[takashi]

i have max 7. will this still work?

[Styxx]

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.

[Hellbender]

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!

[DaBrain]

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.

[takashi]

one quick question:

how did voliton make their .pofs?

and a statement:

maybe you could contact them and find out.

[Scooby_Doo]

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. 

[Styxx]

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!

[Turambar]

make it autosave just before conversion.

i usually remember to save before i try, but an autosave would be pretty nice.

[Styxx]

I don't think that an exporter plugin has access to save the actual MAX scene...

[Scooby_Doo]

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.

[DaBrain]

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...

[Scooby_Doo]

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.

[DaBrain]

"hide unselected"?

Also.. what exactly would be different with groups for this issue?

[Scooby_Doo]

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.

[DaBrain]

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.

[Scooby_Doo]

Groups can have heirachy too, in fact thats how I do it.

LOD 0
   └ Turret 1
            └ Barrels
   └ Turret 2
             └ Barrels
   

[Nuke]

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.

[Styxx]

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.

[Scooby_Doo]

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  

[Styxx]

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   

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