Hey everyone,

i know that the topic is here multiple times. but i still got trouble with it.

It doesn´t help if i save my picture in AI as an AI-File (Illustrator 3 or 8 or  cs4)

or export it as DXF. It still says improper file format when i import it in 3ds max 2013.

I used the AI CS6.

Is it the 2 Versions? i have no idea and i would be glad if somone could help me

Thx

If it's possible to share the file you intend to import, I could give it a shot on my end.  I'm using Max 2012, but it might tell us if it's an issue with 3dsmax, or if it's the file, etc.  If you saved the vector file as DXF, and it still will not import, then that could be a sign of a problem in the vector file itself.  The same with saving out to legacy Illustrator 8 format.  I've always been able to import AI legacy 3 or 8 formats without issue.

Here's an older step by step for working with AI in Max 4, which should be fine for any later version of 3dsmax, because the AI compatibility has never really been changed since then.

http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=23690

hmm...even the example file on that page is working fine in 3ds max.

I don´t get it...i saved my jpg-file in Adobe Illustrator CS6 (Trial) as *.ai.

or 2nd try i used image2dxf and tried with that.

Both times the same problem message....

The test file computer.ai is 363 kb, and the jpg i made is just 2 kb after i saved it as ai-file??

My image size is 3000x3000 and i transformed it until it fits.

i don´t get it

Quote - hmm...even the example file on that page is working fine in 3ds max. I don´t get it...i saved my jpg-file in Adobe Illustrator CS6 (Trial) as *.ai.

Did you try Exporting the selected vector as .DXF/DWG file, instead of saving as?

Yes i did. One time with Adobe Illustrator and second time with the image2dxf program.

Well that narrows it down some.  If you can share the file, I can test it on my version of Max, and that would tell us more definitively if it's a problem with the file, or a bug in Max.

Quote - Well that narrows it down some.  If you can share the file, I can test it on my version of Max, and that would tell us more definitively if it's a problem with the file, or a bug in Max.

Here are a few files i tried

http://www.file-upload.net/download-9197363/TestFile.rar.html

to add an attachment here was impossible so i uploaded it there.

Thx, be back in 1 Week cause i´m on vacation so don´t hurry ;)

I don't gety any errors with the dxf or dwg files, but most of them don't show up in the viewport when I try to load them.  There's no indication anything went wrong other than the scene is blank.  I checked for hidden splines or objects, and checked all my layers.  Still, nothing.  

The AI files do bring up errors.  The 2008 AI gives me a very specific error:

"Line in file exceeds 255 characters", and then it gives me the Improper file format error afterwards.  The other .ai in your file set simply gave me an improper file format error.

However, I was able to import one of the files, the** ServierplatteTest.dxf** imported just fine, when I adjusted some import settings.  See attachment.

In my opnion, I think the problem is going to be in the way these vectors were created, or exported.  I noticed the imported dxf contained a lot of messy vertex points.  It's very common, and somewhat expected, that normalization of the resulting splines will be needed on any imported vector file, but in this case, it seemed excessively messy.

Anyway, that's the result I got.  Hopefully it provides some sort of insight.  I'm ruling out a 3dsmax bug as the problem here, and leaning toward the vector itself, or export settings, as the root of the issue here.

Thanks Lux for your information.

Now that i´m back from my trip i will try out soon.

Thanks again.