When the 3ds max is first started, MAXScript searches for any startup script files that it then automatically loads and runs. This feature is useful if you have function libraries you always use and want preloaded, or if you want to establish custom UI settings, define scripted plug-ins, or load scripted utility rollouts.
The automatic loading of startup script files can be deactivated by turning off the Auto Start MAXScript option in the MAXScript page of the Preferences dialog, as described in the MAXScript Preferences Settings topic in the main product online help.
MAXScript first searches for a file named startup.ms in the following directories, in the order listed:
The Scripts directory (defined in the Configure Paths dialog)
The Startup Scripts directory (defined in the Configure Paths dialog)
The 3DS executable main directory
The Windows NT 32-bit system directory (system32)
The Windows 16-bit system directory (system)
The Windows directory
The directories that are listed in the PATH environment variable
MAXScript stops searching when it finds the first occurrence of startup.ms.
MAXScript then recursively scans the plug-ins and Startup Scripts directories (both defined in the Configure Paths dialog) and directories nested within them for .ms and .mse script files and loads them. In this pass, any script files with the name startup.ms are ignored. This allows you to place your scripted plug-in scripts in the plug-in folders for automatic loading. They can be managed like DLL plug-ins, and used to organize your startup scripts into groups in their own directories for easier management. You can prevent a nested directory from being scanned by placing its name in parentheses, for example "(old-versions)", allowing you to enable and disable scripts in handy directory-based groupings.