Creating an entire level / world in 3DS Max
by Chris Frankie · in Torque Game Engine · 12/20/2006 (8:58 am) · 7 replies
Can you create an entire level in 3Ds Max and export it out in some way?
and
how do you create interiors with 3Ds Max?
Static Shapes is easy enough.... got all kinds of barrels, etc. floating around..
...but a few of us here are begining to wonder if tis possible to completly create a level from scratch in 3ds max and export it out to Tourqe.
and
how do you create interiors with 3Ds Max?
Static Shapes is easy enough.... got all kinds of barrels, etc. floating around..
...but a few of us here are begining to wonder if tis possible to completly create a level from scratch in 3ds max and export it out to Tourqe.
About the author
#2
Is it recommended? ...answer ...no
Its more fiddly then you think. All your shapes have to be convex shapes. Map editors dont let you make convex shapes, max does. So basically in max you have to check your work as you go, as well as using "snap to" a lot..
As said already, game level builder (www.maple3d.com) has a max script for download that does a lot of what you need.. the old version is free, the new one is not. Read the manual though, its not a long manual but its needed.
Most of us here are waiting for constructor to come out... but if you cant wait try Quark (free) or getic (not free) ..or alternatively try plugin from maple3d.com ...
12/20/2006 (10:45 am)
Is it possible? ...answer ..yesIs it recommended? ...answer ...no
Its more fiddly then you think. All your shapes have to be convex shapes. Map editors dont let you make convex shapes, max does. So basically in max you have to check your work as you go, as well as using "snap to" a lot..
As said already, game level builder (www.maple3d.com) has a max script for download that does a lot of what you need.. the old version is free, the new one is not. Read the manual though, its not a long manual but its needed.
Most of us here are waiting for constructor to come out... but if you cant wait try Quark (free) or getic (not free) ..or alternatively try plugin from maple3d.com ...
#3
Tony
12/21/2006 (10:20 am)
Max doesn't have a .dif exporter. You can do a whole world using .dts files, but it would be a major resource hog.Tony
#4
So how does one trained in 3Ds Max go about creating full featured levels, since we've just been locked out of making buildings and anything else useful?
Well, at least we can still make characters and Static stuff... gonna be a boring world, but at least a pretty one... LOL.
I too am awaiting Constructor...
...but tis a little silly that one of the strongest 3D applications out there can't make a simple thing such as an interior... OH WELL!
12/21/2006 (10:00 pm)
Ok - so Max can NOT make interiors or anything - just static shapes.So how does one trained in 3Ds Max go about creating full featured levels, since we've just been locked out of making buildings and anything else useful?
Well, at least we can still make characters and Static stuff... gonna be a boring world, but at least a pretty one... LOL.
I too am awaiting Constructor...
...but tis a little silly that one of the strongest 3D applications out there can't make a simple thing such as an interior... OH WELL!
#5
We know that in TGE we create nice levels mixing dif and dts shapes, but if i want to create a Final Fantasy style game? I think it would not be as good as i think.
12/22/2006 (4:37 am)
This is something that i couldnt understand. How the game levels of other games are created? Using CShop or other convex brush tools?We know that in TGE we create nice levels mixing dif and dts shapes, but if i want to create a Final Fantasy style game? I think it would not be as good as i think.
#6
Download the free script from maple3d.com ..its GLB 2.2 i think
...within this script is a .map exporter for exporting interiors .. when you have exported your map from max merely drag and drop it onto map2dif_plus.exe or even map2dif_plus_tse.exe and it will be converted to .dif...
12/22/2006 (5:19 am)
Actually .. 3d max can make interiors.. as said before its just fiddly though...Download the free script from maple3d.com ..its GLB 2.2 i think
...within this script is a .map exporter for exporting interiors .. when you have exported your map from max merely drag and drop it onto map2dif_plus.exe or even map2dif_plus_tse.exe and it will be converted to .dif...
#7
Now, if you look at a number of PC games such as those using the Unreal or Half-Life engines, you will notice that they still use CSG techniques while decorating from apps like Max or XSI or Maya or Lightwave.
Of course, if you wanted to create a FF game, you do not need very accurate collisions (in fact, extremely simple box collisions are pretty much the norm for such games while polygon counts are higher). You could create your scenes (and most FF games have smaller scene areas--XII a notable difference, but much less detailed for the most part in large environments than other FF's) as DTS models, chunk them up and them put them back together in your level. I believe that Ramen Sama's done this with Lightwave for his console-styled RPG. He's been a big advocate of using DTS's rather than DIF's, which makes perfect sense for his gametype.
12/22/2006 (6:36 am)
Well, the Final Fantasy games (and most large-scale console games) create their own engines from scratch. After a while, they have a large codebase to pull from, but often they will restart from scratch to tailor the engine precisely to eek as much out of the console as possible while also getting what they need. Plus they have dedicated tool programmers making sure that the artflow is as precise as possible (though often not user-friendly).Now, if you look at a number of PC games such as those using the Unreal or Half-Life engines, you will notice that they still use CSG techniques while decorating from apps like Max or XSI or Maya or Lightwave.
Of course, if you wanted to create a FF game, you do not need very accurate collisions (in fact, extremely simple box collisions are pretty much the norm for such games while polygon counts are higher). You could create your scenes (and most FF games have smaller scene areas--XII a notable difference, but much less detailed for the most part in large environments than other FF's) as DTS models, chunk them up and them put them back together in your level. I believe that Ramen Sama's done this with Lightwave for his console-styled RPG. He's been a big advocate of using DTS's rather than DIF's, which makes perfect sense for his gametype.
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