>> Is there any way to use an AVI file as a texturemap in 3ds. <<
The quick answer is no – not presently. If you can convert to a FLC or
sequentially numbered frames you would have more options.
The long answer is that the IPAS specs include a format called the BXP. This
format is intended to be used for importing non-supported bitmap files. A
programmer with the IPAS Kit and the AVI specifications could (in theory) write
a BXP to allow this. (The fact that no one has done it yet suggests that it
may not be very easy…)
– Dave