MaxScript MDX Importer/Exporter

any idea whether in the next few months there would be one that will let me export custom bones? or add vertices?

My 3ds->obj converter will come out sometime next week (with animations... If of course, I could get some testers!!!), I'll gladly send the source to KMK if he needs a boost on animations...

-Fredric

Seriousely a 3ds->obj, or a 3ds->mdx? ...just wondering here ;)

ZZzz:
The exporter is for custom models. If all you want to do is tweak a few vertices DoD's MDXTextEditor would be easier to use as it doesn't require mdl editing.
Having said that what your trying to accomplish shouldn't be a problem. After exporting try importing it again and see if the problem is visible. A shot of your model in max would be good, especially a render of it.

nicoli_s:
I've got the HSC (end of high school exams) starting in two weeks. That lasts for three weeks. Up until they're finished I shouldn't be very active (ie. I should be studying). But afterwards I will have plenty of time to work on it. Custom bones shouldn't take too long and there is currently no problem with adding vertices, providing you don't do any mdl editing unless you know what your doing (ie. your not just following a tutorial). I made a Lamborghini completely from scratch and that exported perfectly, although static.

DoD:
I'd be interested in how you plan on getting animations out of the 3ds format. That's why I moved my focus to maxscript. I didn't think the 3ds format provided enough animation support. BTW the exporter supports animated visibility which is done through the trackview just like position, rotation and scale so I shouldn't have any problems with animation.

Aye, I thought that 3DSMax didn't support rotational animations, nor bezier or hermite at that. =)

I plan on using translations for the animations... I've yet to look into it deeply, but I have a full 3ds loader working and all. =)

BTW, how are you doing textures, because no one can texture map with .blp, and texture names might change or differ...?

Good luck!

-Fredric

I think I'll be using Euler_XYZ for rotations, not ideal but I can't see anything better, at least it allows for bezier paths.

For textures people will have to convert them seperately.
Four options planned for outputting textures: (normal path -> mpq path)
X:\path\to\texture.xxx -> Textures\texture.blp
X:\mdx\dir\path\to\texture.xxx -> path\to\texture.blp
X:\path\to\tex_tu_re.xxx -> tex\tu\re.blp
<none> -> Textures\mdxfilename.blp (current setting)

Three options planned for inputting textures (plus the option to ignore textures): (mpq path = path\to\texture.blp)
X:\mdx\dir\path\to\texture.tga
X:\mdx\dir\texture.tga
X:\mdx\dir\path_to_texture.tga

Is that what you meant?

Heh', ya, I guess I'll just write something to add the textures to the mpq... Looks like I'll be talking to Jack on the weekend. =)

-Fredric

kmk can you make your importer\exporter be able to delete vertices?

It can delete vertices. You just need to know how to set up the mdl after exporting so it will fit in the game. The tutorial on the main page doesn't go into that.

ive made an model with 3d max 4.2 made anims and added notes and so on, but when i export it i get this error:
-- Runtime error: Index should be less than NumNoteTracks, got: Bone02.mdx1

Can you help me emote_confused


PS: yes i am The Peasant!

I may sound like a dork for asking this, but I can download files from your site. I tried and got a "Forbidden" error. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

Majin: It's attached to the thread.

BauernPoebel: open the maxscript listener and then type in:
mynotes = Notetrack "Sequences"
then press enter. Then type:
addNoteTrack trackviewnodes mynotes
and press enter.
Copy the previous notes to the new note track and delete the old one. Next version should have error checking for this sort of thing.

-- Unable to convert: undefined to type: Integer

I get this error when exporting a geoset, why?

EDIT: I read previous posts and saw someone who had the same problem, however I did what you told the guy and it doesn't work :-/

Would you be able to attach the file, containing only the geoset if possible. Once I've worked out what the problem is I'll try to fix it and add error checking for the next version.

here it is (zipped .max)
I can't export it to mdx for known reasons :)

note: it's a male villager's hair