diff --git a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_export/nel_export_filetools.cpp b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_export/nel_export_filetools.cpp
index 5bafa24c5..7ecb61efe 100644
--- a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_export/nel_export_filetools.cpp
+++ b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_export/nel_export_filetools.cpp
@@ -18,103 +18,42 @@
 
 #include "nel_export.h"
 
-//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#include "nel/misc/path.h"
 
-ULONG CNelExport::ExtractFileName(char* Path, char* Name)
-{
-	long	i,j;
-	char	temp[MAX_PATH];
-
-	for(j=0,i=strlen(Path)-1 ; i>=0 && Path[i]!='\\' && Path[i]!='//' ; i--,j++)
-		temp[j]=Path[i];
-	temp[j]=0;
-
-	for(i=strlen(temp)-1,j=0 ; i>=0 ; i--,j++)
-		Name[j]=temp[i];
-	Name[j]=0;
-
-	return(1);
-}
+#ifdef DEBUG_NEW
+#define new DEBUG_NEW
+#endif
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-ULONG CNelExport::ExtractPath(char* FullPath, char* Path)
+ULONG CNelExport::SelectFileForSave(HWND Parent, TCHAR* Title, const TCHAR* Mask, std::string &FileName)
 {
-	long	i;
+	TCHAR curdir[MAX_PATH];
+	TCHAR fname[MAX_PATH];
 
-	for(i=strlen(FullPath)-1 ; i>=0 && FullPath[i]!='\\' && FullPath[i]!='//' ; i--);
-	strncpy(Path,FullPath,i+1);
-	Path[i+1]=0;
+	std::string path, filename;
 
-	return(1);
-}
-
-//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-ULONG CNelExport::SelectFileForLoad(HWND Parent, char* Title, const char* Mask, char* FileName)
-{
-	OPENFILENAME	ofn;
-	char			r;
-	char			curdir[MAX_PATH];
-	char			fname[MAX_PATH];
-
-	fname[0]=0;
 	if (!FileName[0])
 	{
-		GetCurrentDirectory(MAX_PATH,curdir);
+		path = NLMISC::CPath::getCurrentPath();
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		ExtractPath(FileName,curdir);
-		if (!curdir[0])
+		path = NLMISC::CFile::getPath(FileName);
+
+		if (path.empty())
 		{
-			GetCurrentDirectory(MAX_PATH,curdir);
+			path = NLMISC::CPath::getCurrentPath();
 		}
-		ExtractFileName(FileName,fname);
+
+		filename = NLMISC::CFile::getFilename(FileName);
 	}
 
-	memset(&ofn,0,sizeof(OPENFILENAME));
-	ofn.lStructSize	 		=	sizeof ( OPENFILENAME );
-	ofn.hwndOwner			=	Parent;
-	ofn.hInstance			=	GetModuleHandle(NULL);
-	ofn.lpstrFilter	  		=	Mask;
-	ofn.lpstrCustomFilter	=	NULL;
-	ofn.nFilterIndex	  	=	0;
-	ofn.lpstrFile		    =	fname;
-	ofn.nMaxFile		    =	500;
-	ofn.lpstrTitle	    	=	Title;
-	ofn.Flags			    =	OFN_FILEMUSTEXIST | OFN_HIDEREADONLY | OFN_LONGNAMES | OFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT;
-	ofn.lpstrDefExt		  	=	"*";
-	ofn.lpstrInitialDir		=	curdir;
-	r=GetOpenFileName ( &ofn );
-	strcpy(FileName,fname);
-	return(r);
-}
-
-//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-ULONG CNelExport::SelectFileForSave(HWND Parent, char* Title, const char* Mask, char* FileName)
-{
-	OPENFILENAME	ofn;
-	char			r;
-	char			curdir[MAX_PATH];
-	char			fname[MAX_PATH];
-
-	fname[0]=0;
-	if (!FileName[0])
-	{
-		GetCurrentDirectory(MAX_PATH,curdir);
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		ExtractPath(FileName,curdir);
-		if (!curdir[0])
-		{
-			GetCurrentDirectory(MAX_PATH,curdir);
-		}
-		ExtractFileName(FileName,fname);
-	}
+	// copy path and filename to temporary buffers
+	_tcscpy_s(curdir, MAX_PATH, utf8ToTStr(path));
+	_tcscpy_s(fname, MAX_PATH, utf8ToTStr(filename));
 
+	OPENFILENAME ofn;
 	memset(&ofn,0,sizeof(OPENFILENAME));
 	ofn.lStructSize	 		=	sizeof ( OPENFILENAME );
 	ofn.hwndOwner			=	Parent;
@@ -126,201 +65,40 @@ ULONG CNelExport::SelectFileForSave(HWND Parent, char* Title, const char* Mask,
 	ofn.nMaxFile		    =	500;
 	ofn.lpstrTitle	    	=	Title;
 	ofn.Flags			    =	OFN_HIDEREADONLY | OFN_LONGNAMES | OFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT;
-	ofn.lpstrDefExt		  	=	"*";
+	ofn.lpstrDefExt		  	=	_T("*");
 	ofn.lpstrInitialDir		=	curdir;
-	r=GetSaveFileName ( &ofn );
-	strcpy(FileName,fname);
-	return(r);
+	BOOL r = GetSaveFileName ( &ofn );
+
+	FileName = tStrToUtf8(fname);
+
+	return r;
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-ULONG CNelExport::SelectDir(HWND Parent, char* Title, char* Path)
+ULONG CNelExport::SelectDir(HWND Parent, TCHAR* Title, std::string &Path)
 {
-	BROWSEINFO	bi;
-	char		str[MAX_PATH];
-	ITEMIDLIST*	pidl;
+	TCHAR str[MAX_PATH];
+	_tcscpy_s(str, MAX_PATH, utf8ToTStr(Path));
 
