Viewing a 3ds Max .dmp file

Anyone have a way to do it? We’re getting some absolutely awful crashes when using some .NET controls with no indication why.

You start Visual Studio
Open Project/Solution
Browse to your dump file and open it.
Then ‘Start Debugging’.

If it cannot find the MaxSDK, then it will ask for where it is to be able to do some debugging with the source.

Even better if you also have debug build of 3dsMax, but I am not sure if Autodesk still makes those.

Then look at your callstack to see what is crashing, IF you get anything useful in there.
It may not always help much if you don’t have the source code of the parts that crashed.

– replying to a 4 year old post –

Anyone have any tips on how to proceed here? Max is crashing on shutdown after running a few scripts, and there’s no hint why. I can run the script (exporting some stuff), then continue interacting with Max normally - but on shutdown, it errors out and “Send to Autodesk…?”

I’ve found the 3dsmax_minidump.dmp, but besides seeing all the modules used, and a very basic error description, (“The thread tried to read from or write to a virtual address for which it does not have the appropriate access”), there’s not much useful in it.

Is it possible to debug Max through VS? I haven’t had any luck so far by attaching to Max, or “start debugging” after opening the dmp file in VS.

Since this happens on shut down, I’m wondering if it’s related to just writing out a preferences type file. But - the crash only happens after exporting a certain combination of assets.

Thanks for any help!
Patrick

I have not done this myself. But have you tried this with the correct VS Version (and probably also non-express edition) matching the SDK of the Max Version you are using?
There still are full debug builds available if you are an ADN member. And these days there is also a public debug symbols server:

https://area.autodesk.com/blogs/chris/debug_symbol_server_for_3ds_max_2012

Cheers,
Thorsten