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Question; Max and Gmax Exporters

lionheart

lionheart

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Hey all,

A quick question. Does Gmax use the same exporter as Max?


If... (A big if). If Max created a 'back and fourth' Max to Gmax and Gmax to Max exporter, do you think we could make our planes in Max (any version) and export them (through said amazing M-G-M exporter module) and use Gmax as a exporter/compiler for scene-2-MDL file creator?



Bill
 
All "exporters" for either Max or GMax must be written using the expensive, licensed Autodesk developer's SDK and API.

Autodesk no longer licenses the GMax developer's SDK or API, so it's a moot question. MS/ACES had to negotiate really hard to get Autodesk to grant them a one-time license to code the FSX GMax export module, and those negotions extended well past the initial release of FSX, which is why the GMax export module didn't get released until SP1.

The word that I heard from my source was that the license fee Autodesk extorted was in the six-figure range... :eek:
 
Grail quest?

Some day Bill you'll just have to spend big bucks and get Max for yourself. Ouch. :eek:
 
The two seem to be for the most part functionally compatible, however not binary compatible. As Bill (Leaming) said, they are compiled against the specific versions of the SDK for Max or gmax. Although I do believe the MAX sdk is supplied on the DVD with max, the gmax SDK was always a corporate license only product.

However, something interesting to note. Xtomdl actually has some separate code to process gmax exports, but it is disabled in the release build. I am not certain as to what it's purpose is, it seems to parallel the normal code in many places. I have not looked into what it does, nor have I implemented it in OpenXToMdl, but maybe this is something I should take a look at. This might imply that there are some differences between the output files from the two exporters, albeit probably minor.

Honestly I'm a huge fan of MAXScript, although I'm just getting my feet wet with it. Although it is interpreted and a fairly verbose language, I think it is quite capable at performing simple scene import/export operations. It's simple, can be generated programatically by other tools with relative ease, and doesn't suffer from the same platform-specific flaws that binary plugins do. In my professional experience MAXScript has served just about all of our needs.

And that's why I'm spending time learning it right now, I think it could open up all sorts of interoperability possibilities between gmax and max, and between different file formats
:stirthepo
 
Thats some interesting stuff Sean. Thanks for the input.


This morning, I wrote Autodesk/3DS Max/Feedback, and wrote that it would be nice if they (Autodesk) made a converter file for Max to Gmax to Max. That this would enable people to buy which ever issue of Max they need, and be able to export it into Gmax and export to FS format. This would also allow people to export models from Gmax to Max when they purchased Max and be able to then do their various texture baking, etc, work faster in Max to accomplish model requirements, then export to Gmax, compile to FS.


Code: 
Some day Bill you'll just have to spend big bucks and get Max for yourself. Ouch. 

HairySpin

I did, nearly 3+ years ago and they wouldnt sell me Max9. I then tried for the later version that would run with FSX, and that too was denied. They 'will not' sell a version of Max from last year or later. I did hear (later) that they sell subscription updates for later versions but only 3 years back, and I was past that.

It took me 1 year to save that up. I worked hard for that, $4500.00 USD, and they wouldnt sell me the version I needed. That was one long afternoon.... I had hoped to have Max that morning, was so happy, and it had a bad bad ending.


Anyways, this is why I had the question. If we used Gmax as a 'compiler' and used Max as the model making software, we could easily use any version of Max and keep using Gmax as the compiler and animations/effects attachment device/software.


Bill
 
Bill ... which version do you have.

Why not simply use the ESP exporters which work for:
Max 2009, Max 2010, Max 2011 and Max 2012.

Give them a go! Free downlload along with the ESP SDK from the Prepar3d website.

If you have Max 2008 -- the FSX SDK works fine

If you have Max 7,8 and 9 then the FSX SDK is fine also.

No need to go back and forth to Gmax, just use Max and export as an ESP1.0 x-file, which runs through XtoMdl.exe (fx tool and ani tags all look fine. In fact it looks identical to Max 9/2008 with the FSX SDK)
 
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That's interesting Mathias ... so this is the case for all Max exporters, or just the ESP / Prepar3d ones?

Whereas Gmax exporters can export these ? (I assume by dense you mean high tvert count, or are you referring to vertex separation being small)

For us scenery designers, any mesh that complex is ..... too complex!
 
Sean, you might want to take a look at the BFF 2007 script, which in Max creates a script containing objects and materials and animations which gmax can execute and load.

If you don't have it I can point you to it or send you a copy.

The other direction does not work so well. It would be great if we had a gmax script that saves nontriangulated polys as e-polies for import into Max. But I believe it's not possible in gmax due to reductive or disabled save options.
 
hcornea said:
That's interesting Mathias ... so this is the case for all Max exporters, or just the ESP / Prepar3d ones?

Whereas Gmax exporters can export these ? (I assume by dense you mean high tvert count, or are you referring to vertex separation being small)

For us scenery designers, any mesh that complex is ..... too complex!
Click to expand...

It's just the ESP exporter.
On my machine the exporter fails with meshes higher than 60k or so faces.
It's a known issue that they "are working on".
Got this feeling though that by the time it'll get fixed the ESP SDK will no longer be compatible with FSX.
Read through this thread:
http://www.prepar3d.com/forum-5/?mingleforumaction=viewtopic&t=303
 
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Hmmm hopefully there'll be a non-beta SDK release, before everything moves on.
 
mjahn said:
The other direction does not work so well. It would be great if we had a gmax script that saves nontriangulated polys as e-polies for import into Max. But I believe it's not possible in gmax due to reductive or disabled save options.
Click to expand...

So the Gmax listener is still the best bet on exportering from Gmax to Max. It would be nice though to have this. A Gmax 1.3 used for gaming exports/game animation script inserts would be nice, with exporting capabilities back and fourth from Max to Gmax.

Oh to dream....
 
Mathias said:
It's just the ESP exporter.
On my machine the exporter fails with meshes higher than 60k or so faces.
Click to expand...

Oh fiddle. :mad: Let's hope they fix it soon.

64-bit users report faster rendering than 32-bit for VC texture baking etc, but Max 2012 users should remember that Max requires separate licences for 32-bit and 64-bit versions on the same machine. The P3D exporter is 32-bit, like the FSX exporter: thank you Autodesk, thank you very much I don't think.
 
Hmm ...

Pretty sure Max 2012 installed both 32 and 64bit under a single license, on each of 2 machines.

(Just checked, it did)

None of which helps if the exporter balks at more than 65535 polys
 
hcornea said:
Hmm ...

Pretty sure Max 2012 installed both 32 and 64bit under a single license, on each of 2 machines.

(Just checked, it did)

None of which helps if the exporter balks at more than 65535 polys
Click to expand...

You guys must be doing film work with polygon counts that high. :D
 
Mr.FaosFX said:
You guys must be doing film work with polygon counts that high. :D
Click to expand...

Its now the leading edge. Frames arent hindered as what was previously thought. 1/2 Million is becoming a common figure, except that we are coming in just over 1/2 million and having to shave off parts again like back in the FS9 early days. I think that 1 million Poly models will be common in 1 to 1 1/2 years.

You can joke about that, but as you do, that is where all the Devs are working towards daily.

I would be interested to know what poly counts are in that new Swiss FS platform.


Bill
 
mjahn said:
What's all this about limitations?
Click to expand...

It's the exporter for P3D which converts a .max file to .X and .XANIM for running through XtoMDL which is limited.


@Mr.FaosFX: Wait till you get to the VC and we'll see how your poly counts go!
 
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