Author Topic: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing  (Read 281003 times)

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Offline takashi

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Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
i have max 7. will this still work?

  

Offline Styxx

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Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
Hey there. I'm back and I have bad news.

Some people contacted me recently asking me to release the source code. I hadn't done so before because the exporter contained code from a project that I hadn't full control over, and I couldn't release the code for that part. Well, that project is over now, and I'm able to release the source code, but I can't find it. I had a few HD crashes a while ago, but I thought that everything had been backed up properly, so I hadn't worried about it before. But now I went to look for the code to make it available, and couldn't find it. I still have all the POF writing code - a simple project that loads a POF file and re-writes it - but I think I lost all the actual MAX plugin code. The MAX part is quite simple, actually, the hardest part is writing the POF itself, so I may get it all together again soon. But if anyone knows MAX programming and wants to give it a try, I can release the POF writing code itself.

Sucks, yeah, I know. I'm still hoping that I have copies of it on some other hard drive, but I'm not keeping my hopes up. :(
Probably away. Contact through email.

 
Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
If you need a copy of the Max6 SDK let me know. I have the SDK for Max2.5 somewhere as well, if you are curious. Sorry to hear about your troubles. Thanks for the plug-ins!
All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.
And a laughing yarn from a merry fellow rover.
And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
- JOHN MASEFIELD

 

Offline DaBrain

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Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
Hey there. I'm back and I have bad news.

Some people contacted me recently asking me to release the source code. I hadn't done so before because the exporter contained code from a project that I hadn't full control over, and I couldn't release the code for that part. Well, that project is over now, and I'm able to release the source code, but I can't find it.

That's bad. :(

so I may get it all together again soon. But if anyone knows MAX programming and wants to give it a try, I can release the POF writing code itself.

And that's good. :)

Many players do not realize it, but all modders know. Tools are the key. The key to modding, total conversions, techical tests. If it takes forever to convert something, you won't test new things, that might not even work. Without the great tools we have, FS2 would be already dead. Especially the MAX plugin, as it allows some of the pros, to just convert their models, without much effort.

If I had to place all glowpoints for the lights in teh SoL city in PCS, I would have gone mad already. ;)  (No offense to PCS, I use it just as often. Both tools have certain strong points.)


Why did I write this? Uhm... I don't know. I just wated you to know how much importance I see in your work. ;)
--------------------------------------------------
SoL is looking for a sound effect artist
Please PM me in case you want to apply
---------------------------------
Shadows of Lylat - A Freespace 2 total conversion
(hosted by Game-Warden)
----------------------------------

 

Offline takashi

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Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
one quick question:

how did voliton make their .pofs?

and a statement:

maybe you could contact them and find out.

 
Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
You know it would be kinda nice to move away from POF formats to something more handleable, but then that would release awhole 'nother buttload of problems.  :shaking:
That's cool and ....disturbing at the same time o_o  - Vasudan Admiral

"Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I like, that is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor. And you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up."

"Quick everyone out of the universe now!"

 

Offline Styxx

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Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
Ok, so I've just decided, I'll start working on a new plugin for MAX 8 tonight. If anyone has any ideas to complement the plugin, feel free to start talking. Also, if anyone posted an idea earlier in this thread, please post it again, as I won't be going through the whole thread again. Thanks!
Probably away. Contact through email.

 

Offline Turambar

  • Determined to inflict his entire social circle on us
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Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
make it autosave just before conversion.

i usually remember to save before i try, but an autosave would be pretty nice.
10:55:48   TurambarBlade: i've been selecting my generals based on how much i like their hats
10:55:55   HerraTohtori: me too!
10:56:01   HerraTohtori: :D

 

Offline Styxx

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Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
I don't think that an exporter plugin has access to save the actual MAX scene...
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Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
One small thing I would like to see is using groups for lod levels and subsystems.  Their much easier to handle than linking.  Example, you can hide lod groups.
That's cool and ....disturbing at the same time o_o  - Vasudan Admiral

"Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I like, that is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor. And you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up."

"Quick everyone out of the universe now!"

 

Offline DaBrain

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Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
Oh no... no groups! I don't want to run into even more X-Form problems.

The linking is the proper way to do this.

