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Max 8 setup problems

D

Devils_Advocate

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8
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singapore
Hi All,

Read a couple of posts regarding some SDK problems with Max 8 but cannot find an answer.
Just built a new PC and installed a clean copy of Max 8 (been holding off updating from Max 7 until I built this machine).
Anyway, after configuring the plugins path, I am getting a persistant error that I have traced to the "FSToolsMenu.ms" script. It's calling a sub "GetPlugInPath" and the error being returned is that it is undefined.

The script source with the problem is as follows: "maxPlugPath = maxUtils.getPluginPath() as stringStream"

The error (on each load, rendering the FSTools menu and all export options unavailable) is: "Unknown property: "getPluginPath" in undefined". This is followed by: "Either the MaxXML or the MaxUtils Plugin cannot be found. Please put those plugins into a folder along with the modeldef.xml file and assign a plugin path to that folder".
When installing the SDP SP1 update, the file structure changed, and modeldef.xml is no longer there? The other two files (.gup) are present however, and installing a backup of the original modeldef.xml file does not help.

Anyone have any idea what one can do about this? I've read that plenty of Max8 users are running along with no problems, so any ideas?
It would appear to me that the sub routine "MaxUtils" is either missing, or is not loaded into memory, but I can't find any reference to it anywhere.
 
Before I even start... are you using Vista? Seems to be my stock response to tech queries these days, hehe.

I'm not using Vista, but I have had on the odd occasion weird instances of FSTools not showing up, and initially, coming up with errors. Turned out the first time, I had placed the scripts in the wrong place - everything should be in the gamepacks folder. So I did a clean reinstall and it was fine.

Since then I've had one other weird problem, that was again solved by a clean reinstall. Between install I made sure the registry was cleaned also.

Hope this helps! If not, then hope someone else a but more knowledgable might.
 
As cynical as I am, I am not convinced it sounds like a Vista problem as such.

I had the "Unknown property: "getPluginPath" in undefined" error when my scripts were in the wrong place. Is everything for the SDK in the "c:/3dsm8/Gamepacks" folder? I got smart and figured I had to copy the scripts to the scripts folder etc... and thats where I came unstuck.

Failing that, have you tried a clean install?
 
I simply followed the instructions and put the SDK's files here:

C:\Autodesk\Max8\3DSM7

Then, started Max8 and set the User Path to point to this folder...

It's worked solidly from day one... ;)
 
Thanks for the replies, the instructions I have say:
Install and run 3ds Max
Select Customize on the main menu.
Select Customize Paths from the drop-down menu, then the Plug-ins tab from the Configure Paths.
Select Add, and then browse to the Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Modeling SDK\3DSM7\Plugins folder.
Select Use-Path and OK, and this path will appear in the dialog.
It is now necessary to shutdown and restart 3ds Max.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I've done. I've also tried installing them elsewhere, though I did figure that would be an excercise in futility, and it was ;)
The probelm seems to be the failure to load the "MaxUtils.gup" file, as this file contains the "getPluginPath" routine.
There is also no "gamepacks" folder in Max, nor should it matter where the SDK plugins go, that's the point of having a user paths setup ;), as far as I'm aware, the gamepacks folder is a gmax setup. Also, it is a clean install, could not possibly be cleaner :)
Are any of you using Vista? (PS: It's 32 bit Vista, not 64)
 
OK, been fidelling around some more and have got this all working.
First, what I did, is I manually edited the FSToolsMenu.ms (MaxScript) file to point directly to the SDK directory.
This got everything working after I ran the script, except for the animation manager.
The script was falling down due to the gup files not loading correctly (I think).

Anyway, I cut my losses, and started over, this time, I placed all the SDK files, in their respective locations in the master Max plugins and scripts folders. I then removed the 3rd party plug-ins path from the UI menu.
All maxscript files are back t their original state, and everything is working as advertised.

Strange problem though, as it appears that the user paths is not working as it should. It's not a Vista UAC problem, as I turned that off 2 minutes after installing Vista.

This might help some other poor sole in the future though, so I thought it best to post my solution.

Thanks again for your help :)
 
Not sure if this is related, but if I am running FSX - or FSX still has even the smallest residence in memory (such as during its shutdown) - the FSTools section of the menu (I have GMax and 3DS 7.0/8.0) won't show up. Sometimes, I even have to restart the comp before it reappears.
 
Jeez, how can you afford 3DsM 7 & 8 licenses? You must have some serious dough! :eek:
Are you an autodesk subscriber? I let mine lapse shortly after I received the Max 8 upgrade, which I had to chase up as I had changed addresses between moving and updating my autodesk address details.

I see you're in Australia or NZ, who's your autodesk/discreet dealer/reseller? My original dealer was StormFX in Sydney, but I now have an asian dealer looking after me.
 
At those prices, your "Asian Dealer" is most likely "lusting" after you! :D

BTW, if for any reason the "FS Tools" don't load when starting Max/GMax, use the "MAXScript/Run Script" menu to load the "Bootstrap.ms" manually...

As I don't have FSX installed on this design computer, it's clearly not part of any problem with the scripts running... :cool:
 
Thats a great tip about the bootstrap.ms thing. Often end up restarting my comp. We had a whole bunch of 3ds licenses here, when some of my staff were working for a filming company here. I picked up one of their 3ds bibles one day, and decided it was something I wanted to fiddle with in my spare time to make some planes in FS. So once the project was over I thought I'd try it out myself... alas.... its been three months and I haven't finished my model! Its the damn clone/animation problems that really made it take a long time.
 
Dont laugh.....I'm very new to this.

I see there have been a few problems with 3ds and fsx sdk plugins on this thread so I thought it may be a good place to ask my question...Does anybody know if 3ds max 9 will run the fsx sdk plugins? I have just recently been bitten by the designing and modelling bug by using gmax from the sdk and would like to take it a little farther by upgrading the tools etc.
Any info would be appreciated as I dont want to spend a lot of money buying tools that wouldnt work in fsx.

Thanks in advance
 
As far as I know, NO, Max9 will not work with the current tool set.
Tis an aweful lot of money to spend on Max, and, as a beginner, I'd advise to learn gmax before considering purchasing such expensive software.

gmax is a cut down version of 3DsMax 4.2 as fas as I understand it.
 
Thanks

Hi, Thanks for that info...I have been using Gmax for a while now and have began to get the hang of most of it....It's just with new techs arriving all the time then I would want the tools capable of keeping up to date....whilst Gmax is good for learning etc, the extra functionality and versatillity would obviously be of benefit.

As you say, it seems 3ds 9 will not yet work with fsx....does anybody know of any plans to make this happen in the near future?

Again, I wouldn't like to spend the money on a previous version just to find out it will need updating in a few weeks....however, I am not in any great rush, still a lot to learn from Gmax yet.

Thanks again..
 
Solution to this problem

An old thread, but hopefully someone will still find some use of it.

Guys, I've discovered what the problem was all along, and it wasn't missing SDK's, XMLs, Vista or anything like that. It is a dirty, nasty MAX Bug!!! Take a GOOD LOOK at the path string when you select the directory (In Max's 3rd Party Plugins Tab, as per SDK instructions). It is missing "plugins" part, even though I've selected specifically "plugins" folder. This is cruical. In order to select the path that includes "plugins" folder, you have to go to "plugins" directory and actually select one of the files, and hit "Use Path". This is a very sloppy programming on Autodesk's part, and it took an hour out of my time.

Misho
 
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