Using the 3ds Max Export Tool

From Multiverse

Creating and Importing Models

Creating Assets  •  Creating Collision Volumes  •  Exporting Models to COLLADA  •  Targeting a Wide Range of Hardware  •  Model Conversion Tool  •  Creating Material Scripts

Using 3ds Max

Using the 3ds Max Export Tool Creating Attachment Models Creating Morph Animations Transferring Biped Skeletons Implementing Vertex Lighting

Other Tools

Blender: Static Model  •  Blender: Anim. Model  •  Blender Physics  •  DeleD: Static Model  •  DAZ Studio: Creating Characters  •  DAZ Studio: Avatars  •  Using Poser

Contents 1 Overview 1.1 Prerequisites 1.2 COLLADA plug-in 2 Installing the tool 3 Basic tasks 3.1 Exporting a static model 3.2 Exporting an animated model with BIP file animations 4 User Interface 4.1 Model Set rollout 4.2 Model Definitions rollout 4.2.1 Model Basics group 4.3 Animated Model Components rollout 4.3.1 Base BIP details group 4.3.2 Selected Animation group 4.3.3 Collision volume capsule group 4.4 Asset Repositories rollout 4.4.1 Asset Info group 4.5 Export rollout 4.5.1 Batch Setup group 4.5.2 Export Steps group 4.5.3 Export Options group 4.5.4 Pre-Export Checks group 4.5.5 Export Log group 4.6 Configuration 4.6.1 Multiverse Tool Paths group 5 Finalizing the Asset Definitions

Overview

The Multiverse 3ds Max Export Tool enables you to export models directly from 3ds Max to Multiverse format. Using this tool makes it much easier to convert models to Multiverse format, because you don't have to manually invoke the Multiverse Conversion Tool.

Prerequisites

The Multiverse 3ds Max Export Tool supprots the following versions of 3ds Max:

• Version 7 service pack 1.
• Version 8 with service pack 3.
• Version 9.

NOTE: The Multiverse 3ds Max Export Tool generally works with 3ds Max 2008, but it has not been fully tested with it.

COLLADA plug-in

To use the 3ds Max Export Tool, you must install the COLLADA plugin for 3ds Max.

The Feeling Software COLLADA exporter places the script file in the correct directory, which causes it to override the internal COLLADA export enabled in the FBX export script. To correct this, select the "Customize" tab and open the "Plugins Manager" and enable (load) the script. Loading the plug-in might be necessary when using FBX process as well.

See Installing the 3ds Max COLLADA Plugin for full details.

Installing the tool

First, download the 3ds Max Exporter Tool. Exit 3ds Max if it is running.

Then follow these steps:

1. Unzip the file you downloaded. It contains one file, multiverse-tools.ms script.
2. Move the multiverse-tools.ms file to your 3dsMax \Scripts\Startup directory, by default C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3dsMax8\Scripts\Startup or C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 9\Scripts\Startup.
3. Start 3dsMax. Once Max opens, the Multiverse dialog box is opened on top. You can close it and access it later from the multiverse entry on the Main Menu Bar.
4. There will now be Multiverse menu item in the 3ds Max menu bar:
   
   
   
   
5. Open the Export Tool dialog, if it was not opened automatically. Choose Multiverse | Export Tool.
6. You will see the Multiverse Export Tool dialog box:
   
   
   

Basic tasks

Exporting a static model

To export a static model, follow these steps:

1. Start 3ds Max, and if the Multiverse Export Tool dialog is not open, choose Multiverse | Export Tool to open it.
2. Open the Model Definitions rollout.
   • In the Model Basics group, click Choose. A file chooser dialog box will open.
   • Browse to a Max scene file that contains the static mesh you want to export.
   • In the Base Name field, enter a name for the exported model.
   • In the Type dropdown, select Static (the default).
   • In the Encoding dropdown, select Single Scene File (the default).
3. Open the Asset Repositories rollout.
   • In the Category dropdown, select the type of asset.
   • Optionally, add a description of the asset in the Description field.
   • Click Add Repository to specify the asset repository to which you want to export the model. A file chooser dialog box will open.
   • Browse to the root directory of the desired asset repository.
4. Leave the default settings in the Export rollout.
5. Open the Model Definitions rollout.
   • Click Save As. The Save As dialog box opens.
   • Browse to the directory where you want to save your model definition.
   • Enter a name for the model definition.
6. Open the Export rollout
   • Click Export.

