To export from 'Max' with the system you want, you go to;
* Customize / Configure System Paths / 3rd Party Plugins / and create a link and direct it to your SDK Plugins folder of choice.
* Export (to X format) and remember to convert them to what version of XtoMDL you wish to use. V2 to V2 for V2; V3 to V3 for V3, etc.
* To export to a different sim version, go back to '3rd Party Plugins' and redirect your link to a new Plugins folder. (That easy).
* If you get a lot of limit hits from Materials 64K limitation, you can export with V2, convert with V3, open the file with MCX140 and reexport it back, it will then work in FSX, FSX Steam, V1, V2, V3, and V4. Then you do not have to worry about the various versions to export in.
NOTE: P3D V1 can export pure FSX models. Either V2 or V3 no longer works in FSX, so you need to export from X to MDL via V1.
NOTE2: V3 and V4 have new 'Materials' entries. I do not know what they are, but they keep the planes from showing up in former versions of P3D and FSX.
NOTE3: For BAT file conversion triggers, I have one per plugin folder of the versions I use, each BAT setup for that folder system. I drop the X files into that plugin folder, click the BAT, wait, then drop the new MDL files into their aircraft folders. (Be careful as the MDL files are hot from processing. Wait to let them cool 2 minutes or use gloves). I re-export from MCX140 (if you do that procedure) right from the aircrafts 'model' folder, so there is no mixing up of what goes where, etc, etc.
About the only thing I have seen that is really cool for V4 is the moving map light. If you want to do that, I can see why and its simple enough to do, to reset your Max to export from the V4 plugins folder.
And thats about it. I hope I didnt miss anything.
It would be nice if we had a 'ultra exporter' where it would have 'selectors' that say 'export this to V1? V2? V3? V4? and you select it and it spits out a MDL file instead of a X file. That would be cool. Also if it made a set of all 4 versions (if you wanted that). Now that would be one awesome, hot exporter. Perhaps even have an option to export the MDL to the location of your choice, so your V1 file would go to the plane in V1, your V4 file would export directly to the V4 location, etc, etc...