+	BROWSEINFO	bi;
 	bi.hwndOwner=Parent;
 	bi.pidlRoot=NULL;
-	bi.pszDisplayName=Path;
+	bi.pszDisplayName=str;
 	bi.lpszTitle=Title;
 	bi.ulFlags=0;
 	bi.lpfn=0;
 	bi.lParam=0;
 	bi.iImage=0;
-	pidl=SHBrowseForFolder(&bi);
+
+	ITEMIDLIST*	pidl = SHBrowseForFolder(&bi);
+
 	if (!SHGetPathFromIDList(pidl,str) ) 
 	{
-		return(0);
+		return 0;
 	}
- 	strcpy(Path,str);
-	return(1);
+
+	Path = tStrToUtf8(str);
+
+	return 1;
 }
-
-//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-ULONG CNelExport::FileExists(const char* FileName)
-{
-	FILE	*file;
-	if ( !strcmp(FileName,"") ) return(0);
-	file=fopen(FileName,"rb");
-	if (!file) return(0);
-	fclose(file);
-	return(1);
-}
-
-//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-ULONG CNelExport::GetFileSize(char* FileName)
-{
-	FILE			*file;
-	unsigned long	fsize;
-
-	file=fopen(FileName,"rb");
-	if (!file) return(0);
-	fseek(file,0,SEEK_END);
-	fsize=ftell(file);
-	fclose(file);
-	return(fsize);
-}
-
-//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-ULONG CNelExport::ProcessDir(char* Dir, const char* Mask, unsigned long flag, ULONG Fnct(char* FileName) )
-{
-	char			ToFound[MAX_PATH];
-	char			FullDir[MAX_PATH];
-	char			str[MAX_PATH];
-	HANDLE			h;
-	WIN32_FIND_DATA	fi;
-	BOOL			r;
-
-	GetFullPathName(Dir,MAX_PATH,FullDir,NULL);
-	// --- Directory
-	if (flag)
-	{
-		strcpy(ToFound,Dir);
-		if ( ToFound[strlen(ToFound)-1]!='\\')
-			strcat(ToFound,"\\");
-		strcat(ToFound,"*.*");
-		h=FindFirstFile(ToFound,&fi);
-		if (h!=INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
-		{
-			r=1;
-			while(r)
-			{
-				if ( strcmp(fi.cFileName,".") && strcmp(fi.cFileName,"..") )
-				{
-					if (	
-						fi.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY &&
-						!(fi.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN)
-						)
-					{
-						strcpy(str,Dir);
-						if ( str[strlen(str)-1]!='\\' ) strcat(str,"\\");
-						strcat(str,fi.cFileName);
-						if ( !ProcessDir(str,Mask,flag,Fnct) ) return(0);
-					}
-				}					
-				r=FindNextFile(h,&fi);
-			}
-			FindClose(h);
-		}
-	}
-	// --- Files
-	strcpy(ToFound,Dir);
-	if ( ToFound[strlen(ToFound)-1]!='\\') strcat(ToFound,"\\");
-	strcat(ToFound,Mask);
-	h=FindFirstFile(ToFound,&fi);
-	if (h!=INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
-	{
-		r=1;
-		while(r)
-		{
-			if ( strcmp(fi.cFileName,".") && strcmp(fi.cFileName,"..") )
-			{
-				if ( !(fi.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY) )
-				{
-					strcpy(str,FullDir);
-					if ( str[strlen(str)-1]!='\\' ) strcat(str,"\\");
-					strcat(str,fi.cFileName);
-					::strupr(str);
-					if ( !Fnct(str) ) return(0);
-				}
-			}					
-			r=FindNextFile(h,&fi);
-		}
-		FindClose(h);
-	}
-	return(1);
-}
-
-//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-ULONG CNelExport::CleanFileName(char* FileName)
-{
-	char	str[MAX_PATH];
-	unsigned long	i,j,found;
-	
-	j=0;
-	for(i=0 ; i<strlen(FileName) ; i++)
-	{
-		found=0;
-		if (FileName[i]=='\\' && i!=0 && FileName[i-1]!='\\') { str[j]='\\'; j++; found=1; }
-		if (FileName[i]=='/' && i!=0 && FileName[i-1]!='/') { str[j]='/'; j++; found=1; }
-		if (!found) { str[j]=FileName[i]; j++; }
-	}
-	return(1);
-}
-
-//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-ULONG CNelExport::CreateBAKFile(char* FileName)
-{
-	FILE			*fin,*fout;
-	unsigned long	fsize;
-	char	*block;
-	char	str[MAX_PATH];
-
-	if ( !FileExists(FileName) )
-	{
-		return(1);
-	}
-	fin=fopen(FileName,"rb");
-	if (!fin)
-	{
-		//SetError("CreateBAKFile, unable to open %s",FileName);
-		return(0);
-	}
-	fsize=GetFileSize(FileName);
-	if (!fsize)
-	{
-		//SetError("CreateBAKFile, unable to get file size for %s",FileName);
-		return(0);
-	}
-	block=(char*)calloc(1,fsize);
-	if (!block)
-	{
-		//SetError("CreateBAKFile, not enough memory");
-		return(0);	
-	}
-	fread(block,1,fsize,fin);
-	fclose(fin);
-
-	strcpy(str,FileName);
-	str[strlen(str)-1]='K';
-	str[strlen(str)-2]='A';
-	str[strlen(str)-3]='B';
-
-	fout=fopen(str,"w+b");
-	if (!fout)
-	{
-		//SetError("CreateBAKFile, unable to open %s",str);
-		return(0);
-	}
-	fwrite(block,1,fsize,fout);
-	fclose(fout);
-	return(1);
-}
-