PowerUSD Exporters

User friendly batch USD exporters for Blender and 3dsmax.

Repository Layout

Path	Contents
3dsmax/	3ds Max entry scripts, cloneTools helpers, Max icons, and attribute definitions
blender/Clone_PowerUSD/	Blender add-on package
unreal/	Unreal Editor Python helpers
unreal/additional/	Optional Unreal utility scripts
examples/3dsmax/	Example Max scene
docs/production_risks.md	Production risk notes and cleanup targets
docs/images/	README screenshots

3ds Max Exporter

USD export with auto stage assembly, variant sets, proxies and prim kind definitions.

How does it work?

It exports everything to separate .USD file and assembles them. You can use auto-assembly or assembly tool. Please open the example scene to understand how script works better!

Dummy objects with USD properties modifier (can be found in Customize panel) can be used to define prim kinds and more. You can assign this modifier to objects in the scene aswell but there is not much point to it. Groups get converted to dummies due to how horrible 3dsmax group objects are.

This script tries to be modular as possible! So you don't need to export the whole scene to update over and over again. It comes with single export that doesn't generate hirearchy json.

Property	Values	Description
Geom Type	(auto), Xform, Scope	Prim container type
Kind	(none), assembly, group, component, subcomponent, model	USD Kind metadata
Purpose	default, render, proxy, guide	Rendering purpose
Instanceable	true/false	GPU instancing flag
Hidden	true/false	Start invisible
Active	true/false	Prim active state
Asset Version	string	Version tracking in assetInfo
Draw Mode	default, bounds, origin, cards	Viewport draw mode
Payload	true/false	Use payload instead of reference

Filename suffixes are used for defining variants and proxies.

Filename Suffixes

Object names control assembly behavior through suffixes:

Suffix	Effect
_VARIANT1, _VARIANT2, ...	Assembled into a VariantSet on the parent prim
_RENDER	Sets purpose = render
_PROXY	Sets purpose = proxy
_GUIDE	Sets purpose = guide
_PAYLOAD	Referenced as payload instead of reference

Difference from standard USD export

• Reads USD Properties from Max Attribute Holders and writes them to USD prims
• Strips the /root wrapper that MaxUSD adds (can be turned on again)
• Remaps material binding paths
• Handles variant set creation from _VARIANT* children
• Nests /mtl scope under the content prim for clean referencing

Material Structure Cleanup

The Clean Material Structure fixes MaxUSD's default material export to produce cleaner USD Preview Surface shaders.

Clean Off	Clean On

3ds Max Installation

1. Run or drag each entry script once:

   3dsmax/powerusd.ms
   3dsmax/register_chasers.ms
   3dsmax/bulkexporter.ms
   3dsmax/addusdproperties.ms
   3dsmax/reassemble.ms
   

   Each script self-installs into the current 3ds Max user profile:

   scripts/CloneTools/
   usermacros/
   scripts/startup/
   

2. Restart 3ds Max. The startup loaders re-register the CloneTools macros every launch and try the repo source first, then the installed scripts/CloneTools/ fallback.

3. Use CloneTools > Register USD Chasers if you need the MaxUSD chasers available before opening the PowerUSD exporter UI or before using Max's native USD exporter directly.

4. Optional: copy 3dsmax/icons/powerusd_logo.png to:

   %LOCALAPPDATA%\Autodesk\3dsMax\2026 - 64bit\ENU\usericons\PowerUSD\
   

MAXUSD Settings

Don't export whole scene with animation enabled. Use single export mode and send animated stuff. Use reassembler if needed.

Blender Exporter

Install blender/Clone_PowerUSD/ as a Blender add-on. In Blender, use Edit > Preferences > Add-ons > Install and select the add-on package.

Unreal Helpers

Unreal Editor Python scripts live in unreal/. Optional one-off utilities live in unreal/additional/.

License

MIT