Well it's been a while but here's something that I have been working on for a while now. It's a plugin for Maya 2008, which exports models as SLT and/or DXG. It doesn't do textures or collision files, but it does support skeletons so new rider and vehicle models should be possible.
Not sure if anyone here opens up MVA anymore but you can download the file here:
soultreeExporter.zip (http://www.strawberrysoftware.net/download.php?file=/mva/soultreeExporter.zip)
To install the plugin:
Copy the soultreeExporter.mll file to the %Maya 2008%\bin\plugins folder.
Copy the soultreeOptions.mel & soultreeOptions.res.mel files into %Maya 2008%\scripts folder.
When you start Maya, you then need to load the plugin before you can use it. To load the plugin select from the main menu:
Window|Settings Preferences|plug-in Manager.
This will open a box containig a list of plugins, put a check next to the soultreeExporter entry in the list to load the plugin.
Have fun
Laurie
This is pretty cool, only thing is that I don't have Maya :(. I do have Milkshape and the dxg importer for that, but my trial period ended. I do have 3dx Max 3.1 and 8 too, but it doesn't help if I can't convert the dxg with Milkshape. I don't know how hard it is to do this, but could you maybe look into making a dxg importer for 3ds Max? I know more people use Max than Milkshape, so maybe they would like this as well. It's just an idea though.
I wrote it as research for a job that i want to apply for in the new year and the company in question uses Maya for it's 3D work. 3D Max is used by most game developers so I do want to try a plugin for 3D Max but i don't have the time right now to write it. I also have some things in the works where a 3D Max plugin would be useful so i need to have a go but that might be little way off..
An exporter for Milkshape would also be useful but same again, it will have to wait..
Sorry the news isn't better..
Laurie
That's ok, work comes first. It was just an idea, so its nice to here that you at least have some interest in it. Thanks for considering it :).
Mhmm.. I wanted to give this a go. But I ran against the following issue: Smoothing Groups.
Does Maya support smoothing groups at all? All I found were normals. But.. Does Soultree do something with these normals then? Or are there smoothing groups somewhere (which would really easy the working load I still have on my shoulders)?
From what i have seen in the DXGs and what i understand of smoothing groups RBW don't use them, but don't forget i don't have any docs on these formats it's only what i have dug out myself, so you might want to check with mike or Checkerz on that. I found this thread about how to create the same effect in Maya
http://forums.cgsociety.org/archive/index.php/t-27973.html
Correct. As far as I know. RBW makes use of 1 smoothing group and adds the detail in my chamfering certain areas. Like real small ones. This gives the same depth as setting multiple smoothing groups. But at the cost of a higher polygon value. However, it does give a much smoother look than multiple smoothing groups.
This for example was a test of mine which has been made using the same technique:
(http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp323/J_vd_Lest/mva/crf09_001.jpg)
However, I'm 100% certain that the game reads smoothing groups up to a 4th group. If you go any higher, the faces you applied the group to simply dissapear. How do I know this? Because I played with this for object on stekkenberg back in the days.
Thanks for the link. Appreciate it. :)
I wonder though. Is there a way to keep my smoothing groups from MAX and implement them into Maya? or atleast make use of the groups as selection masks?
I'll also take a look if the old unibastard feels like exporting models with joints in them. Might be easier seeing I'm a MAX user. And so far, both Milkshape and Maya mess my model up in a way. Maya still giving the best result mesh wise. Though, maya smooths everything into one single group.
Just tested with 3d max 3.1. Same issue. Seems there is just no solid export format.
.OBJ claims it saves smoothing groups.. But it cut's my mesh up.
.3DS saves smoothing groups also, but again, cuts my mesh up.
.DWG/.DXF does not save smoothing groups, keeps my mesh intact though.
I tried a few others as well, similar issues. Is there any other format that might solve this problem?
How different and how much time would be involved to make soultree work with MAX 2008 (this has my preference as 2009 is said to be buggy) or 2009 instead?
Ok scrap that. Seems 3DS with a 0,001 value for welding works for 3D MAX 3.1. Now just to see if that can store joints.
My understanding of smoothing groups is pretty limited, since i don't make models, but to make sure i'm following you can you tell me if i'm off here: The smoothing groups control the light shading from 1 poly to the next, so you can give the appearance of a smooth surface, or a sharp edge between polies, which is all controlled by the normals on each poly?
I would imagine then that Max's smoothing groups are a mechanism to help you control the calculation of the normals when you export the final model. So once the model is exported it no longer has smoothing groups, just normals that are hopefully all pointing the right way..
Is it possible to apply the smoothing groups (collapse stack or whatever it used to be called) and then transfer that model to Maya once it has no smoothing groups just normals? I'm guessing by now you can see that i don't do a lot of modelling.. :)
You could try using Collada to transfer models, or maybe Alias FBX which i have used to move models from MS3D to Maya.
As for writing a Max plugin, truth is i wouldn't know until i start, but probably a few weeks - though right now it's a distraction that i can't afford.. :(
PS UniBastard does (if my memory serves me) export jointed models including the bone hierarchy.
Quote from: mcm2boys on May 11, 2009, 09:26:49 AM
My understanding of smoothing groups is pretty limited, since i don't make models, but to make sure i'm following you can you tell me if i'm off here: The smoothing groups control the light shading from 1 poly to the next, so you can give the appearance of a smooth surface, or a sharp edge between polies, which is all controlled by the normals on each poly?
This is correct. :)
Smoothing groups are within editable poly/mesh/nurb mode. These are 3 modifiers that do not collapse. As they are always active when working in MAX.
Maya does indeed work with Normals, and not smoothing groups. So the idea of seeing there is a way to convert smoothing groups to normals that Maya can read sounds like a pretty neat idea! Will have to look into this.
I managed to get the model showing up properly in MS3D as well now. However, that still messes with my smoothing groups in a way. Fixable in an extend so it is not noticeable any longer. But all but perfect.. And well, you guessed it. I want perfection.
Well, I know as much about MAX plugin writing as you know about modeling pretty much. So I have no idea on how much work is involved. Hence I asked. It wasn't a request, just informing about that what I have no clue about. :)
Currently looking into the unibastard joint thing. I have the joints in MS3D (imported with a DXG importer). Now I just need to figure out how I can recreate this joint setup in MAX.
Perfection is good.. :)
No problem asking about the plugin, i just don't want to raise any expectations that i can't fulfill.
You should be able to export the joints from MS3D to Max with one of the exporters, pretty sure that i've done that at some point - I think using MS3D's .3DS exporter..
I should have thought to say this earlier but i haven't had a chance to do a whole lot of testing on the Maya plugin, so i'm not sure how reliable it will be. It worked on a number of models that i tested it with but that isn't a guarantee..
Mhmm, I'll have a look about that then.
And well, if I can get Maya to function properly with smoothing groups. Or atleast a way so it reads them and converts them to normals. I will look into your exporter and play with it. Right now, Maya seems like it's a longer and more time consuming road to travel however. As I'd have to redo all smooth groups/normals from scratch. Doing that on a 7,3k polygon model is no fun I tell you.
I think the link for the plugin is dead? Not working for me I'm afraid.. Could you email this over to me please Laurie?
Sorry i made a few changes to the location of the file and the link got broke. It's fixed now..
Cheers Laurie :)
Quote
I managed to get the model showing up properly in MS3D as well now. However, that still messes with my smoothing groups in a way.
Hey I know this is ancient history now, but I was wondering if you are using the MS3d exporter plug-in for Max? I've had less issues with that then exporting in .obj and .3ds.
You probably are already, or will never read this haha. :-[