Hi Everyone,
I've just created this video going through the
new AI features in Project Manager for 3ds Max and, more specifically, how they
can be used to search and organise a large 3D model library.
Anyone who has worked with 3ds Max for a long time will
probably recognise the problem.
You gradually accumulate hundreds or thousands of 3D models
across different projects, drives and asset libraries.
Eventually, finding one particular model becomes less about
whether you own it and more about remembering what somebody called the file
and where it was saved.
This is where AI-based 3D asset management becomes
interesting.
Instead of relying entirely on filenames and manually
created folders, Project Manager can use the visual previews associated with
your 3D assets to help classify and search them.
Natural Language Search for 3D Models
One of the most useful additions is natural language search.
Rather than searching for an exact filename, you can simply
describe what you're trying to find.
For example:
“Futuristic car”
“Dancing woman”
“Glass coffee table”
The system uses visual information from your asset previews
to identify relevant 3D models.
That makes the search process much closer to describing what
you remember seeing rather than trying to remember how the original 3D file was
named.
Natural language searches can also be made in multiple
languages, which could be particularly useful for studios with international
teams or asset libraries assembled from many different sources.
Project Manager can analyse the visual previews in your
library and build category structures for the assets it recognises.
Instead of manually tagging thousands of models, objects can
be grouped into categories such as:
• Beds
• Coffee Tables
• TV Stands
• Vehicles
• Aircraft
For a large 3D model library, this can significantly reduce
the amount of manual organisation required before the assets become easier to
browse and search.
Why 3D Model Thumbnails and Previews Matter
The AI search relies heavily on the visual previews
associated with your assets, so good thumbnails are important.
If you already have rendered previews stored alongside your
3D models, images with exactly the same filename as the corresponding 3D file
are picked up automatically.
The Auto-Assign
Previews tool adds smart matching for cases where the image and model
filenames are similar but not identical.
For assets without previews, thumbnails can be
batch-rendered directly from your 3ds Max scenes.
This gives the AI useful visual information to work with
while also making the library much easier to browse manually.
Find Similar 3D Models
Another useful workflow is Find Similar.
Rather than typing a search phrase, you can select an
existing 3D model and ask Project Manager to find other assets with a similar
visual appearance.
A similarity threshold allows you to increase or decrease
how closely the search results need to match.
This can be particularly useful when you've already found
something close to what you need but want to explore alternatives from the rest
of your library.
Search for 3D Models Using a Sketch, Reference Image or
Mood Board
You aren't limited to assets already inside your library as
the starting point for a search.
A reference image can be dragged into Project Manager and
used as the basis for a visual search.
That reference could be:
• A photograph
• A render
• A client reference
• A concept image
• A sketch
• A mood board
The AI analyses the visual reference and searches your
existing 3D model library for visually or structurally similar assets.
For architectural visualisation in particular, this could be
very useful when a client sends over a reference and you want to quickly
establish whether something similar already exists in your asset collection.
Local AI Instead of Cloud-Based Asset Search
One of the most significant parts of the system is that the
AI processing runs locally on your own hardware.
Your 3D model library doesn't need to be uploaded to a cloud
AI service in order to perform classification or visual searches.
For individual artists and studios managing proprietary
models, purchased assets or client-specific libraries, keeping the processing
local can be an important consideration.
It also means the workflow isn't based around consuming AI
credits every time you perform a search.
Watch the Full Project Manager for 3ds Max Walkthrough
In the video below I go through the complete workflow,
including:
• Automatic AI categorisation
• Natural language 3D model search
• Multi-language search
• Auto-Assign Previews
• Batch thumbnail rendering
• Find Similar
• Visual similarity filtering
• Sketch and mood-board searching
• Local and offline AI processing
If you're working with a large 3ds Max model library, I'd be
interested to know how you're currently managing it.
I really hope you have found this article useful.
For more info about Project Manager, please check their website:
https://3d-kstudio.com/product/project-manager/
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