You can use symbolic pathnames in the form $<name> anywhere a filename can be supplied to MAXScript.

This support was added in 3ds Max 4 and was largely enhanced in 3ds Max 9.

Any filename you provide to MAXScript can begin with a '$' followed by one of the symbolic directory names below.

The following symbolic names are recognized:

Index	Symbolic Name	Directory
1	$max	Main 3ds Max executable directory
2	$maps	First directory in Maps directory config*
3	$scenes	3ds Max Scenes directory
4	$fonts	Fonts directory
5	$imports	File Imports directory
6	$exports	File Exports directory
7	$sounds	Sounds directory
8	$matlibs	Material Libraries directory
9	$scripts	Scripts directory
10	$startupScripts	Auto-load startup scripts directory
11	$plugins	First in the Plug-ins directory config*
12	$plugcfg	Plugin configurations directory
13	$images	Images directory
14	$ui	User Interface files directory
15	$macroScripts	macroScripts in UI directory
16	$web	Web downloads directory
17	$temp	System temp directory
18	$renderPresets	Render presets directory
19	$help	Help files directory
20	$expressions	Expressions directory
21	$previews	Previews directory
22	$maxstart	Directory of MAXSTART.MAX
23	$vpost	Video post directory
24	$drivers	Drivers directory
25	$autoback	Autobackup directory
26	$marketDefaults	Market Defaults directory
27	$icons	Icons directory
28	$maxSysIcons	System icons directory
29	$renderOutput	Render output directory
30	$animation	Animations directory
31	$archives	Archives directory
32	$photometrics	Photometric files directory
33	$renderAssets	Render Assets directory
34	$userScripts	User Scripts directory
35	$userMacros	User Macroscripts directory
36	$userStartupScripts	User Startup Scripts directory
37	$userIcons	User Icons directory
38	$maxData	Max Data (Root) directory
39	$downloads	Downloads directory
40	$proxies	Bitmap Proxies directory
41	$assemblies	Assemblies directory
42	$hardwareShadersCache	Hardware shaders directory
43	$plugcfg_ln	Plugcfg_ln directory
44	$ui_ln	UI_LN directory
45	$autodeskcloud	Autodesk cloud directory
46	$userStartupTemplates	Startup templates directory
47	$privateExchangeStoreInstallPath	Private Exchange Store install directory. Note: this is now an alias for $privatePluginPackageInstallPath, but is retained for backwards compatibility.
48	$publicExchangeStoreInstallPath	Public Exchange Store install directory. Note: this is now an alias for $publicPluginPackageInstallPath, but is retained for backwards compatibility.
49	$systemImage	System scene images directory
50	$systemPhotometric	Photometric light definition (.ies) file directory
51	$systemSound	System scene sound assets directory
52	$pageFile	Temporary page file directory (in 3ds Max 2018.4 Update and later).
53	$fluidSimulations	Fluid simulation file cache location (in 3ds Max 2020 Update and later).
54	$userSettings	User settings location (in 3ds Max 2020 Update and later).
55	$userTools	User settings for 3rd party tools (in 3ds Max 2020 Update and later).
56	$privatePluginPackageInstallPath	Install location for private plugin bundle packages (in 3ds Max 2020 Update and later).
57	$publicPluginPackageInstallPath	Install location for public plugin bundle packages (in 3ds Max 2020 Update and later).
58	$plugindata	Plug-in data location
59	$presets	Particle Flow presets location (in 3ds Max 2022 and later).

Please note that these are similar to the 3ds Max System Directories filetype_names which start with a "#"and are used as arguments to the GetDir() and SetDir() methods.

The following example will open the file "foo.ms" in the current 3ds Max Scripts directory.

EXAMPLE

fileIn "$scripts\foo.ms"

In 3ds Max 9 and higher , the $maps and $plugins symbolic pathnames can also specify an index. In this case, the indexed directory will be used.

EXAMPLE

"$maps[2]\\mybitmap.tga"

When no index is provided, the first map resp. plugins path will be used.

SymbolicPaths Struct

In 3ds Max 9 and higher, the SymbolicPaths struct provides methods to access existing and define new symbolic paths:

symbolicPaths.numPaths()

Returns the number of symbolic path names. This includes both system and user-defined path names

symbolicPaths.getPathName<index>

Returns the indexed symbolic path name.

EXAMPLE

for i =1 to symbolicPaths.numPaths() do
format "% : %\n" i (symbolicPaths.getPathName i)

symbolicPaths.isPathName <string>

Returns true if the string corresponds to a symbolic path name, false otherwise.

EXAMPLE

symbolicPaths.isPathName "$maps"
true
symbolicPaths.isPathName "$map"
false

symbolicPaths.getPathValue {<index> | <string>}

Returns the path associated with the specified symbolic path name (specified either by index or by name string).

EXAMPLE

symbolicPaths.getPathValue 2
"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2012\maps"
symbolicPaths.getPathValue"$maps"
"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2012\maps"

symbolicPaths.numUserPaths()

Returns the number of user-defined symbolic path names.

symbolicPaths.getUserPathName <index>

Returns the indexed user-defined symbolic path name.

symbolicPaths.isUserPathName <string>

Returns true if the string corresponds to a user-defined symbolic path name, false otherwise.

symbolicPaths.getUserPathValue {<index> | <string>}

Returns the path associated with the specified user-defined symbolic path name

symbolicPaths.setUserPathValue {<index> | <string>} <filepath>

Sets path associated with the specified user-defined symbolic path name

symbolicPaths.addUserPath <string> <filepath>

Adds user-defined symbolic path name and path

symbolicPaths.removeUserPath {<index> | <string>}

Removes user-defined symbolic path name

symbolicPaths.expandFileName <filename>

Returns expanded file nane

EXAMPLE

symbolicPaths.numUserPaths() --check foruser path- none by default
0
symbolicPaths.addUserPath "$test" "c:\\test" --define new user path
OK
symbolicPaths.numUserPaths() --check foruser path- there is one!
1
symbolicPaths.isUserPathName "$test" --is a user symbolic path?
true
--See if $temp is a user symbolic path.
--NOTE that $temp is aSYSTEMsymbolic path,
--but not aUSERsymbolic path:
symbolicPaths.isUserPathName "$temp"
false
symbolicPaths.getUserPathName 1 --get the name of the first path
"$test"
symbolicPaths.getUserPathValue 1 --get the first path
"c:\test"
symbolicPaths.getUserPathValue "$test" --get the path by name
"c:\test"
symbolicPaths.setUserPathValue "$test" "c:\\another\\path" --change
OK
symbolicPaths.getUserPathValue "$test" --see if itchangeg?
"c:\another\path"
symbolicPaths.expandFileName "$test\\somefile.txt" --expand a path
"c:\another\path\somefile.txt"
symbolicPaths.removeUserPath "$test" --remove the user path
OK
symbolicPaths.numUserPaths() --there are no user paths left
0