Saving scenes in older versions of 3ds Max — one by one or in batches, up to 3ds Max 2009.
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How it saves:
• For 1–3 versions back — using the regular Save As, without losses.
• For 4 versions back and older — the scene is reconstructed in the installed old version of 3ds Max. Geometry, UV, materials, lights and cameras, hierarchy, groups, layers (with nesting and state), freezing and object properties, selection sets, render settings, environment, and Render Elements are transferred.
Corona and V-Ray materials and lights are transferred if that plugin is installed in the old version of 3ds Max. Otherwise, they are replaced with standard ones.
Modifiers are collapsed, animation is not transferred, instances and proxies become regular objects.
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Requirements:
To save to 4 versions back and older, 3ds Max of that version or 1–3 years newer must be installed on the computer.
Example: you are working in 3ds Max 2027 and want to save to 2013 — installed 3ds Max 2013, 2014, 2015, or 2016 will work.
If the appropriate version is not available, SaveBack will save the scene as a script (.ms + .bwd), which can be opened in the required version via MAXScript → Run Script.
There should be no Cyrillic in names and paths.
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Features:
• Batch conversion: individual files, folders with subfolders, open scene
• Saving only selected objects from the open scene
• The list shows which version of 3ds Max each file is saved in
• Version in the file name, common folder for results or next to the source
• Files with the same name from different folders do not overwrite each other: the folder name is added to the name
• Skipping already converted files
• Sources can be sent to the Recycle Bin after saving
• Report: what has been saved, what has been skipped and why
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Installation: MAXScript → Run Script → SaveBack for 3ds Max.ms
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Compatibility: Saves in versions from 2009 to the current one.