Generate Custom Previews
You can conveniently create custom previews for your 3ds Max assets within Connecter by using the "Generate Custom Previews" feature. To generate the previews, Connecter launches a dedicated instance of 3ds Max in the background so it doesn't interrupt your work. Once the preview is rendered, Connecter automatically adds the saved preview image as a custom preview to the asset. 

Feature setup: Choosing local preview studios folder

To start using the Generate Custom Previews feature, you must first set it up by choosing a local folder for the preview studios' content.
IMPORTANT: Connecter will copy the preview studios' 3d files and their previews and organize all related metadata in the local folder you specify. Ensure all Connecter instances within your team can access the folder.  

Feature setup: Adding preview studios

Preview studio is a 3ds Max 3d scene in which the assets having previews generated get merged and rendered. It can be just an empty scene or a more sophisticated one as long as it yields the visual output you're looking for. You can download ready-to-use free studios from Connecter's cloud or use your custom scenes to add a new preview studio.  

To add a preview studio from Connecter's cloud
  1. Select one or more 3ds max assets and choose the "Generate Custom Previews" command in the contextual asset menu. 
  1. Click the "GET STUDIOS" button in the main blue toolbar of the GENERATE CUSTOM PREVIEWS interface. 
  1. From the GET PREVIEW STUDIOS interface, browse the available studios and click the "Download studio files" icon at the end STATUS column of the studios you want to download. Once the preview studio gets downloaded, a "Preview studio successfully downloaded" notification appears. 
  1. Click the BACK button in the main blue toolbar to return to the main GENERATE CUSTOM PREVIEWS interface. You are all set up to start using the Generate Custom Previews feature. 

To add your custom-prepared preview studio:
  1. Select one or more 3ds max assets and choose the "Generate Custom Previews" command in the contextual asset menu. 
  1. Click the "ADD STUDIOS" button in the main blue toolbar of the GENERATE CUSTOM PREVIEWS interface. 
  1. In the "Add new preview studio" interface:
  • Type in studio name;
  • Browse the 3ds Max 3d studio scene;
  • Browse an image to use as a preview for the studio;
  • Add Description (optional);
  • Add Author (optional);
  • Choose the relevant render engine from the list.
  1. Click the ADD STUDIO button. A notification with an important explanation will appear:
  • "The preview studio file is now copied into the dedicated folder structure, and Connecter will use it from there when generating previews. Before using it, make sure that any related external files are discoverable by all Connecter instances by setting their locations and paths in the studio scene." 

  • IMPORTANT: Ensure you follow the instructions and set up any external file paths and locations accordingly. Connecter will copy only the studio's 3d file to the preview studios folder. You must ensure to copy any external files in the same folder (or subfolder) where Connecter will place the studio 3d scene or set absolute paths that all Connecter instances can access.

Setting up your custom studio scenes 

Cameras
Typically you'd like to add a camera in the studio scene. Multiple cameras are supported, and a preview will be generated from each camera in the scene. Connecter will use the active viewport to make the preview if there's no camera in the scene. In this case, Connecter will apply a predefined zoom and margins to frame the preview.

Positioning the asset
When the asset is merged into the studio scene to generate its preview, it's placed in the same position it has in its source file. So, if the asset is not placed at the centre of the coordinate system, the preview studio scene will probably render the wrong preview with the asset being off the view. As a general rule of thumb, ensure you save your assets at the centre of the coordinate system.
    
Add an object in the studio scene using the following naming patterns for further asset positioning options:
  • Object name: RenderHere_AlignPivot
  • The asset is positioned to align its pivot with the RenderHere object's pivot point.
  • Object name: RenderHere_AlignCenter
  • The asset is positioned to align its geometrical centre (centre of the bounding box) with the RenderHere object's pivot point.
  • Object name: RenderHere_AlignPivot_Scale
  • The asset is positioned to align its pivot with the RenderHere object's pivot point. The asset is scaled to the RenderHere object's bounding box size.
  • Object name: RenderHere_AlignCenter_Scale