Autodesk 3ds Max 3ds Max - 2012 Installation Manual

Autodesk®3ds Max®/ Autodesk®3ds Max®Design 2012

Installation Overview and FAQ

April 2011

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Contents

Chapter 1 Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 Installation Overview and FAQ . . . . . 1

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Prepare for Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Select Install Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Specify License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Configure and Install . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Activate Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Create Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Change Product Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

What if I have lost my serial number or product key? . . . . . . . . 7

Why do I need to activate a product after installation? . . . . . . . 7

How does a trial license work in a product suite or bundle?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

How do I switch my license from stand-alone to network or

network to stand-alone? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Where can I find product license information after

installation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

After installation, how can I change product configuration,

repair, or uninstall the product? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Chapter 2 Installation Information Specific to Autodesk 3ds Max . . . . . . 9

Switch from Online (Default) to Local Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

iii

Sub-Components Installed with 3ds Max . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

3ds Max Composite 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Autodesk Material Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Autodesk Backburner 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Backburner for Managing and Monitoring Only . . . . . . . 12

Tools and Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Installing a 32-bit Product on a 64-bit Operating System . . . . . . . . 14

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

iv | Contents

Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 Installation Overview and FAQ

Overview

The following diagram shows the major parts of the installation process:

1

Further details are provided in the following sections.

Prepare for Installation

Before starting to install, check the following details:

■ Confirm that your computer meets the minimum system requirements. If

in doubt, click System Requirements at the bottom of the installer screen.

■ Review product documentation to clarify details such as the type of

installation to do (stand-alone or network) and which products to install.
Documentation is accessible from links on the lower left corner of the
installer:

1

■ Ensure that your user name has Administrator permissions to install

applications on the computer or network.

■ Obtain serial numbers and product keys for all products you want to install.

These are on the product package or provided at the time you download
the software.

■ Close all running applications.

Select Install Type

Here is some basic information to help you choose the right path.

■ Install is recommended for individual users or small groups. The key

point is that you will repeat the installation process on each computer.
This is the only valid installation type for a stand-alone license, but it can
also be used with a multi-seat stand-alone or network license.

■ Create Deployment is recommended for network administrators, using

either a multi-seat stand-alone or network license. In the deployment
process, the installation is configured once, stored on the network, and
then distributed efficiently to users' computers.

For more information on deployments, see Create Deployment (page 5)
or the Network Administrator's Guide.

■ Install Tools & Utilities is used to install tools and utilities related to

your suite or product. If you have a network license for your Autodesk
product, you will need to use this option to install the Network License
Manager before any users can run the product. Consult the documentation
for your suite or product to identify the available tools and utilities of
interest.

Select Installer Language

On the first screen of the installer, you can select the language for the installer
screens, using this control on the upper right:

2 | Chapter 1 Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 Installation Overview and FAQ