No. Datasmith does not move a Revit model into 3ds Max, and it never has. Both of its relevant exporters point the same way — outward, to Unreal Engine. The Revit exporter writes a .udatasmith file for Unreal Engine. The 3ds Max exporter writes a .udatasmith file for Unreal Engine. Neither one reads a Revit model into 3ds Max.
This is worth stating plainly because Datasmith turns up regularly in lists of “Revit to 3ds Max” options, described as a smart import that carries lights, cameras and BIM data. It does carry those things exceptionally well. It carries them to a different application than the one those lists imply.
What Epic’s own documentation says
The Datasmith exporter plugins are published by Epic Games as part of Unreal Engine. There are two that matter here, and their documented purpose leaves no room for interpretation.
| Plugin | Reads from | Writes to |
|---|---|---|
| Datasmith Exporter for Revit | Autodesk Revit | Unreal Engine |
| Datasmith Exporter for 3ds Max | Autodesk 3ds Max | Unreal Engine |
Both produce the same file type, .udatasmith, and that file is consumed by Unreal Engine. 3ds Max cannot open it, and there is no importer that would let it.
Direct Link does not change the answer
Datasmith Direct Link is the closest thing to a live connection in the Datasmith family, and it is the strongest counter-argument to the answer above. It does not survive reading the documentation either.
Direct Link creates a live connection between an instance of 3ds Max and an instance of Unreal Engine, then pushes 3ds Max content to Unreal Engine automatically or as needed.
The flow is one way, and it starts in 3ds Max. Nothing arrives in 3ds Max through Direct Link — not from Unreal Engine, and not from Revit.
Where the confusion comes from
Three things push Datasmith into the wrong list.
It solves a neighbouring problem extremely well
Datasmith exists because FBX and OBJ lose scene structure. It preserves hierarchy, materials, lights and cameras across an application boundary, which is exactly the problem a Revit to 3ds Max route has. Solving the same class of problem in a different direction is easy to mistake for solving it in yours.
Both endpoints are familiar
Revit has a Datasmith exporter and 3ds Max has a Datasmith exporter. Two familiar applications, one product name, and the conclusion writes itself — incorrectly. They are two spokes pointing at the same hub, not a bridge between each other.
The Unreal route is genuinely good
If your destination is Unreal Engine, Datasmith is the correct answer and a considerably better one than FBX. Advice that is right for one destination gets repeated until the destination is dropped from the sentence.
What Datasmith is actually the right choice for
None of the above is a criticism of the tool. Used for what it is built for, it is excellent.
| If you want to | Datasmith |
|---|---|
| Take a Revit model into Unreal Engine for real-time, VR or interactive work | The correct route. Preserves category structure, lights and cameras. |
| Take a finished 3ds Max scene into Unreal Engine | The correct route. Converts V-Ray, Corona and Mental Ray elements into Unreal assets. |
| Keep a 3ds Max scene updating into Unreal Engine while you work | Direct Link does this. |
| Get a Revit model into 3ds Max | Not what it does. |
What actually moves a Revit model into 3ds Max
There are fewer routes than the lists suggest, and each has a real cost.
| Route | What it is | The cost |
|---|---|---|
| File Link Manager | Native in 3ds Max. Links the .rvt and reloads on demand. | Object identity is not stable across reloads, so materials, modifiers and UVW are lost on the elements that get rebuilt. The material options do not prevent this — see the field note linked below. |
| FBX export and re-import | Export from Revit, import to 3ds Max. | Rebuilds the scene each time. Every revision costs the work done since the last one. |
| DWG or intermediate CAD | Export through a CAD format. | Loses category and material structure. Cleanup is manual. |
Speckle is sometimes listed as a fourth route. It has no 3ds Max connector, so it is not one.
Frequently asked
Can Datasmith import a Revit model into 3ds Max?
No. The Datasmith exporter for Revit writes a .udatasmith file that is consumed by Unreal Engine. 3ds Max cannot open that file and there is no Datasmith importer for 3ds Max.
What does the Datasmith plugin for 3ds Max do, then?
It exports a 3ds Max scene to Unreal Engine, converting V-Ray, Corona and Mental Ray elements into Unreal Engine assets along the way. It is an exit from 3ds Max, not an entrance.
Does Datasmith Direct Link connect Revit and 3ds Max?
No. Direct Link creates a live connection between 3ds Max and Unreal Engine and pushes content from 3ds Max to Unreal Engine. It is unidirectional and Revit is not one of its endpoints.
Is Datasmith better than FBX?
For getting to Unreal Engine, yes, and by a wide margin, because it preserves hierarchy, materials, lights and cameras that FBX drops. For getting into 3ds Max the comparison does not apply, because Datasmith does not go there.
So what should I use to get Revit geometry into 3ds Max?
The native File Link Manager, an FBX round trip, or a purpose-built plug-in. Each has a real cost: File Link does not keep object identity stable across reloads, and FBX rebuilds the scene every revision.
Related field notes
- Why “Keep material parameters on reload” doesn’t save your 3ds Max materials
- Do Revit and 3ds Max versions have to match?
- What happens to deleted Revit elements in 3ds Max?
- Why modifiers and UVW break when a Revit link reloads
- What Combine By Revit Material actually does to your model
- Can Speckle sync Revit and 3ds Max?
- Is NVIDIA Omniverse still a Revit to 3ds Max route in 2026?
- Revit File Link or FBX for 3ds Max?
Levlin Bridge
Levlin Bridge is a Windows plug-in that moves geometry between Autodesk Revit and Autodesk 3ds Max in both directions. Push the model from Revit, pull it into 3ds Max, and push the geometry you changed back into Revit as real elements. Only the difference ever moves, so materials, modifiers and UVW stay exactly where you left them. Any Revit 2022–2027 works with any 3ds Max 2024–2027.
Levlin Bridge is in final testing and is not released. There is nothing to download yet. Leave your email and you get the 30-day trial the day it ships.