All I like to have, is a better error report. Some kind of message, or log file, that tells you why your mesh didn't convert.

I won't even ask for MOI... ;)
--------------------------------------------------
SoL is looking for a sound effect artist
Please PM me in case you want to apply
---------------------------------
Shadows of Lylat - A Freespace 2 total conversion
(hosted by Game-Warden)
----------------------------------

 
Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
Oh no... no groups! I don't want to run into even more X-Form problems.

The linking is the proper way to do this.

All I like to have, is a better error report. Some kind of message, or log file, that tells you why your mesh didn't convert.

I won't even ask for MOI... ;)

Ok how do you hide/unhide/freeze with links then?  I just get a huge list of subobjects i'd rather not deal with.
That's cool and ....disturbing at the same time o_o  - Vasudan Admiral

"Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I like, that is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor. And you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up."

"Quick everyone out of the universe now!"

 

Offline DaBrain

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Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
"hide unselected"?

Also.. what exactly would be different with groups for this issue?
--------------------------------------------------
SoL is looking for a sound effect artist
Please PM me in case you want to apply
---------------------------------
Shadows of Lylat - A Freespace 2 total conversion
(hosted by Game-Warden)
----------------------------------

 
Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
Group LOD or entire turret, close it, name it.
Select it hide it and vola... select which lod you want to unhide... vola..

also if you move something, if the group is closed, you move everything not just the children, but not parents.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2007, 07:04:26 pm by Scooby_Doo »
That's cool and ....disturbing at the same time o_o  - Vasudan Admiral

"Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I like, that is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor. And you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up."

"Quick everyone out of the universe now!"

 

Offline DaBrain

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    • Shadows of Lylat board
Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
You need a heirachy for the game. You'd have to set it up even if you were able to use groups.

So all this would do, is causing more work and potentially more errors.



I really don't think this would be useful, if it is possible at all.
--------------------------------------------------
SoL is looking for a sound effect artist
Please PM me in case you want to apply
---------------------------------
Shadows of Lylat - A Freespace 2 total conversion
(hosted by Game-Warden)
----------------------------------

 
Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
Groups can have heirachy too, in fact thats how I do it.

LOD 0
   └ Turret 1
            └ Barrels
   └ Turret 2
             └ Barrels
   
That's cool and ....disturbing at the same time o_o  - Vasudan Admiral

"Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I like, that is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor. And you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up."

"Quick everyone out of the universe now!"

 

Offline Nuke

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Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
that sucks that you lost your source. id have liked to get my hands on it. anyway one thing i absolutely must have in the new version is complex hierarchy support. for the purpose of complex submodel animations and scripted submodel animation. pcs is fairly good at generating complex hierarchy, but considering max is my primary tool theese days and format hopping usually results in more problems, i would really like that capability. my common hierarcjhy configureations include the 3 or 4 part gatling turret, your standard turret heirarchy with a third level under the barrel model, which contains the rotating barrel assebally for the gatling gun (or two for dual gatlings). the other less commone groupings i used are the 7 segment swing wings on the phoenix and the rather complicated hanger door on the rumrunner. i want to do more and will as the tools permit.
I can no longer sit back and allow communist infiltration, communist indoctrination, communist subversion, and the international communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

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Offline Styxx

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Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
Er, unless I'm mistaken, the current exporter already keeps any hierarchy set on the MAX file... It's been a while since I actually used or worked on it, though.
Probably away. Contact through email.

 
Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
Maybe a format exporter that PCS2 can import?  All you would need to do is generate a certain format (POFMAX for example), export the MAX data to that format.  Then have a PCS2 importer that'll read POFMAX and let PCS do all the dirty work   :D
That's cool and ....disturbing at the same time o_o  - Vasudan Admiral

"Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I like, that is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor. And you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up."

"Quick everyone out of the universe now!"

 

Offline Styxx

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    • Hard Light Productions
Re: POF exporter for MAX - Need people with MAX 4, 5 and 6 for testing
Maybe a format exporter that PCS2 can import?  All you would need to do is generate a certain format (POFMAX for example), export the MAX data to that format.  Then have a PCS2 importer that'll read POFMAX and let PCS do all the dirty work   :D

You can already do that. Export as 3DS and use 3DExploration to convert it to COB. :p
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