3dsmax import/export alpha version

[Neikun]

Looks like it's working well.
Someone tell Isaac that changing the mesh can be done now!

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[Phitt]

I can confirm that the exporter works for me as well now without problems (only tested the Ogre so far, but that one exported without problems). Thanks!

[Diarmuid]

Hi wallsaurus,

Here's a model that's causing problems on export: http://we.tl/1JU9MCbLmO.

I'm trying to make a dome. I built the model by making an spline of the cross-section, then lathing it around. When I first tried to export it, in the GMT the top vertex appeared at like an infitiy away from the model. I tried a few things to get it exported, for example I detached the top, but then It wasn't exporting at all. I tried to convert the top to editablePoly and back to editableMesh (sometimes this kind of fixed some errors), but now I get the "undefined" error I already got a few times. Thanks If you can help!

EDIT: Ah, also tried to apply a cap holes modifer to the top, and I'm not getting an error anymore but the object just doesn't export. I've noticed already that cap holes seems to do that.

EDIT2: I actually tried to replace the top with a sphere, and it doesn't export. I tried to open a brand new max scene, just created a sphere in the middle, no modifiers, nothing more and tried exporting it, and nothing exports.

EDIT3: Converting the sphere to editable mesh actually made it export. I also chopped a bit of the bottom, I don't know if that helped.

[Phitt]

Got another problem now. I added new geometry to the ogre and it uses a different material than the ogre base model (which uses tunnel_ogre for the ogre and ogre_hammer for the weapon). When I export the new geometry the mesh segment shows up when I look at it in the GMT, but it's invisible - I guess no geometry is exported. If I apply one of the regular ogre materials it shows up though (only when I export with the regular material, not when I change the material in the GMT). The new material doesn't use alpha test or anything like that, I double checked that, it's not transparent (actually the material definition is a copy/paste of a regular non-transparent texture I used).

Maybe there is something wrong if you export with more than two materials? I have no other explanation.

[Diarmuid]

I've exported models with 3 materials on them no problem. It rather seems that there are some types of geometry the exporter doesn't like. I've got tons of void parts of models like that. Usually remodeling it using a different approach managed to fix it, but modelling things two or three times over gets tiresome.

[Phitt]

I've exported models with 3 materials on them no problem. It rather seems that there are some types of geometry the exporter doesn't like. I've got tons of void parts of models like that. Usually remodeling it using a different approach managed to fix it, but modelling things two or three times over gets tiresome.

The model shows up without any errors if I use one of the materials the ogre already uses. It only becomes 'invisible' if I export with my custom material applied. So the problem has to be related to the material. And since the problem is not the material itself (shows up without problems on other models, lua definition is a copy/paste of a basic non-transparent texture) it has to be an export problem. I can only guess that it's the third material, since I can export two just fine. Maybe it's different for rigged models than for static models? No idea.

[Diarmuid]

I have another question, for wallasaurus or someone else, and it's realpy bugging me. When I export many of my models, in game they shade weirdly. Some faces are almost black, a direct torch on them only lights up a part of the surface, while the face next to it is perfectly illuminated even from far. If I bring the model in GMT and click recalculate normals, problem is fixed but I loose all smoothing groups. I don't understand what is causing this as models look and render impeccably with their maps in max.

[Diarmuid]

Ah, by the way, here's another example of an object which refuses to export: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rVman ... lIbGs/edit

It's a sphere, converted to editable mesh, with a material & UVW map applied. I get an 'undefined property: "count" in undefined' error at line 1857 of the script.

[Phitt]

I have another question, for wallasaurus or someone else, and it's realpy bugging me. When I export many of my models, in game they shade weirdly. Some faces are almost black, a direct torch on them only lights up a part of the surface, while the face next to it is perfectly illuminated even from far. If I bring the model in GMT and click recalculate normals, problem is fixed but I loose all smoothing groups. I don't understand what is causing this as models look and render impeccably with their maps in max.

Sounds like flipped normals. This doesn't show when you render in max. Make sure you always reset transforms before export (utilities>reset xform). At least in other games I modded this was often the cause for flipped normals on export.

Somehow I can't download the sphere, but I had the 'count' error as well in the previous version of the script. But it didn't happen with the new version so far.

Personally I still export static models in ASE format and import them with the GMT, that's much more reliable. The script is great of course as you can export animations and rigged models with it (which is not possible with the GMT functions), but it's not super stable right now as far as I can tell.

[wallasaurus]

@Diarmuid:
Only editable mesh is supported. I suppose I should elegantly handle that by cloning and converting any other geometry type behind the scenes, but for now stick to editable mesh and it will be more predictable for you.

gonna do a check on these bits now - bear with me.

<edit>
diarmuid - your dome exports fine once I collapse stack. Sphere exports fine for me too. Have you got the latest version of the export script and put it in your max folder correctly?

As for the odd shading, most likely the tangent basis for the verts is being generated wrongly. I can debug if you have a good example.

As for materials issues it is best if you give me an example I can debug, it's probably some small bug I never encountered before. The way it is setup right now is that for each mesh in 3dsmax you can apply a multi-sub material. If there is a multi sub applied, the exporter will realise that you have a need for multiple materials. It is the slots of the multi-sub material which correspond to the material ids of the mesh which therefore define what mesh-chunk has which material applied. In terms of the grimrock model format, the faces are sorted into the order of the materials, and exported in sequence into the index list. The ranges are stored in the mesh segment.

I currently do not optimise the vertex data or the mesh data on export from max. This will come later once I get rid of all the bugs and usability problems. It shouldn't make any difference actually, but just in case it was of interest.

For all 3dsmax users, make sure you are up to date with service packs and product updates, I will be debugging against a properly updated version, so if you're not up to date I won't be able to help you.


also......

"but it's not super stable right now as far as I can tell."

I will use the developer stalwart response - 'works fine on my machine!' - but then, I made it and I know how it works. Please give me as much broken examples as you can so I can refine the tools.

I am looking to improve the performance as well, it's a bit slow at the moment. No obvious culprits but there are several things I have planned.

Cheers,

cw