Game Development Community

gmax and V12

by Adam Baratz · in Torque Game Engine · 08/29/2001 (9:50 am) · 7 replies

Discreet is working on a game-oriented version of 3ds called gmax. They say developers can get a license to make add-ons for this free tool to let players make mod content for games. They claim it's very similar to doing a 3ds exporter. Since there already is a 3ds tool for V12, has there been any consideration to opening up the use of this potentially powerful tool for V12 developers?

#1
08/29/2001 (9:57 am)
When I last looked into this last year they wanted a hefty fee (80K I think) for the license. Once you license GMAX for your game you can distribute it freely to the buyers of your product.
#2
08/29/2001 (10:58 am)
GarageGames talked to Discreet at Game Developers this year and explained that we had a single engine with multiple products. We wanted to know, could we license gMax once and use it for each project, since the gMax scripts would be exactly the same.

The Answer: NO

They want 80k per project, looks liek MilkShape will be getting our money!

--Rick
#3
08/29/2001 (11:06 am)
LOL
#4
08/29/2001 (11:16 am)
I got no problems with using milkshape now.
especially since we've got a heads up that these 3ds folks are not a reasonable entity to deal with.
#5
08/29/2001 (11:33 am)
Their will be other options, Milkshape is just the first project that got going.

--Rick GG
#6
09/16/2001 (2:30 pm)
youve probably already thought of it, but i havent read anything on these boards: lightwave. its on equal footing with max (in terms of features, if not support - god only knows why 3dsmax inspires such loyalty, given discreets greed), and if im not mistaken, the sticker price covers unlimited seats (within the same organization). clearly the way to go, although they dont have a direct answer to gmax.
#7
09/16/2001 (4:49 pm)
All of the big 3d packages are kind of overkill for game model design. Lightwave, 3DSMax and Maya are high end CG solutions designed more for hollywood than for game developers. Milkshape will make just about anything you need for a game. The only reason to invest in a big package is if you want fancy CG cut-scenes for your game.

V-Max might not be as good as its designers claim. They seem to be so terrified that people will use it instead of 3DSMax that they will probably remove any useful functions that will set it apart from the 50-100 dollar crowd of 3d modelers. Game engine support for model design isn't worth 80k+. Most small 3d modelers could incorporate that same feature without charging as much as some game engines do.

If they want to get independent developers attention. They should make a real game oriented, low poly modeler and call it Maxlite or something. All they would have to do is take out the advanced CG effects and high end toys that most of us don't need or use for games anyway. Then they could charge around 200 or so for it and still get the same sales for their high end stuff.