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Importing Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Files

  • File menu > Import > Files of type > Scalable Vector Graphics (*.SVG)
Geometry imported from SVG files appears in 3ds Max as editable Spline or editable poly objects. Import of associated RGB color data is expressed as object colors and/or materials.

To follow along with the tutorial images in this topic, you can obtain the W3C SVG Logo, which is designated for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license.

    To import using the Import menu:

  1. From the File menu, choose Import.

    The Select File To Import dialog opens.

  2. Choose an SVG file to open and click Open.

    The importer dialog opens.

  3. Choose the objects to import and set the import parameters. For details, see the dialog interface section below.
  4. Click Import.

    To import with drag and drop:

  1. Drag your SVG file from your file explorer into the 3ds Max viewport.
    Note: By default the importer respects the location of the dropped file as where it will be placed.
  2. The importer dialog opens.
  3. Choose the objects to import and set the import parameters. For details, see the dialog interface section below.
  4. Click Import.

Important: During import, depending on the settings and complexity of the file the processing time may be instantaneous up to several seconds.

SVG Import Options Dialog

See the options below for importing Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) files.

Placement group

Interactive Placement
If selected, the SVG file will be placed interactively into the scene, instead of where the cursor was positioned when dragged and dropped.

Shape Options group

Import as a single Shape
If selected, all the imported shapes will be attached into a single shape.

W3C SVG Logo imported as single Shape

Import as a multiple Shapes
If selected, all the imported shapes will be independent, and their color, if specified within the SVG file, will be used to set the wire color.

W3C SVG Logo imported as multiple Shapes

Create Group
If selected, all the shapes will be placed within a group, allowing for easy placement in the scene.

W3C SVG Logo imported as a group

Stroke Shapes group

Import as renderable splines
If selected, SVG shapes that have a stroke will be interpreted as renderable splines. The width of the stroke as well as the color will be respected.

W3C SVG Logo imported as renderable splines

Collapse to Editable Poly
If selected, stroked shapes will be converted to an editable poly.
Flatten
If selected, stroked shapes will be converted to a flat editable Poly outline vs the standard radial cross section used in renderable splines. This can be useful if there are many shapes with an offset, as the stroke will not intersect subsequent layers.

W3C SVG Logo imported as flattened splines

Filled Shapes group

Fill shapes with edit poly
If selected, filled shapes will have an edit poly modifier added to convert the shape into geometry.
Fill Shapes with Extrude
If selected, filled shapes will have an Extrude modifier added with the specified height.

W3C SVG Logo imported with an extrude offset of 0.01

W3C SVG Logo imported with an extrude offset of 0.05

W3C SVG Logo imported with an extrude offset of 0.2

Amount
Specifies the height of the extrude modifier when the fill Shapes with Extrude option is used.
Collapse to Editable Poly
If selected, filled shapes will be converted to an editable poly.
Weld Threshold
If selected, spline knots within the specified threshold will be welded.
Note: SVG shapes are sometimes not closed which can lead to filled shapes not meshing as expected. A small weld value can help to achieve the desired result. Depending on the scale of the SVG file the weld threshold may need to be modified so that spline knots are not welded inadvertently leading to loss of detail or deformation of the shape.
Offset Layers
If selected, shapes will be offset in local Z position by the specified amount according to their layer order.
Max Dimension
If selected, shapes will be offset in local Z position by the specified amount according to their layer order. If selected, the SVG file will be scaled so that the largest dimension will match the specified value. This can be useful as SVG files can vary tremendously in their encoded scale. For accurate scale round trip export and import of SVG files this option may need to be disabled.

Material Options group

Import colors as a Material
If selected, a material will be created and assigned that uses specified RGB values in the SVG file as the diffuse color.
Reset
Resets all settings to their default values.

W3C SVG Logo imported and shown with options in the Slate Material Editor

Parent topic: Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Files

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