The Material/Map list is organized into various groups.
Most of the commands for managing libraries and groups in the Material/Map Browser are found on the right-click menus described on the pages that follow this one.
The groups Materials and Maps show base material and map types that you can use to create new custom materials and maps. These are “base” types: They might have default values, but really they are templates for you to customize.
The Controllers group shows animation controllers that you can use to animate materials.
Red wedges indicate that Show Map is turned on.
You can open and use libraries. There are two ways to do so:
The default location for the new library is the \materiallibraries folder in your current project. If you have not set a project folder, it saves the new library in the folder <3ds Max program folder>\materiallibraries.
You can create custom groups; for example, to contain “base” material or map types that you use frequently.
Groups are not saved as independent files, but they are saved with the Slate Material Editor layout. See the "Custom Configuration Files" section on the "Slate Material Editor" page.
The Autodesk Material Library is a library of Autodesk Materials that are shared between Autodesk appplications; in particular, AutoCAD, Revit Architecture, and Inventor as well as 3ds Max.
The sample slots group is a small version of the sample slots used by the Compact Material Editor. This is a sort of “scratch pad” area where you can work on materials and maps, including materials and maps that are not yet part of the scene.