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gmax - can't re-open .gmax file

Messages
537
Country
canada
Hi, All

A few times, after I have made an object and, sometimes, even after I have created the mdl, gmax refuses to re-open the .gmax file, telling me File Open Failed.

Now, when the file was open in gmax, I generated the mdl, used that mdl to locate the object several times, so the mdl is good (still good). Because I would like to have the object in gmax form, I open the mdl with Model Converter X, generated the 3ds file using the "old" exporter, but gmax didn't import that one either, telling me it was an improper file.

I also tried to generate the 3ds file with Model Converter X from the bgl, same result: Improper file.

Does any one have a magic trick to fix a gmax file that was good a few minutes ago, compiled fine to create the mdl, but now gmax doesn't like it anymore?

Thanks

Fern
 

tgibson

Resource contributor
Messages
11,327
Country
us-california
Hi,

There is a setting in GMAX to increment the file name every time you save it. This way old versions (which may be good) will not be overwritten by the corrupted version (which GMAX randomly creates).

Using the old exporter, in MCX try:

1. Exporting the file as a 3DS.
2. Loading the resulting 3DS file back into MCX.
3. Exporting again as 3DS.
4. Importing into GMAX.

This works for me some times.
 
Messages
537
Country
canada
Hi, TG Gibson
Well, I do that, but, at the end, when it all is working... I clean up. Pretty much 99.99% of the time, before I do the cleanup, I open a second instance of gmax and open the final version again, to be sure it works, because I have been caught before with this problem. But yesterday I was in a hurry and...I blew it. The mdl was working so well that I made the mistake of assuming the xxxxx.gmax file was good and took the old copies away. Well, I left one, that is working, but it is incomplete and this was an object with quite a bit of work on it.

It would be great if it was recoverable.

Thanks

Fern
 
Messages
537
Country
canada
Bingo! TG, it worked like a charm! Thanks!

I had not lost much, because the mdl was working. But now, with the xxxxx.gmax file back in business, I am much happier. Great stuff!

Nothing like having friends that know this stuff.
 

tgibson

Resource contributor
Messages
11,327
Country
us-california
Hi,

Glad to hear that you were able to get it back into a form that GMAX would load. I stumbled onto this workaround by accident, importing the 3DS file instead of the original MDL file and finding that this caused the export to work properly. If you look at the MCX log when you import the 3DS file it will often display some errors that MCX "fixes". I think this might be the part that makes the resulting export load OK into GMAX.

BTW, if you start having problems with objects all being combined together, Arno told me that setting CollapseModelParts to False in the ObjectModelSettings will sometimes minimize (not eliminate) this effect, and it does help.
 
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