Customize menu > Preferences > Preference Settings dialog > Files tab
On the Files panel of the Preference Settings dialog, you set options relating to file handling. You also select the program used for archiving. This is where you control the options for log file maintenance. You can enable Auto Backup in this dialog to save your work automatically at defined intervals.
Convert file paths to UNC—When on, paths shown in the user interface for any files present on a mapped drive use Universal Naming Convention (UNC) format. When off, each path starts with the mapped drive letter (e.g., w:\).
This check box is linked to the Convert file paths to UNC switch on the Asset Tracking dialog > Paths menu. Toggling either one toggles both.
Note: This switch affects only newly added paths. Toggling it has no effect on existing paths. For example, if you load an image file into a Bitmap map from a mapped drive with the switch on, turning it off does not change the file path to the mapped version.
Convert local paths to Relative—Converts the file paths of all newly added assets in a scene so that they are relative to the project folder. Default=off.
Note: This is a system setting and is not saved with the scene file.
Backup on Save—Creates a backup file if a file of the same name already exists. The existing file is renamed maxback.bak and placed in the autoback directory before the save occurs. You can edit the automatic backup settings in the Auto Backup group. Default=on.
Increment on Save—Creates a new copy of the file in the same directory whenever you save the file. The name of the new file is incremented by 1 (filename01.max, filename02.max, and so on). Default=off.
Compress on Save—Saves the Autodesk VIZ file in a compressed format. Depending on the details of the file, the compressed file can be as small as one-fifth the size of its uncompressed equivalent. Default=off.
You can determine whether a Autodesk VIZ file is compressed or not by bringing up Properties for the file in Windows Explorer. On the Contents panel, under General, you'll see whether the file is compressed or uncompressed.
Save Viewport Thumbnail Image—Saves a 64-pixel thumbnail of the active viewport when you save each MAX file. The Asset Browser reads thumbnails. Saving thumbnails adds about 9K to each MAX file. Default=on.
Save Schematic View—When on, the active schematic view is saved with the MAX file. Default=on.
Save File Properties—When on, any data entered in the File Properties dialog is saved with the scene file and can be accessed with Windows Explorer and File Finder. When off, the file properties information is not stored with the file. Default=on.
Display Obsolete File Message—Turns off the "Obsolete data format found - Please resave file" alert that is displayed when you load a MAX file created in an earlier version of Autodesk VIZ. Default=on.
There is a matching "Do not display this message" check box in the alert itself, and you can also turn off the alert from there.
Reload textures on change—When on, reloads bitmapped textures if the date of the bitmap file has been updated. Default=on.
Recent Files in File Menu—Sets the maximum number of recently edited MAX files to display in the list File > Open Recent. Range=0 to 50. Default=9.
Auto Backup saves your work periodically. In the event of a power failure, if you have not saved your work, you can load in an auto backup (autoback) file from the autoback subdirectory in the program directory (or under \My Documents\3dsmax\) and continue working with little lost work.
Auto Backup creates auto backup files based on a time interval. The name of an auto backup file is AutoBackupN., where AutoBackup is the main part of the name (AutoBackup is the default), and N is an integer from 1 to 99.
For example, if you've set Auto Backup to create three auto backup files at one-minute intervals, Auto Backup will create AutoBackup1.max, and then a minute later AutoBackup2.max, and then AutoBackup3.max. At the fourth minute, the system overwrites AutoBackup1.max, and so on.
Number of Autobak Files—The number of backup files to write before overwriting the first one. Range=1 to 99. Default=3.
Backup Interval (minutes)—The number of minutes between backup file generation. Default=5.0.
Note: This interval takes effect only if the scene changes; for example, if you move an object or apply a modifier. If nothing
changes, for example, if you leave your computer for a while, then no backups are created. Also, if you save the scene file
manually, Auto Backup resets the Backup Interval timer.
Auto Backup File Name—Lets you enter an alternative name for the auto backup file. Auto backup files with a different name still have the filename extension .max. Default=AutoBackup.
The following controls affect the viz.log file.
Never Delete Log—Determines how long the log file is maintained. When you choose Never Delete, the viz.log file remains on the hard disk and continues to grow.
Maintain Only...Days—Resets the file to zero bytes after it reaches the number of days specified in this field.
Maintain Only... Kbytes—Resets the file to zero bytes after it reaches the number of kilobytes specified in this field.
Errors—Writes fatal errors to the viz.log file instead of generating Alert dialogs. Alerts halt network rendering for one or more servers.
Warnings—Writes warning messages to the viz.log file instead of generating Alert dialogs.
Info—Writes general information to the viz.log file instead of generating Alert dialogs.
Debug—Writes debug messages to the viz.log file instead of generating Alert dialogs.
The type of errors covered by these four categories include maps that can't be found, missing UV coordinates, missing output directories, full disks, missing DLLs, disks to which you don't have access, invalid meshes, and obsolete MAX files
Zoom Extents on Import—Zooms all viewports to scene extents after importing a file. If this is turned off, zoom extents isn't performed.