New Build of the Dark Industries DTS Exporter...

#1 Forgot to mention this build is compiled for Max 7 & 8 users only.
Should have a Max 9 build available fairly soon.

#2 Thank you very much, Matt!

#3 Your timing is spectacular! I was just shutting down Max to do the exporter swap so I can export my Biped character. I happened to check my mail, and shazam, new exporter.

Thanks much, I'll check this out now.

#4 One thing I'm seeing is that same problem where Max no longer recognizes the sequence objects I created with the old GarageGames exporter. So that sequence info (start/stop keys, footstep triggers) is lost, apparently. Is there any possibility of making the new exporter recognize these objects? Or will I pretty much be required to set up new sequences using the new tools?

As I think we discussed before, it isn't a huge task to upgrade my Max files so the sequence work with the Dark Industry tools. But the fact that the new exporter has the potential to cause sequence info to be lost by simply loading and re-saving a Max file makes me a little nervous. It's just a matter of not re-saving, I suppose, just like if I was to, say, load a Max 7 file into a trial version of Max 9. Still, backward compatibility is always welcome!

#5 I am using the original biped setup from the Torque Demo. I've placed my skin on the existing biped, but I can't get it to export properly. I am exporting with QuickExport to avoid having to replace the existing bounds, details and other nodes. Also, I've deleted the old dts exporters for good measure. Anyone with some pointers?

#6 Spencer,

We are working out what will be involved with adding support for sequence markers created by the old max exporter for backwards compatibility. I can say this much from my initial work, you would definately not be able to have both the original exporter and ours loaded in Max at the same time as there would probably be a confilct at the plugin level which would most likely cause some kind of nasty crash.

I will post more on thid topic when I have time to dig into it further.

#7 @Matt,

Yep, I've already run into problems having both old and new exporters installed, so I don't to that any more.

My goal is to be able to migrate totally to your Dark Industries exporter. At the same time I'm cautious enough to be wary losing info that depends on the old exporters, so thumbs-up on the backwards compatibility.

BTW, if I haven't mentioned it, thanks for all the hard work you're putting into these exporters! Art tools are chronically neglected in game dev, so it's gratifying to see progress made on quality tools.

#8 Hi all,

The exporter does not work with 3dsMax submaterials. When I use submaterials the exporter will not allow me to specify the material parameters. So, everything exports properly, but I can't indicate that a submaterial is "transparent" and whatnot.

Is this something that will likely be supported in the future?

Thanks
Todd

#9 Another problem I am having...

I am gettig the following assertion:

File .\libraries\dtsSDK\DTSMesh.cpp
Line: 320

Expression: enormals.size() == verts.size()


Can someone give me an idea what might cause this assert?

Thanks
Todd

#10 Ok,

I just re-read the original thread and saw that the sub-materials problem is a known issue...

Also, I was able to avoid the assert by using the auto-created config file with quick export.

Thanks
Todd

#11 @Matt,

I'm trying to export a mounted object - a gun - with your exporter, and it seems to not export the mountpoint. Why is that? This node exported without a problem in the old GG exporter.

I see in your exporter there's a node manager in which I can select mountpoint and check "always export". I thought I'd try that next. I could see that being the trick to it, but it just seems a little more common sense that such a node would export by default.

One other thing that's puzzled me: The date on the DLE in the above link is 12/11/06, which seems old for a new build that's posted on 1/24/07.

Thanks,

Spencer

UPDATE: I just tried selecting the mountpoint within your Exporter Utility (under Node Manager), and checking "always export". It still didn't export the mountpoint. It does, however, export the muzzlepoint (as it did before).

Random question: there's a "save" button there. I hit it, but I have no idea what I'm saving, or where. If I move this Max file to another machine, how can I be sure that my saved settings come with me?

Thanks again!

UPDATE 2: I re-installed the old GG exporter, and it turns out that it culls the mount node also, *unless* I uncheck "collapse transforms".

So I re-installed the Dark Industries exporter, and tried unchecking "collapse transforms" in it. Didn't help. I also saw there was a "Node Culling" checkbox, which I unchecked. That also didn't help. (I did remember to hit "apply" after each.)

#12 I use both the original exporter and this one with no crashes. I even switch between them - use the DArkIndustries one to quickly setup the the hierarchy for an object, then, say it has an IFL or something, I turn around and export the object with the old exporter. go figure.

#13 Just yesterday I was trying to export a model with an Env map using the old (GG) exporter, and it just stopped working. Something got effed up, and just like that there was no env map on my model in the ShowTool, nor in the 1.4 or earlier versions of the engine (it did, however, still show up in the 1.5 version). So I uninstalled the GG exporters, and went with Matt's exporter - it worked! In ShowTool, and all engine versions. So, you saved my ass there.

#14 I'm failing here right out of the starting blocks, maybe i'm missing something stupid because i really dont see whats wrong.

i installed in to the 3dsmax8 folder using the _RC3.exe file, i then added the plugin from this thread.

when i try to use the customise UI it just fails... there is no 'Torque' in the list.

the actual file->export worked when i used an older model i had made and exported using the GG (bear in mind this is from the simpleshape tutorial, no collision no nothing just a textured box) so i assume that the exporter itself is not an issue.

However i have no control of anything rendering all the badly written outdated tutorals even more complex and difficult than they need to be, i grabbed this stuff in the hope that i can get this stuff working in max 8, so far all ive managed is a crate that i just run through

#15 None of my TSStatic animations will export, i get "Mesh topology is animated on mesh" error.

#16 Does anyone know if the NOMIPMAP flag can be set from this exporter?

I tried the MIPMAP::NOMIPMAP=true in the user properties of the bounding box, but no success.

Thanks in advance.

#17 When I tried to export a scene, an error in the Maxscript blow out saying "unknown system exception" in the following line: "exportFile dtsFileName" inside this part of the script:
if setupType == "export" then
(
dtsFileName = getSaveFileName \
caption:"Select a File Name" \
filename:"quickexport.dts" \
types:"Torque DTS Shape(*.DTS)|*.dts|"

if dtsFileName != undefined then
(
if cfg_chk.checked == true then
(
CreateConfigFile ( getFilenamePath dtsFileName )
)
exportFile dtsFileName
)
)
Can somebody tell me what is going on and how I may repair this
Thanks

#18 @lenardo Ferrer --> I have the same error when I use skin, also with the example player, I can't believe it, I'll try this update

#19 Is there a way to rescale the Mesh on export time?
like this:
www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=11278

#20 @lenardo Ferrer --> I have the same error when I use skin, also with the example player, I can't believe it, I'll try this update