Why is the Project Manager Not Showing Up in the Menu or Showing the Error "Can't find include file: SomeFile.ms..."?

Issue:

If you’re encountering a situation where the Project Manager (or other plugin) is not appearing in the menu, or you receive the error message “Can’t find include file: SomeFile.ms…”, this is likely due to hidden or system file attributes in your 3ds Max installation.

Cause:

Starting with 3ds Max 2021 Update 3, Autodesk made changes to how scripts are loaded. Scripts or files with the “hidden” or “system” attribute are no longer loaded at startup. This means if any folder or script file associated with your Project Manager plugin has these attributes, 3ds Max will ignore them, leading to errors or missing features.

How to Fix:

Check for Hidden Directories:
- Navigate to the directory %localappdata%\Autodesk or its subdirectories.
- Check if any folder is marked as “hidden.” Sometimes, Windows or certain software may mark these directories as hidden without your knowledge.
Unhide the Folder:
- Right-click the directory or file, select Properties, and ensure the “Hidden” attribute is unchecked.
- Apply the changes to all subfolders and files if prompted.
Restart 3ds Max:
- After unchecking the hidden attribute, restart 3ds Max, and the Project Manager should now load correctly without errors.

Additional Tip:

To avoid this issue in the future, regularly check your directories if you notice any unusual behavior in 3ds Max, especially after updates. Hidden or system attributes can sometimes be applied automatically, but they can be manually removed following the steps above.

For more details, refer to Autodesk’s official forum post on this subject: Maxscripts Not Loading at Startup.

The Easiest Way to Find and Remove the 'Hidden' Attribute from a Folder recursively

Here are a few simple methods to find and remove the “hidden” attribute from a folder using Windows Explorer or the Command Prompt:

Method 1: Using Windows Explorer

Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the folder %localappdata%\Autodesk (or the folder where your plugin is stored).
In the top menu, click View.
Check the box next to Hidden items. This will allow you to see all hidden folders and files.
Now, you’ll see any hidden items, which appear slightly transparent.
To remove the “hidden” attribute:
- Right-click on the hidden folder or file.
- Select Properties.
- In the bottom section, under Attributes, uncheck the Hidden box.
- Click OK to apply the changes.

Method 2: Using Command Prompt

Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
1. Navigate to the directory where you want to remove the “hidden” attribute. For example, if you’re targeting the %localappdata%\Autodesk folder, enter:
```
cd %localappdata%\Autodesk
```
2. To recursively remove the “hidden” attribute from all files and folders, use this command:
```
attrib -h /s /d
```
Explanation:
- -h: Removes the “hidden” attribute.
- /s: Applies the command to all files in the current directory and subdirectories.
- /d: Applies the command to directories as well as files.
This will remove the “hidden” attribute from all files and folders in the directory you specified, including subdirectories.

Method 3: Using PowerShell

Open PowerShell as an administrator.

To search for hidden folders in %localappdata%\Autodesk, run this command:

Get-ChildItem -Path "$env:localappdata\Autodesk" -Recurse -Force | Where-Object { $_.Attributes -match 'Hidden' }

To remove the “hidden” attribute from a specific folder or file, use:

Get-ChildItem "C:\Path\To\Your\Folder"  -Recurse -Force | ForEach-Object {
    if ($_.Attributes -band [System.IO.FileAttributes]::Hidden) {
        $_.Attributes = $_.Attributes -bxor [System.IO.FileAttributes]::Hidden
    }
}

These methods will help you quickly find and remove the “hidden” attribute from any folder or file.