Fix: V-Ray Materials Black in 3ds Max Viewport – Causes & Solutions

V-Ray materials appear black in 3ds Max viewports

Issue:

When opening a 3ds Max scene, some (or all) of the objects in the Viewport are shown in black. These objects may have previously had textures or materials applied to them.

The highlighted teapot is using a VRay material next to a teapot using a standard 3ds Max material.
The highlighted teapot is using a VRay material next to a teapot using a standard 3ds Max material.

Environment:

V-Ray (Chaos Group)

Causes:

Includes, but is not limited to:

  • 3ds Max preference corruption
  • Network communication errors
  • Graphic driver outdated/corruption
  • VRay installation corruption

Solution:

V-Ray materials rely on a number of factors to display correctly. Here are the most common ways to fix the issue:

  • Reset the 3ds Max user perferences back to default
  • Clear the material slot and then re-create the material.
  • If material bitmaps are being pulled from a network, move them to a location on the C: drive and then re-path to them using the File > Reference > Asset Tracking Toggle menu.
  • Update the graphics card driver.
  • Disable the 3ds Max plugins folder and then re-enable it.

More Posts