.mcg Packages

MCG packages are defined as .mcg files, and are the simplest way to share your tools. A package captures the exact state of the tool and its required compounds when it is created. Doing so ensures packaged tools run exactly as they were originally authored, regardless of the state of the compound workspace on the target machine.

Creating a MCG Package

To create a package:

Open a .maxtool file in the Max Creation Graph editor
Select File > Package Tool Graph....
Save the .mcg package on your filesystem.

Note:

Saving this package to the default package location C:\Users\<username>\Autodesk\3ds Max 2018\Max Creation Graph\Packages will produce a duplicate message if the .mcg file and the .maxtool file used to generate it both exist in the MCG loading path - the two files will be defining the same tool. In this case, the highest version will be loaded.

Tip:

As you author a tool, you will likely want to keep iterating and testing the .maxtool file and its .maxcompound files. As such, consider saving the package outside the MCG package loading path (i.e. outside the default package location). Once you are ready to share your tool, save the package in the loading path and temporarily remove your .maxtool file to test the package as an end-user of your work.

Installing an MCG Package

You can install an MCG package using one of the four options listed below. Regardless of which option you choose, the installed MCG package is ultimately copied into the following user location: C:\Users\<username>\Autodesk\3ds Max 2018\Max Creation Graph\Packages.

Option A. Drag one or more .mcg file(s) from your file browser into the viewport.
Option B. Select Scripting > Install Max Creation Graph (.mcg) Package... and navigate to the .mcg file you wish to install, then press Install.
Option C. Open the Max Creation Graph Editor, select File > Install Package..., and navigate to the .mcg file you wish to install, then press Install.
Option D. Paste the .mcg file directly into the user location: C:\Users\<username>\Autodesk\3ds Max 2018\Max Creation Graph\Packages, then go to Scripting > Max Creation Graph Editor > Build > Evaluate All Tools and Packages to begin using it.

Uninstalling a MCG Package

To uninstall an existing MCG package:

Open your file browser and navigate to the package installation folder: C:\Users\<username>\Autodesk\3ds Max 2018\Max Creation Graph\Packages
Remove the .mcg file you wish to uninstall from the directory.
Restart 3ds Max.

Caution: Existing scenes which depend on these removed tools will now list them as missing dependencies.

Unpacking a MCG Package

You may "unpack" a .mcg file to extract its compounds into your own authoring space. Keep in mind that this unpacking step may cause conflicts with compounds in your own workspace, so you will need to perform a manual cleaning step to resolve duplicates.

Open the Max Creation Graph Editor (Scripting > Max Creation Graph Editor).
Select File > Unpack Package, and press Yes to follow through.
Navigate to the .mcg file you wish to unpack, and press Unpack.
The unpacked files will be extracted to C:\Users\<username>\Autodesk\3ds Max 2018\Max Creation Graph\Tools.
- The package's .maxtool file will be placed in this folder.
- The package's .maxcompound files will be placed in a correspondingly named subfolder.
- The node editor's Message Log will list the duplicate .maxcompound files resulting from the unpacking step. We strongly recommend you delete the duplicates found in the newly extracted folder, and keep those listed under C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2018\ MaxCreationGraph\Compounds.