3ds max DTS export help
by Greg Albright · in Artist Corner · 10/17/2011 (8:21 am) · 8 replies
Ok I installed the correct version of 3ds max. I found the dts exporter, and installed it. I downloaded and read the Dts_nodes.pdf document. I have tried constructing my nodes in various ways for several hours...
Could someone post a max file that is setup for dts export so that I can see how it looks/works??? I need something really simple. A file with a mesh for a visual display, then a couple of collision volumes to represent the mesh. That would answer every question that I have...
Thanks for the help.
Could someone post a max file that is setup for dts export so that I can see how it looks/works??? I need something really simple. A file with a mesh for a visual display, then a couple of collision volumes to represent the mesh. That would answer every question that I have...
Thanks for the help.
About the author
I feel I have to explain my avatar. That was the first thing I did in Sculptris that didn't explode all over the place. Version 2. ZOMG when you guys where helping me switch to max why didn't you say Mudbox? Oh wait you did and I ignored you.
#2
I was looking at the dts file once it was in t3d. As a result, I was adding a root node, where none was needed.
And I dunno... Max 32 seems a little less... flaky??? than Max 64. If I leave Max 64 running over night, I think it leaks memory, but I can't tell because I can't make heads or tails of memory management in the windows task manager anymore. Max 32 doesn't seem to do that as much... flaky things when you leave it running in the background.
In any case, my first computer hard drive had 20 megabytes. Now I am considering laying out the cash for 8 gigs of ram, so it is all future shock all the time over here. But I digress.
But no worries and no apology needed. I like things being hard.
10/21/2011 (7:15 pm)
The problem I was having went like this...I was looking at the dts file once it was in t3d. As a result, I was adding a root node, where none was needed.
And I dunno... Max 32 seems a little less... flaky??? than Max 64. If I leave Max 64 running over night, I think it leaks memory, but I can't tell because I can't make heads or tails of memory management in the windows task manager anymore. Max 32 doesn't seem to do that as much... flaky things when you leave it running in the background.
In any case, my first computer hard drive had 20 megabytes. Now I am considering laying out the cash for 8 gigs of ram, so it is all future shock all the time over here. But I digress.
But no worries and no apology needed. I like things being hard.
#3
10/24/2011 (5:16 pm)
Hmm.. Yeah dunno we all use Max 64 over here without any huge issues, but we also have 12 gigs of ram on our art machines. 
#4
With regards to DAE or DTS, they are both good, it really comes down to how much control you want and need with your art that you are exporting. I will still argue that DTS from your DCC app is vastly superior than DAE for characters, weapons, vehicles and objects you can interact with, but it also requires a bit of R&D time and knowledge of your DCC software to operate.
10/25/2011 (8:53 am)
I have never had an issue here with Max 64 either, but then again I am running the latest and greatest versions with all the necessary updates and no 3rd party plugins. So I would maybe look to see if there are any updates or where your leak is occuring because that definately is not normal.With regards to DAE or DTS, they are both good, it really comes down to how much control you want and need with your art that you are exporting. I will still argue that DTS from your DCC app is vastly superior than DAE for characters, weapons, vehicles and objects you can interact with, but it also requires a bit of R&D time and knowledge of your DCC software to operate.
#5
10/25/2011 (11:58 am)
@Logan : I am not an artist, but I do feel the need to educate myself in all areas that touch upon game creation. That being said, could you explain why or in what way exporting directly to DTS instead of to Collada and then DTS would give more control? I have seen the same thing implied before in the forums but I don't understand why it should be so.
#6
- Smaller file size
- Ability to export the animate only (DSQs) and share those animations amongst many DTS models that share the same skeleton
- Support for additive animation blending
- Ability to control what is and isn't exported via the hierarchy setup and the CFG file
- Ability to control LOD auto generation
- Ability to control mip mapping
- Ability to check the dump.dmp file for any errors that occured on export/load
- The DTS exporters will not allow bad data out, as such it creates a seperation between "art" and "code" problems that can be more easily troubleshooted. This is why the DTS exporters are inherintly more difficult to use, because it was designed for optimizing QA and bug testing of art before using it.
- Bounds node support. This helps the engine know how to trasition your character from a walk or run and ensure that the legs move at the proper rate for the velocity being used.
- Cleaner art production pipeline, all of your settings and options for how the character looks and plays is controlled in your DCC app and not as an extra change at the engine level by an in-engine tool.
DTS Cons:
- Doesnt currently support a 2nd UVW channel
- Takes some time to learn, so its not new user friendly
- Regenerates the normals for the mesh because this data was not exposed in some DCC apps at the original time the DTS exporter was written.
- Limit of approximately 28 LOD or collision shapes in the mesh
- There is a limit of roughly 10,000 polygons per node (give or take) in your DTS scene
10/31/2011 (8:58 am)
DTS Pros:- Smaller file size
- Ability to export the animate only (DSQs) and share those animations amongst many DTS models that share the same skeleton
- Support for additive animation blending
- Ability to control what is and isn't exported via the hierarchy setup and the CFG file
- Ability to control LOD auto generation
- Ability to control mip mapping
- Ability to check the dump.dmp file for any errors that occured on export/load
- The DTS exporters will not allow bad data out, as such it creates a seperation between "art" and "code" problems that can be more easily troubleshooted. This is why the DTS exporters are inherintly more difficult to use, because it was designed for optimizing QA and bug testing of art before using it.
- Bounds node support. This helps the engine know how to trasition your character from a walk or run and ensure that the legs move at the proper rate for the velocity being used.
- Cleaner art production pipeline, all of your settings and options for how the character looks and plays is controlled in your DCC app and not as an extra change at the engine level by an in-engine tool.
DTS Cons:
- Doesnt currently support a 2nd UVW channel
- Takes some time to learn, so its not new user friendly
- Regenerates the normals for the mesh because this data was not exposed in some DCC apps at the original time the DTS exporter was written.
- Limit of approximately 28 LOD or collision shapes in the mesh
- There is a limit of roughly 10,000 polygons per node (give or take) in your DTS scene
#7
In the exporters I have compiled;
The 'MaxDetail dummy' limit was raised to 100, these are the dummies that reference a scene object. Hence 99 collision volumes with 1 LOD is possible.
Also;
- Visibility is not available through all DAE exporters/DCCversions, but DTS supports this.
- Perhaps a difference regarding "MultiRes". DTS uses it, but does DAE ?
10/31/2011 (10:30 am)
To extend on Logan's post for the sake of archiving knowledge..In the exporters I have compiled;
The 'MaxDetail dummy' limit was raised to 100, these are the dummies that reference a scene object. Hence 99 collision volumes with 1 LOD is possible.
Also;
- Visibility is not available through all DAE exporters/DCCversions, but DTS supports this.
- Perhaps a difference regarding "MultiRes". DTS uses it, but does DAE ?
#8
10/31/2011 (12:21 pm)
thanks for the info Logan and EB. 
Associate Matt Ostgard
A lot of people still think that we use DTS directly still.. This is because we still have old documentation linked on our main menu bar in the site. I don't know when this is supposed to be fixed.. but it really really needs to be.