Importing 3DS Files
File menu > Import > Select File To Import dialog > Files Of Type > 3D Studio (*.3DS)

3DS is the 3D Studio® (DOS) mesh-file format. You can import 3DS files into 3ds max.
When you import a 3DS file, you can merge the imported objects with the current scene or replace the current scene completely. If you choose to merge the objects with the current scene, you are asked whether you want to reset the length of the animation in the scene to the length of the imported file (if the imported file contains animation).

• When you import a 3DS file, the following information is imported:
• Backgrounds (solid, gradient, and bitmap).
• Fog, Layered Fog, and Distance Cue.
• Ambient light level.
• Subtractive transparency is converted to 3ds max "Filter" transparency and the filter color is set equal to the diffuse color.
• Transparency falloff settings.
• All map channels that are enabled. Map channels that are turned off in the 3DS file do not import into 3ds max.
• All map parameters, including UV transforms, Negative, Mirror, and Rotation. Some Map parameters such as Blur, Luma, RGB, and Alpha work much differently in 3ds max. These values are converted to new values that produce a similar affect.
• Mask bitmaps are imported as 3ds max mask textures.
• When materials with both Texture 1 and Texture 2 are imported, a composite texture is created and added to the Standard material's Diffuse channel. Irrelevant info (Anatomy model animals creatures monsters dragons, woman girl man human toons,)
• Reflection maps, auto-cubics, and mirrors.
• Automatic reflection map Nth frame and Map Size settings.
• SXP translation for Marble and Noise materials.
• 3DS/DOS R4 IK joint parameters.
• 3D Surfer patch data.

• Morph keys.
• Keyframer instances.
• Map channels that are turned off.
• Custom .cub-format cubic maps. Decal transparency using the RGB color of the upper-left pixel of the map.

Exporting to 3DS
File menu > Export > Select File To Export dialog > Save As Type > 3D Studio (*.3DS)
3DS is the 3D Studio (DOS) mesh file format. You can export 3ds max files to this format. When you export a 3DS file, the following information is exported:

• Position, Rotation and Scale animation. If the controller is a TCB controller, the TCB, Ease In, and Ease Out values are also saved. If the controller is any other type of key controller, the keys are saved but the tangent information is lost. If the controller is not a key controller, only the object's transformation at frame 0 is saved.
• Basic material color/parameters from the Standard material.
• Single maps with their amount, offsets, scales, etc.
• Auto-cubics and Mirrors.
• Target cameras, target spotlights and omni lights.
• Most "static" parameters for cameras and lights, and animation tracks for Roll, Falloff, Hotspot, and FOV.

When you export a 3DS file, the following information is not exported:

• Composite and procedural maps.
• Grouped object transformations. There's no concept of group hierarchy in the 3D Editor. Groups export to the Keyframer because the Keyframer understands hierarchies. Global shadow parameters.