Sets active viewport to Left
max vpt persp user	Sets active viewport to Perspective
max vpt right	Sets active viewport to Right
max vpt shape	Sets active viewport to Shape
max vpt spot	Sets active viewport to Spotlight. If only 1 spotlight/directional light in scene, or a spotlight/directional light is selected, that light will be used for the viewport. If there is more than one spotlight/directional light, and no lights are selected, the Select Light dialog will be displayed. If there is no spotlight/directional light in the scene, a No Light in Scene warning is displayed.
max vpt tab	Cycles between Restrict to axes û X, Y, Z, XY
max vpt top	Sets active viewport to Top
max vpt track	Sets active viewport to Track View
max vptconfig	Activates Customize/Viewport Configuration - displays Viewport Configuration dialog
max wire facet	Sets active viewport shading mode to Facets + Highlights
max wire smooth	Sets active viewport shading mode to Wireframe
max zoom in 2x	Zooms in active viewport by 2x
max zoom in 2x all	Zooms in all viewports by 2x
max zoom out 2x	Zooms out active viewport by 2x
max zoom out 2x all	Zooms out all viewports by 2x
max zoomext sel	Activates Zoom Extends Selected
max zoomext sel all	Activates Zoom Extends All Selected