Exceeding DTS Exporter poly count
by Teresa Peters · in Artist Corner · 09/07/2006 (11:38 am) · 10 replies
I am wondering if anyone here knows the exact max polygon count that this exporter will export.
Also, I am wondering if anyone can help me increase this maximum to at least 30k polys. I am working on a biology game, so sometimes we may need a very high polycount model to be on the screen by itself.
Also, I am wondering if anyone can help me increase this maximum to at least 30k polys. I am working on a biology game, so sometimes we may need a very high polycount model to be on the screen by itself.
#2
Are you absolutely sure you need that many polygons Teresa? Keep in mind that as I said, the "limit" is only PER OBJECT, if your scene is made up from several objects this isn't an issue. (like, say you have 10 spheres with 5000 polygons each, that's fine. 1 sphere with 50k would probably not export though).
09/07/2006 (9:24 pm)
Scott, there's no actual hard limit, no. But there is a "bug" in the dtsSDK (that most exporters, including the maya one, use) that causes the triangle stripping code to crap out around 10k polygons PER OBJECT. Only way to fix this as far as I'm aware would be to rewrite the exporter to not use those routines and that's no trivial task.Are you absolutely sure you need that many polygons Teresa? Keep in mind that as I said, the "limit" is only PER OBJECT, if your scene is made up from several objects this isn't an issue. (like, say you have 10 spheres with 5000 polygons each, that's fine. 1 sphere with 50k would probably not export though).
#3
09/07/2006 (9:32 pm)
Yeah, it does have that limit. which, kinda sucks if you are trying to take advantage of large batches for new hardware. i gave up trying to export with the max8 exporter. just kept crashing on me. now... i'm looking into the new .fbx format and what it takes to add that to torque the way Matt Fairfax added .3ds.
#4
But anyway.... you're wrong there Anton. For max there is a solution.
I don't particulary like the new max exporter; www.garagegames.com/mg/snapshot/view.php?qid=1238 (I still use the old one due to some other issues with the new one not being fixed yet), but the particular case of the stripping bug should actually be fixed.
09/07/2006 (9:41 pm)
It's not a limit, it's a bug. But anyway.... you're wrong there Anton. For max there is a solution.
I don't particulary like the new max exporter; www.garagegames.com/mg/snapshot/view.php?qid=1238 (I still use the old one due to some other issues with the new one not being fixed yet), but the particular case of the stripping bug should actually be fixed.
#5
Tried it day one it released. No good. Still crashed on export of anything too big. Granted... I was exporting a pretty high poly mesh. But still... I have no trouble exporting the mesh in any other format from max8.
09/07/2006 (10:54 pm)
Magnus,Tried it day one it released. No good. Still crashed on export of anything too big. Granted... I was exporting a pretty high poly mesh. But still... I have no trouble exporting the mesh in any other format from max8.
#6
But in either case, we're getting slightly off topic and "stealing" Teresas thread here. =)
09/07/2006 (11:41 pm)
To tell the truth I haven't tried the version that was released to the public, can't imagine that too much have been changed in this regard since the private beta releases though. Those at least exported about 50k polygons without complaining for me so you're probably just doing something wrong.But in either case, we're getting slightly off topic and "stealing" Teresas thread here. =)
#7
09/08/2006 (12:17 am)
Fwiw, from max 7 we export DTS objects w/ 100,000+ polys w/ no problem except slowness. 
#8
09/08/2006 (6:02 am)
Magnus, thanks for mentioning that bug. I didn't know about that one and that will be good to know for the future.
#9
I may not export anything over 15k, but it's better to work with a high ceiling and not worry about hitting your head, if you know what I mean. Since our game is working with cell biology, we can't always count on being able to just reduce poly count and normal map them.
I'm looking for a specific max polycount, too, because I want to tell our modelers what they must limit their files to.
With respect to the Max mini-thread going on here, we don't have more than a couple copies of Max in our building, but we have a ton of Cinema4D and Maya. If we have to go to Max for the more complex stuff, we could probably live, but this bug should be fixed anyway.
Can anyone identify what the exact source of the bug is? Like, what line of code? Or, why why does tri-stripping suddenly crap out? Is it a memory issue, or when it's being stitched back together?
09/08/2006 (7:34 am)
Okay, a bug, then :). Since this is a bug, that would explain why it isn't documented somewhere. I'm just wondering if anyone's found the exact maximum allowable by the buggy code. Sorry for not being more specific. Also, my 13,008 polygon model seems to work fine.I may not export anything over 15k, but it's better to work with a high ceiling and not worry about hitting your head, if you know what I mean. Since our game is working with cell biology, we can't always count on being able to just reduce poly count and normal map them.
I'm looking for a specific max polycount, too, because I want to tell our modelers what they must limit their files to.
With respect to the Max mini-thread going on here, we don't have more than a couple copies of Max in our building, but we have a ton of Cinema4D and Maya. If we have to go to Max for the more complex stuff, we could probably live, but this bug should be fixed anyway.
Can anyone identify what the exact source of the bug is? Like, what line of code? Or, why why does tri-stripping suddenly crap out? Is it a memory issue, or when it's being stitched back together?
#10
Can you split up the models that doesn't work? (so the scene contains several pieces, the pieces can be in the same DTS, they just need to be separate meshes, all below the "crap out limit"). It SHOULD export just fine in those cases, but I realize it may not be an option.
(Cell biology game sounds interesting by the way... My whole family (except me that is) work with those sort of things!).
09/08/2006 (8:28 am)
As far as I know there's no exact limit, it just craps out when there's too many polygons. (most likely not because of the actual AMOUNT of polygons but some sort of side effect like the stripping code have to check too many possibilities or some such). I haven't had the time (or need) to look at the code so I don't know the specifics I'm afraid.Can you split up the models that doesn't work? (so the scene contains several pieces, the pieces can be in the same DTS, they just need to be separate meshes, all below the "crap out limit"). It SHOULD export just fine in those cases, but I realize it may not be an option.
(Cell biology game sounds interesting by the way... My whole family (except me that is) work with those sort of things!).
Associate Scott Burns
GG Alumni