You can customize your workspace by saving and loading custom user interface (UI) schemes.
A custom UI scheme is saved as a set of six files:
You can load and save each of these files individually from their respective panels in the Customize User Interface dialog. You can also load an entire set of UI scheme files at once with the Load Custom UI Scheme dialog, and you can save the current UI scheme as a complete set with the Save Custom UI Scheme dialog.
By default, two sets of UI schemes are present in the viz2008/ui folder: vizstart and defaultUI. Upon startup, Autodesk VIZ uses the vizstart file series if it exists; if not, it uses the defaultui series.
You cannot load 3ds Max UI files in Autodesk VIZ.
Warning: Do not save over any files that begin with defaultUI, as doing so will permanently overwrite the default UI scheme.
To load a custom UI scheme:
Set up the custom UI scheme within Autodesk VIZ using the options on the Customize menu > Customize User Interface dialog.
Save the custom UI scheme with Customize menu > Save Custom UI Scheme.
During your current Autodesk VIZ session or any later session, choose Customize menu > Load Custom UI Scheme.
In the Load Custom UI Scheme dialog, select a type of customization file (.cui, .mnu, .clr, .kbd, .qmo, or .ui) from the Files of Type drop-down list.
Choose any file with the appropriate extension. The software will search for (and load) any other type of UI scheme file with the same base file name.
If you choose a UI scheme for which one of the six file types is not present, the part of the user interface for which there is no file will not be changed.
To return to the default UI scheme:
If you start Autodesk VIZ and its user interface has an unfamiliar layout, you can always return to the default UI scheme.
To start the software with a custom user interface:
Arrange the user interface as you would like it to appear when you start Autodesk VIZ.
Choose Customize menu > Save Custom UI Scheme, and save your custom UI scheme with the base file name vizstart.
The next time you start Autodesk VIZ, the software will start with the current UI scheme.
Note: If the Save UI Configuration On Exit option on the Customize menu > Preferences > General tab is turned on (which it is by default), the state of the user interface when you close the program will overwrite the vizstart UI scheme files.
To start the software with a custom user interface from the command line:
Save your custom UI scheme with a descriptive base file name with the Save Custom UI Scheme dialog.
Right-click the Autodesk VIZ icon on the Windows desktop, and choose Properties.
In the Target field, change 3dsviz.exe to 3dsviz.exe -c, followed by the name of your .cui file.
Example: 3dsviz.exe -c myfile.cui. Be sure to leave a space both before and after the -c.
If you want to move the UI scheme to a different computer, copy all the files in the viz2008\ui folder that start with the custom UI scheme base name to the new viz2008\ui folder. Alternately, you can add the path name to the command line.
To save a single UI scheme file:
Choose Customize menu > Customize User Interface.
Access the panel for the type of user interface item you want to save.
To change the icon display from Classic to 2D Black and White: