Max6/7 exporter !! Updated 12/25/04 .

#1 Considering that the Max 6 and 7 exporter is still being worked on and has its quirks, would one be better off using Max 4.2 or 5 with the Max 4.2/5 exporter rather than Max 7? Is there any significant differences(i.e. functionality that cannot be done without)?

Thanks for any information, I appreciate it.

-Jase

#2 If your more comfortable with 4.2 or 5 than go for it. I don't usually use the the things that are broken not only because there broken but because I don't need them. And Max7 has alot better workflow then Max5. Usually I can find workarounds for just about anything I need so it doesn't effect me.

Its your choice, I just post the exporter so you have one.

Matt

#3 Actually, I was asking about the differences between the Max 4.2/5 exporter and the Max 7 exporter. :P More specifically, any functionality that is not present or not working in the max 7 exporter that cannot be done without in its current state.

The DTS exporter matrix shows that pretty much all the functionality is there, but since only the 4.2/5 exporter was marked as 'Official GG Exporter' I just wanted to make sure.

I appreciate the help, and most of all I appreciate the work and time put into the exporter.

Thanks Again,
-Jase

#4 The official one have a more compatible code base for the version of 3dsmax they work with. Since max has evolved some since version 4 and 5 alot of the methods for extracting information from a scene have changed. But the code in the exporter has not been kept up with. So some things work and others don't.
GG or Dynamax (spelling?) originally write the code for MAX 3 and 4.

Its kinda complicated but I would guess you figured that out.

Matt

#5 Updated on exporter matrix and the artists site.

#6 Thanks Alex.

#7 Matthew, where can i get the source files of exporter?
is this available?

thanks

#8 Not yet but I'm working on it why? You think you can add to them. I see your an SDK owner.

Email me at
mjones7947 comcast net. Spam free =@ and .

I would be happy to pass them out as long as I can keep updated on the changes. :)

Matt

#9 Merry Christmas

I been fooling around with this exporter some more and managed to get about a 50% speed increase out of it. I am pretty sure everything is working well. I have tested it on just about everything I can think of. Still need the UNMESS tool though for LOD shapes. I would really like to get that worked out but I keep scratching my head.

Anyway it can be downloaded HERE, and if anybody from GG picks it up and adds it to the artist page could you let me know.

And in the same turn if anybody experiances some problems please let me know right away.

Also I am trying to get a resource together with all the changes in case anybody is intrested in setting up there own.
Might be a little while.


Matt

#10 Awsome, sounds great. I hope you had a Merry Christmas. Enjoy the new year celebration.

-Jase

#11 Matthew, the link seems to be broken.

#12 I moved some the other day and it got screwed SORRY , fixed now.

Matt

#13 Worked like a charm. :) Thanks for the update.

#14 First, congratulations, it's really awesome like Jase says.

I'm not a programmer, I'm a 3D artist and my contribution is to test the plugin.

I had problems with transparencies. I don't know if I'm making something wrong, or if it's a bug. Look:


I'm using MAX7 and PNG files for transparent images.

Happy new year for everyone.

#15 Look like you have no alpha channel but maybe a MASK. You must have a 32bit PNG image with alpha channel. By default PSP and Adobe PS do not export this format. Only 24 bit maksed format.
I make mine in either tool as TGA and use EYEBATCH to convert them to 32 bit PNG's. I guess there is a PNG plugin for Adobe PS, called superpng or somthing but I have never had any luck with it in windows.
I know for a fact transperancies work, so if you do have an alpha channel in your image set you material up as follows:

diffuse :: .png 100
Opicity :: .png 100

The docs say you don't have to have the image in the opicity slot and to tell you the truth I usually have a copy of the alpha channel (opicity map) in the form of an image in mine. SO I would think as long as Opicity is checked on and set to 100 you should get your alpha value when you get to torque.

The only thing I haven't been able to get working id reflective transperant materials using one image. I am not sure why...

Hope that helps, let me know

Matthew Jones

#16 Thanks dude

#17 Thanks for the update, I just got a copy of max7, and it's really nice to be able to just get back to work instead of recompiling and fixing exporters.
I'll let you know if I run into any problems.

thanks master Jones.

#18 I've kinda just ran into a problem with Biped riggs. Somtimes for some reason (NOT SURE) some of the keyframes don't get exported. I haven't figured out why. So just point you in the right direction if you run into it too.

Matt

#19 Thanks for the heads up, maybe this is what Paul is running into in the 'feet bounce' thread.

#20 Where's that at? In a Thread or somthing?

Matt