This will export your model to a directory in the selected asset repository whose name is that of the model definition. The tool will also put the exported files into the appropriate asset repository directories.

After you export the model, you can then open it in Model Viewer. If it appears white, edit the .material file to reference the right texture files.

Exporting an animated model with BIP file animations

1. Start 3ds Max, and if the Multiverse Export Tool dialog is not open, choose Multiverse | Export Tool to open it.
2. Close the Model Set rollout. You won't need it for this tutorial.
3. Open the Model Definitions rollout.
   • Click Load Scene to load a 3ds Max scene file that contains the animated mesh to export as the base.
   • Enter a name for the exported model in the Base Name field.
   • Select Animated in the Type dropdown box.
   • Set BIP Files in the Encoding dropdown box.
4. Open the Animated Model Components rollout.
   • Click Pick and select the root node in your scene. (See Base BIP details group).
   • Click Add Animation. In the file chooser dialog that opens, choose .bip files to add to the Animation Components listbox.
   • Add an extra animation to the list (this can be a duplicate) rename it to base. This is required for a proper export.
   • Create a colision volume. (See Collision Volume Capsule group).
5. Open the Asset Repositories rollout.
   • Select your asset type in the Catagory dropdown.
   • Add a description of the asset in the Description field.
   • Add the asset repository that you are using in to the Target Repositories list.
6. Leave the settings in the Export rollout with their default settings.
7. Open the Model Definitions rollout.
   • Click Save As and save and name your model definition in its current state.
8. Open the Export rollout.
   • Click Export.

The tool will export your model to the specified asset repository to a folder with the same name as the model. The tool will also put the right exported files into the right directories for use.

Now you can view the model with Multiverse Model Viewer. If it appears white, edit the .material file to refer to the correct texture files. For more information on editing material files, see Platform Tutorial Editing Material Files.

User Interface

The Multiverse Export Tool has six rollouts:

• Model Set
• Model Definitions
• Animated Model Components (available only with animated models)
• Asset Repositories
• Export
• Configuration

Note: The Choose... buttons are going to be renamed to Load. The New buttons are going to be renamed to Reset to conform to the 3ds schema and incorporate that functionality. A future version will have an LOD export rollout and framerange sample animation export.

Model Set rollout

The Model Set rollout enables you to incorporate multiple model definitions using similar export options for batch processing. You must create model definitions before trying to make a set.

Click Choose to load a model set definition previously created and saved.

Click Save to save the current definition with its existing name; click Save As to save the current definition under a new name. A dialog box prompts you to choose the new name.

Click:

• Add Model Def to add an existing model definition to the model (set) definition list box.
• Delete Model Def to delete the currently selected model definition in the model (set) definition list box.
• Load to load the currently selected model definition into the tool for editing.

Model Definitions rollout

This rollout enables you to define a model to be exported using the tool. Nornally, this is the rollout where you initially begin working with the tool.

Click Choose to load a model definition previously created and saved.

Click New (TBD).

Click Save to save the current definition with its existing name; Click Save As to save the current definition under a new name. A dialog box prompts you to choose the new name.

Model Basics group

In the Base Name text field, enter the name under which you want to export the final model.

Click Load Scene to load the currently associated base Max scene file into 3ds Max. Click Choose to choose the base 3ds Max scene file.

In the Type dropdown box, select the type of model (Static, Animated, or Morph). If a model is skinned and rigged, it is animated. If not, it is static. A static model cannot exist in an animated model file during export or vice versa or the export will fail. Morph type is not yet implemented.

In the Encoding dropdown box, choose the appropriate encoding for the type of model. For static models:

• Single Scene File: Each file is a Scene file with a single Static mesh in it.
• Shared Scene File: Each file contains multiple static meshes differentiated by a prefix in a hierarchical node structure. (Still in development, so not suggested for use)

For animated models:

• Scene Files: Each animation is in a separate scene file that uses an identical animated mesh/skeletal structure. The files are loaded at export time to save out the .DAE files required.
• BIP Files: Each Animation Has been save out to a .BIP animation file. These animations are loaded into the base mesh file during export to create the .DAE file for export.
• Shared Scene: (Not currently implemented)
  

Animated Model Components rollout

This Rollout appears only if you select Type "Animated" in the Model Definition rollout.

