Threaded Mode | Linear Mode

gundalf · 06-23-2006, 01:03 PM,

[TITLE]Installation[/TITLE]
Download the plugins here and copy them to your 3dsmax\plugins directory. Do not copy the folder contained in the archive.

[TITLE]Max Setup[/TITLE]

Go to the "Utilities" tab, click on "Configure Button Sets". Drag the "NifProps" item into one of the slots on the right.

[GALLY]exptut01.jpg[/GALLY]

[TITLE]Creating Collision Meshes[/TITLE]

See this thread for info on how to create them. You don't need to group them, though. Go to the "Utilities" tab and activate the NifProps plugin. Select your collision mesh and check "Is Collision Mesh". Adjust the "Material" and "Layer" attributes. For a discussion of layers and materials see this thread.

[GALLY]exptut02.jpg[/GALLY]

[TITLE]Exporting a .nif[/TITLE]

Go to "File->Export" and select "Gambryo File (*.nif)". Click Save, and the exporter dialog will pop up. Adjust the options and click "Export".

[GALLY]exptut03.jpg[/GALLY]

[TITLE]Exporter options[/TITLE]

Generate Strips
Creates triangle strips from the mesh, if checked. Creates triangle lists otherwise. You should leave this checked

Include Hidden
Exports hidden objects. Note that hidden collision objects are always exported, unless the "Export Collision" option is unchecked.

Vertex Colors
Exports vertex colors, if the mesh has them.

Remap Indices
Reorders triangle strips for better vertex cache locality. You should leave this
checked.

Texture Prefix
This string is added to the beginning of referenced textures.

[TITLE]Additional Notes[/TITLE]

Set the layer value to "NonCollidable", if you want to be able to walk through your objects, while still being able to activate them.

If your collision mesh comes out deformed, go to the utilities tab, choose "Reset XForm" and click "Reset Selected". This should fix it.

Corwyn · 06-23-2006, 01:21 PM,

is this really as good as it looks? too good to be true! wow this looks great and I can certainly put it to good use already =D THANK YOU!

-edit- do you have any plans to expand this or do more with it? just curious?

gundalf · 06-23-2006, 01:30 PM,

Quote:Originally posted by Corwyn
is this really as good as it looks? too good to be true! wow this looks great and I can certainly put it to good use already =D THANK YOU!

Well it worked in my tests. Go ahead and try it.... Big Grin

Quote:Originally posted by Corwyn
-edit- do you have any plans to expand this or do more with it? just curious?

Yes. On my todo list for the next version:

- furniture markers
- lights
- multiple collision objects

In the future (no promises):

- skins
- animation

Corwyn · 06-23-2006, 01:48 PM,

Wow, I have been hoping, and I expect a lot of other people have been too, for someone like you to come along and save the community of us diehard 3DSmax users. Once again thank you so much for the effort and I cant wait to test it out. (I hope that doesn't make you feel pressured in any way, just saying I suspect a lot of people will be very thankful towards you!)

Are you working with the people behind nifskope? they certainly seemed interested and hopeful in some posts I saw that someone with programming and 3dsmax plugin making knowledge would come along. It would seem that they would be more than happy to help and give you all the information needed to assist in getting such plugins working properly.

P.S. I will quietly hope that at some point skin information will happen, but for it to happen usefully it seems you would need to be able to write not only a nif export plugin but a nif import plugin so as to get the skeletal data from the original models =/

gundalf · 06-23-2006, 01:52 PM,

Quote:Originally posted by Corwyn
Wow, I have been hoping, and I expect a lot of other people have been too, for someone like you to come along and save the community of us diehard 3DSmax users. Once again thank you so much for the effort and I cant wait to test it out. (I hope that doesn't make you feel pressured in any way, just saying I suspect a lot of people will be very thankful towards you!)

Thank you. Big Grin

Quote:Originally posted by Corwyn
Are you working with the people behind nifskope? they certainly seemed interested and hopeful in some posts I saw that someone with programming and 3dsmax plugin making knowledge would come along. It would seem that they would be more than happy to help and give you all the information needed to assist in getting such plugins working properly.

Yes, I'm part of their team and the plugins are hosted there. They sure are helpful... Wink

Quote:Originally posted by Corwyn
P.S. I will quietly hope that at some point skin information will happen, but for it to happen usefully it seems you would need to be able to write not only a nif export plugin but a nif import plugin so as to get the skeletal data from the original models =/

That's a topic I still have to investigate... Wink

EDIT: please keep in mind that this is still alpha software. Discuss any problems here. Please make a new thread for your specific problem...

Razorwing · 06-23-2006, 03:29 PM,

Wonderful! :applause:

Just a small thing, but: in the tutorial above you might want to make it somewhat more clear that the user is meant to copy the two files to the dir rather than copy the whole 'MaxPlugins-0.1' folder. I wasn't sure which, since there are both files and folders already in my max plugins dir, but the readme in the package was clear on what to copy.

Edit: Gundalf, do you think it would be a good idea if you incorporated the tip you gave me on how to create models that can be interacted with but aren't solid (plants) into your tutorial? Just a thought.

gundalf · 06-23-2006, 04:03 PM,

Quote:Originally posted by Razorwing
Wonderful! :applause:

Just a small thing, but: in the tutorial above you might want to make it somewhat more clear that the user is meant to copy the two files to the dir rather than copy the whole 'MaxPlugins-0.1' folder. I wasn't sure which, since there are both files and folders already in my max plugins dir, but the readme in the package was clear on what to copy.

Ok I'll fix it.

Razorwing · 06-23-2006, 04:15 PM,

Thanks.

I've exported my first model using your plugin now, and the textures worked perfectly Big Grin

I noticed something puzzling though. When I zoom in on it in the CS the meshes become invisible as the camera gets closer and closer to it. At first I thought it was because I hadn't grouped the meshes, but the same effect happened if I grouped it. It's made up of 88 meshes, so it's quite noticeable. Do you know how come it happens?

Also I tried to bounce an apple on it, by putting it over the model and clicking the Havok button, and the apple fell through. But I haven't tested that part very extensively yet.

gundalf · 06-23-2006, 04:16 PM,

Quote:Originally posted by Razorwing
I noticed something puzzling though. When I zoom in on it in the CS the meshes become invisible as the camera gets closer and closer to it. At first I thought it was because I hadn't grouped the meshes, but the same effect happened if I grouped it. It's made up of 88 meshes, so it's quite noticeable. Do you know how come it happens?

Dunno, can you attach the file? And: just curious, which version of max do you use?

Quote:Originally posted by Razorwing
Also I tried to bounce an apple on it, by putting it over the model and clicking the Havok button, and the apple fell through. But I haven't tested that part very extensively yet.

Have you created a collision mesh, and marked it as such?

Razorwing · 06-23-2006, 04:25 PM,

Quote:Originally posted by gundalf
Dunno, can you attach the file? And: just curious, which version of max do you use?

[...]

Have you created a collision mesh, and marked it as such?

I PM'd it to you. I'm using 3D Studio Max v8.

I think I did everything correct on the collision mesh. The only thing I did different is I used a partly opaque texture just to make it see-through in Max. Erm. I checked out the collision geometry: