Vertex Count issues with 3DS Max Multi-Exporter

[ibanez737]

I'm converting (and upgrading) one of my old FSX airports to FS2024 using 3DS Max, but now running into a weird issue with the Multi Exporter.

Here's my workflow:

1. Convert original MDL files to DAE using MCX (original models were created in Gmax which I no longer have access to)
2. Import models into 3DS Max 2022.
3. DAE (and it seems FBX too) models imported this way have polygons that are detached from one another, leading to many duplicate vertices. So I convert the model to Editable Poly and use the Weld Vertices function at .01m to weld all of the co-located vertices. In the example of the bench in the screenshot below, this reduced the vertex count from 956 to 384.

However, in the FS2024 Multi-Exporter, it still shows the old vertex count of 956. There are no modifiers to be applied, and this still occurs even after saving the file and restarting 3DS Max.

Any idea what's going on?

 

[=rk=]

DAE (and it seems FBX too) models imported this way have polygons that are detached from one another, leading to many duplicate vertices. So I convert the model to Editable Poly and use the Weld Vertices function at .01m to weld all of the co-located vertices.

Yea whats going on is that you are merging all the LODs and granted that you weld the vertices, but you're making like a 3 or 4 polygon sandwich before you do it, you know which I suppose works. So here's an idea, when you in MCX go to the LOD tool and just delete them sequentially, start with just your highest LOD and delete everything else, export that, then do it again except the nxt LOD down until you have versions of every LOD you want. You may even be able to export them sequentially without reloading each time.
Then when you go to build it, import each LOD into 3ds Max, run your system on each and export each one to the model folder, solved.

 

[ibanez737]

Hi Rick, thanks for your reply, much appreciated! However, The models I'm importing are only a single LOD, so no "sandwiching" going on. The object shown in the top image is the exact same object being exported in the second image; just the weld tool shows the new welded vertex count (384) while the Multi Exporter shows the pre-welded vertex count (956).

BTW, looks like you're a fellow soggy Washingtonian! This is my scenery of Jefferson County in Port Townsend that I made for Orbx over a decade ago. I'd like to spruce it up and also start work on some other airports up here in the good ol' PNW, if I can figure out all these newfangled Asobo exporters...

 

[=rk=]

Well I have found my best path into 3ds Max is dropping almost everything into MCX first unless it is the cleanest FBX from like MIxamo. Do even if I make a Sketchup model and 3ds Max direct imports that format I'll export it .3ds which 3ds Max scrambles, re export MCX .3ds and it imports perfect into 3ds Max. I'm in White Salmon on the Oregon border.

 

[ibanez737]

So it turns out that the FS24 Multi-Exporter is counting UVW vertices, not poly vertices!

After applying a UVW Weld at .01m, the Multi Exporter shows a vertex count of 632 for the object. Still higher than the 384 poly vertices, due to the difference in how poly vertices and texture vertices are counted.

Problem solved, resume normal programming...