Mesh/Exporting a mesh from 3ds Max
Software Setup
Recent versions of 3ds Max have the Autodesk Collada Exporter included in the software. For older versions or as an alternative, you can get the OpenCollada plugin from the OpenCOLLADA Download Page or OpenCollada project page.
Basic workflow
Scale to meters
One meter in 3D Studio Max converts to one meter in Second Life. In order for your model to upload with the expected scale, you will need to change Max's units to metric since it isn't the default unit settings.
To Set Up the Correct Scale for Your 3D Studio Max Scene:
1. From the top drop down menu, select "Customize" --> "Units Setup..."
2. In the "Units Setup" dialog box that appears, select "Metric" in the "Display Unit Scale" field. (At Default, Max has the units set to "Generic Units")
3. Under Metric you can choose between millimeters, centimeters, meters, and kilometers via a drop down menu.
Which metric system you would like to use depends on what you're creating. So long as you’re working in metric units, any metric system you choose to work in will upload equally in Second Life. Choosing meters should ideally work for most mesh creations for Second Life. If you working on very small meshes like jewelery, choosing centimeters may prove more helpful.
4. Click on the button "System Unit Setup" in the "Units Setup" dialog box
5. In the "System Unit Setup" dialog box that appears, you'll probably see the following: "1 Unit = 1.0 Inches" as this is the default setting. Select the drop down menu for "Inches" and select a metric unit instead. For example: If you're using meters for the Display Unit Scale, select Centimeters to replace Inches here.
Create a box (or monkey or teapot or hippo)
Reduce polygons
Apply textures
Export to COLLADA
Import to SL
Best practices
Forum thread on 3ds Max best practices
Forum request for input on debugging 3ds Max import workflow
Another forum thread on exporting a rigged mesh from 3ds Max
Forum thread on UVW mapping, mostly about 3ds Max
Forum thread on texturing in Max and uploading to Second Life