Can I import buildings that were made i Max?
by Rui Barbosa · in Constructor · 09/08/2008 (7:33 am) · 8 replies
I have been considering buying a couple of items fromTurbosquid.
I am specialy interested in the arab city, a very good one, that sells for US$ 1.200,00.
(http://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm/ID/375551)
But, I am not sure I can import the individual buildings in Torque.
Can that be done?
I mean, 1200 buks doesn't seem too much for all the stuff that is contaned in that package, but I can not buy it if I can 't use it. :(
As you can see at the description in that page, poly counts are ok, and it the overall lookis really cool.
My idea is to gret that package andd import the inndividual buildings into the torque game editor, so I can populate a game level wit those items.
But I am not sure how this would work in terms of work flow?
I would open each building in Max, and export them so I could use them innside torque.
But I think buildings should always be created in Constructor?
Or buildings can also be built in Max and exported, with no loss in-game speed?
Is constructor (or quark, etc...) really necessary?
Are buildings built in max as good (in terms o speed, interaction) as the ones made in Constructor, Quark, etc...?
Thanks,
Rui
I am specialy interested in the arab city, a very good one, that sells for US$ 1.200,00.
(http://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm/ID/375551)
But, I am not sure I can import the individual buildings in Torque.
Can that be done?
I mean, 1200 buks doesn't seem too much for all the stuff that is contaned in that package, but I can not buy it if I can 't use it. :(
As you can see at the description in that page, poly counts are ok, and it the overall lookis really cool.
My idea is to gret that package andd import the inndividual buildings into the torque game editor, so I can populate a game level wit those items.
But I am not sure how this would work in terms of work flow?
I would open each building in Max, and export them so I could use them innside torque.
But I think buildings should always be created in Constructor?
Or buildings can also be built in Max and exported, with no loss in-game speed?
Is constructor (or quark, etc...) really necessary?
Are buildings built in max as good (in terms o speed, interaction) as the ones made in Constructor, Quark, etc...?
Thanks,
Rui
#2
You will lose zoning and portaling with DTS's and most likely have shadowing issues.
09/08/2008 (8:18 am)
You can use the max2ctor plugin, but it is not uniformly compatible with all models and all modeling styles (which means that it is a crapshoot when it comes to models that *you* didn't make. While it may generate correctly extruded geometry, it may look awkward when opened in Constructor unless the model was designed with CSG in mind.You will lose zoning and portaling with DTS's and most likely have shadowing issues.
#3
09/08/2008 (1:24 pm)
It is very unlikely that those buildings are modeled with CSG in mind, as David mentioned (if they were, then you could definitely use max2ctor). When you have simple non-convex geometry in 3dsmax, it is straight forward and fairly easy to recreate a convex geometry version by hand, but with that number of buildings it would require alot of extra time, which kinda defeats the whole reason for purchasing the models in the first place.
#4
It they are, then I will buy thee complete set.
1200 is a lot of money, alright, but if the whole package works with Torque, then it is a bargain.
Of course I may need to pay a friend of mine to modify the houses so that they fit the CSG-oriented style, and this, alone, could end up being expensive.
I will try it with a couuple of houses from that set and find out the best way to do it.
Do you guys know of any city that can be purchased, that is Torque compatible off the box?
I am going to buy the URBAN COMBO Pack, which is selling for US$ 65,00 I believe, but I would like to have a much bigger ciy to play with.
That pack looks really cool, and the only thing I really don't like in it is that it desn't have a massive number of buildings.
Hm... one more question :)
If I decide to pay this friend of mine to build a city, he will definitely need massive texture packs than can be used in Constructor.
Can you guys point me a good collection of building textures in the range US$100 to US$150?
Thanks for your help,
Rui
09/09/2008 (9:29 am)
I will try to buy a couple of house models from the author, just to check if they are game-ready.It they are, then I will buy thee complete set.
1200 is a lot of money, alright, but if the whole package works with Torque, then it is a bargain.
Of course I may need to pay a friend of mine to modify the houses so that they fit the CSG-oriented style, and this, alone, could end up being expensive.
I will try it with a couuple of houses from that set and find out the best way to do it.
Do you guys know of any city that can be purchased, that is Torque compatible off the box?
I am going to buy the URBAN COMBO Pack, which is selling for US$ 65,00 I believe, but I would like to have a much bigger ciy to play with.
That pack looks really cool, and the only thing I really don't like in it is that it desn't have a massive number of buildings.
Hm... one more question :)
If I decide to pay this friend of mine to build a city, he will definitely need massive texture packs than can be used in Constructor.
Can you guys point me a good collection of building textures in the range US$100 to US$150?
Thanks for your help,
Rui
#5
09/14/2008 (6:11 am)
I have downloaded several max files from Turbosquid and all have failed the conversion. THey have to be drawn with games in mid or its a no go.
#6
09/16/2008 (1:49 pm)
They are also most likely not modeled with CSG in mind (conversion to a format that Constructor/Quark/Radiant/Hammer can use).
#7
I have purchased the Combo Pack from RRGTS.
I am going t play withit for a while.
So far, everything is perfect.
The only thig I really don't like abou it is the sidewalks - they look very artificial with the sharp angle.
But the buildings and the road look realy nice.
The pack includes streett props that help add realism to the mission.
I am enjoying it.
But, then again, that is not the kind of scenery I wanted.
I am more interessted in an Arab city thingy.
Anyway, the packag is awsome and will help me prototype my tinny little game.
BTW everything works as expected, and some of thee buildings have interiors.
I am very happy with that pack. Specialy because it costed me only $65.
Congrats to the folks at RRGTS.
Rui
09/16/2008 (3:06 pm)
Hello guys,I have purchased the Combo Pack from RRGTS.
I am going t play withit for a while.
So far, everything is perfect.
The only thig I really don't like abou it is the sidewalks - they look very artificial with the sharp angle.
But the buildings and the road look realy nice.
The pack includes streett props that help add realism to the mission.
I am enjoying it.
But, then again, that is not the kind of scenery I wanted.
I am more interessted in an Arab city thingy.
Anyway, the packag is awsome and will help me prototype my tinny little game.
BTW everything works as expected, and some of thee buildings have interiors.
I am very happy with that pack. Specialy because it costed me only $65.
Congrats to the folks at RRGTS.
Rui
#8
09/16/2008 (3:36 pm)
RRGTS is an excellent source, I have just about everything they've made so far. Another group that is extremely good, low priced is Dexsoft, who just happens to have a middle eastern city that is pretty much torque ready. www.dexsoft-games.com/models/oriental.html. I picked up the industrial scenes recently; they require polysoup for collisions, but they seem to be designed with that in mind, as I'm getting extremely good framerates with a LOT of buildings in one area, and the collisions are working almost perfectly. 
Torque Owner Timothy Castagna
TK Games LLC
also if you have the latest version of TGEA you can import them directly into the game as .DTS objects and make them polysoup.