The 3ds format is perfect for blitz3d, so use it
No it isn't. It lacks all kinds of features that the b3d format has, including real animation, full path lengths, probably a ton of other stuff. There's really no reason for using 3ds any more. It has nothing over b3d.
but the texturefile itself is not
If you mean the name of the texture is not embedded in the 3ds file, you're wrong. If you mean the actual texture itself isn't embedded, well of course it isn't. No model formats include embedded textures, and I don't think that's what Gord was asking.