Base BIP details group

When you select "BIP Files" Encoding in the Model Definition rollout, the tool will display this group, which contains a Pick button.

Choose the root skeletal node (Using Biped, this is the Bip01 node) then click Pick... Then go to the main Max interface and hit the "h" key to bring up the Select Objects dialog box for the scene and select the root node.

Click Add Animation to add an animation to the Animation Components list box; click Delete Animation to remove an animation from the list box.

Selected Animation group

In the Animation Name text box enter the name to use for the selected animation when it is exported.

• Click Load to load the animation in its specified format choices.
• Click Choose... to select a new file to associate with a previously created animation entry.

Collision volume capsule group

Use the fields in this group to create standard collision volumes for animated models such as characters and mobs. This is required unless the export option checkbox for this is option is disabled. If disabled, the subselection will be greyed out.

• Associated submesh: select the submesh that associates the collision capsule. (Usually the character's body.
• Click Edit CV Capsule to enable the Height and Radius fields and display a capsule in the main scene window that you can adjust to change the collision volumen capsule height and radius. Center it using the 3d Max standard translation manipulator. Using the Height and Radius adjustments and not other native transform tools is important to remain consistent with the data structure required by the Multiverse servers.

Asset Repositories rollout

This rollout defines the asset repository into which models are exported.

If you are using multiple asset repositories, you can set up the tool to export to any or all the repositories you use.

Asset Info group

Select a category for the model from the Category dropdown. This is the category under which the model will be available in the Multiverse World Editor.

Enter a brief text description in the Description field.

The Target Repositories list displays the root directories of all the asset repositories to which the tool will export models. Click Add Repository to add a repository to the Target Repositories list; click Delete Repository to remove a repository from the Target Repositories list.

Select an asset repository in the Target Repositories list, then click the "Selected Repository Details / Repository Root Directory" button to change the root directory of the asset repository.

Export rollout

Use this rollout to set specific export options that affect all models in the model set definition during export.

Click the Export button at the bottom of this rollout to export the selected models. The error response area under the Export button displays error messages.

Batch Setup group

Select the models or scenes to export from the Export dropdown:

• Current model: Export the current model definition.
• Current Scene: Export the current scene.
• Checked Models: Export only the model definitions selected in the Model Definitions list (Model Set rollout).
• All Models: Export All.

Select the animations to export from the Animations dropdown:

• All: Export with all animations in animation list box.
• Checked : Export only with the animations selected in the Animation Components list (Animated Model Components rollout).

Select the asset repositories to which to export to in the Repositories dropdown:

• All: Export to all repositories displayed in the Repositories list box.
• Checked: Export only to the repositories selected in the Target Repositories list (Asset Repositories rollout).

Export Steps group

Select Collada Export to perform the COLLADA export. Select Model Conversion to convert the model to Multiverse mesh format.

Select Repository Import to import the model to the repository. Select Preserve existing .material to not replace an existing material file of the same name in the repository.

Open in Viewer: (in development)

Export Options group

Select Derive texture files to derive texture file names for basic fixed function pipeline material from the 3ds Max scene file.

Select Generate .physics from Collision Capsule to use the exports tool capsule creation for .physics file creation.

Select Export to sequential folders to export models to a new folder with a generated unique name. This option will avoid overwriting old exports and mixing export version information.

Pre-Export Checks group

Clck Check Bone Limits on Skinned Meshes to determine if any of the submeshes skinned using the skin modifier have more than four bone influences (the maximum). The tool writes this information in the log file (see below).

Export Log group

Select Log Export Actions to save log information to the log file.

Click Show log to display the current log file and Clear Log to clear the log file.

Configuration

This rollout is for setting up paths to external programs used by the tool.

Multiverse Tool Paths group

Use the buttons in this group to set the path to the Multiverse tools:

• Model Converter (Conversion Tool)
• Model Viewer
• World Editor
• Asset Importer

Do not change these values unless you are an advanced user with a nonstandard build.

Set the Converter Timeout value....

Click the button below Log File to set the path to the Export Tool log file.

Click Reset to defaults to set the paths to their default values.

Finalizing the Asset Definitions

TBD