Day 3, DEFCON 3, TGE 1.5.1, Max 7, Hair out
by Harold M Gibbs · in Artist Corner · 05/26/2007 (9:07 am) · 0 replies
Hi Guys, Need a Max 7/DTSexporter observation please...
About a year ago I created a number of DTS objects with animated textures mostly for
water models with Max 7 and the TGE 1.4 max2dts exporter of the day...
Recently I decided to upgrade to 1.5.1 and max2dtspro, still with Max 7. I also
decided to modify my water models to use IFL instead of Ain Tex to faciliate a smaller
footprint during runtime..
I am quite sure this will be an embrassing moment when it's pointed out to me, but
I've done the 'walk-away' several times and I just can't find the correct solution...
Since I have never used IFL's before I downloaded the Max 7 'power-up' model used in
the TDN tutorial in an effort to understand IFL's better. Studied the schematics, and
exported with the new max2dtspro. All is fine in ShowTool. Studied a little more and
created my own jpg and png IFL's in order to study the difference the two would make
in the runtime footprint. Hoping that would be a quick study and move on to updating
my own models. Fat chance.
I subsequently replaced the IFL's of the power-up model with my own for test sake.
Exported. All is fine in ShowTool. Removed all objects of the power-up other than
the 'light' just to make sure I fully understood the nodes, etc..
Now I have just my IFL's and the light object looking good in ShowTool.
Last of the DMP file....
Sequences:
0: ambient
Material list:
material #0: "water.ifl". Place holder for ifl.
Warnings:
No warnings.
Errors:
No errors.
Copied my IFL's from the powerup directory to my data/shapes directory. Modified my
models for IFL's. Exported...
Last of the DMP file...
Sequences:
0: ambient
Material list:
material #0: "water".
Warnings:
No warnings.
Errors:
No errors.
No Warnings or errors but the material shows up as simple "Water" instead of
"water.ifl" as a place holder... Needless to say the material jpgs or pngs do not
show in ShowTool. I went back to the demo power-up to study again. I removed all
materials but a copy of my IFL in the power-up directory and a copy of the same IFL in
my models directory. Simply changing from one material to the other and exporting
results in a good or bad export as above.
Is this a configuration file problem? The configuration file in the power-up
directory is the same as the one in my models directory... Blank mostly...
As I said before I'm sure this is yet a stupid oversite, but I really need to
understand this.
And the clincher....
I can't get my original DTS's with animated textures to export now with the max2dtspro
that ships with TGE 1.5.1 without a fatal...
error 20: topology animated on shape #####
I have spent three days now trying to figure out why my IFL's will work in the
power-up model but not in my own. I just can't see why the IFL handle is being
dropped..
DEFCON rising..
Thanks in advance..
Harold
About a year ago I created a number of DTS objects with animated textures mostly for
water models with Max 7 and the TGE 1.4 max2dts exporter of the day...
Recently I decided to upgrade to 1.5.1 and max2dtspro, still with Max 7. I also
decided to modify my water models to use IFL instead of Ain Tex to faciliate a smaller
footprint during runtime..
I am quite sure this will be an embrassing moment when it's pointed out to me, but
I've done the 'walk-away' several times and I just can't find the correct solution...
Since I have never used IFL's before I downloaded the Max 7 'power-up' model used in
the TDN tutorial in an effort to understand IFL's better. Studied the schematics, and
exported with the new max2dtspro. All is fine in ShowTool. Studied a little more and
created my own jpg and png IFL's in order to study the difference the two would make
in the runtime footprint. Hoping that would be a quick study and move on to updating
my own models. Fat chance.
I subsequently replaced the IFL's of the power-up model with my own for test sake.
Exported. All is fine in ShowTool. Removed all objects of the power-up other than
the 'light' just to make sure I fully understood the nodes, etc..
Now I have just my IFL's and the light object looking good in ShowTool.
Last of the DMP file....
Sequences:
0: ambient
Material list:
material #0: "water.ifl". Place holder for ifl.
Warnings:
No warnings.
Errors:
No errors.
Copied my IFL's from the powerup directory to my data/shapes directory. Modified my
models for IFL's. Exported...
Last of the DMP file...
Sequences:
0: ambient
Material list:
material #0: "water".
Warnings:
No warnings.
Errors:
No errors.
No Warnings or errors but the material shows up as simple "Water" instead of
"water.ifl" as a place holder... Needless to say the material jpgs or pngs do not
show in ShowTool. I went back to the demo power-up to study again. I removed all
materials but a copy of my IFL in the power-up directory and a copy of the same IFL in
my models directory. Simply changing from one material to the other and exporting
results in a good or bad export as above.
Is this a configuration file problem? The configuration file in the power-up
directory is the same as the one in my models directory... Blank mostly...
As I said before I'm sure this is yet a stupid oversite, but I really need to
understand this.
And the clincher....
I can't get my original DTS's with animated textures to export now with the max2dtspro
that ships with TGE 1.5.1 without a fatal...
error 20: topology animated on shape #####
I have spent three days now trying to figure out why my IFL's will work in the
power-up model but not in my own. I just can't see why the IFL handle is being
dropped..
DEFCON rising..
Thanks in advance..
Harold
About the author
Fourth, Cobal, xbase, dbase, foxpro, C++, prototype for the S.T.A.R.S. (cc tv L.E.T.N) certification/training program for Public safety. Warranty Tracking System recognized by H.U.D.(92-94) as improvements in manufacturing industry for Mobile Homes.
