Hi, I can load 3DS models with textures without any problem.
However only when their size is smaller than ~1MB, when I try to load a larger model than 1MB, the program just freezes during the initGame() method, without throwing any Exception. It's normal that it takes about 30sec to load a 500KB model, so I was patient and waited. But after 9 minutes of waiting to load a 4MB model(without success) I gave it up.
So is it normal that it takes so long?
What are the vertex/face counts of the models??
So is it normal that it takes so long?
I don't use the 3DS loader much but when I have played with it I have noticed that it is ridiculously slow loading large models with numerous textures. It does work eventually though (for me). If I remove the textures or make them inaccessible it loads in seconds what was taking it like half an hour.
Never looked into it much for various reasons - I don't use 3DS much, it isn't a problem if you load textures separately which I do, and I was using JME1 so figured it might be better with JME2. Maybe not though.
It'll take a bit longer for large models, but 9 minutes sounds pretty extreme. I've loaded models in 3ds with 50-100k triangles, and from deled that were 8mb or so in file size (granted the latter, I had to increase the maximum java heap size hehe). Though maybe as Alric said, your model has an insane amount of textures…and if you aren't exporting your large models to the binary format, it would be a good idea to do so rather than loading them from their 3ds files everytime you start up your app.
Well, I made some progress.
First of all, the model itself has 7 textures, but I'm not loading them (for now).
I managed to convert the model to binary format - it took 1162 seconds = 20 minutes!
The binary format file is 0.5 MB larger.
The loading from binary format takes about 8 seconds, so it's a lot faster.
But the model has now some strange translation, when I set the camera to look at this node, the node is positioned in the upper-left corner of the screen instead of centre.
And for the vertices and faces, the model has about 200 000 vertices and about 160 000 faces. (After using the "Optimize" modifier in 3DS Max)
Most likely for the translation bit the model isn't centered in 3DS or you changed the pivot of the model (or along those lines). Or something weird if the above isn't true 
Don't use 3DS?