[JBX-Phoenix]

Does anyone know the differences between GMax and 3D Studio Max?  Might be a bad question, but the screen shot look different and so I thought there would be different features and all.  I'm also interested to see if it's easier.  I'm downloading it now.

BTW,
How many people actually bought 3D Stdio Max 4 or 5 or whatever for the full price?

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Ich kann nicht eine Sache des Deutschen sprechen!!
ICQ: 123370135
Lead designer of the new campaign
Freespace: Earthforce

[Nico]

nobody I'd guess... who could aford 1000$ (it's even more in fact, but I don't even dare checking the price, the old 3ds3 was the most expensive anyway)
Gmax, seems to be oriented more toward game production, so I suppose they got read of all the complex rendering stuffs, the video post and volumetric effects, combustions and all that kind of things. Better check tho.

[Vertigo1]

GMax is mainly for making mods.  I may give it a try just for kicks...

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"You know you've played Freespace too much when you're driving along trying to use countermeasures to shake off pursuing highway police." - Top Gun

Material Defender Studios

[Anduril]

Looks great to me. I haven't been able to use a real 3d-modeling proggy for a while, this looks like it could be the ticket...
but my last attempt to download was coming in at about 600 BYTES a second. I'll try again later.

[Carl]

lol i hate it when that happens.

[NeoHunter]

 

Originally posted by JBX-Phoenix:
BTW,
How many people actually bought 3D Stdio Max 4 or 5 or whatever for the full price?

What do you think? Heheheehe



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[Thorn]

 

Originally posted by NeoHunter:
What do you think? Heheheehe  

Found mine at a flea market for 50 bucks  
Its probably hot..
Oh well, not my problem anymore...

[Inquisitor]

Has anyone actually tried Gmax yet? Do max plugins work in it? Things likt the D3 exporter, etc?

[Fineus]

And how does it render?

[wEvil]

Gmax is a cut down version of 3dsmax.

They cut out ALL the rendering, most of the materials editor/shadetree and some of the more complex animation systems.

Basically what you have is a fully customisable 3D application designed specifically for in-engine game design.

I saw discreet demoing a version called..err...something that was done for quake3.  You can create flash-based control panels for in game entities so it becomes easier to use and easier for you to create a moddable game because you wont have to code your own SDK.


GMax is fully compatible with 3DSMAX insofar as they share the same architecture.  3dsmax obviously wont natively open proprietry game 3D files (still no POF?  time to grill volition over a Gmax sdk? anyone?)

On the other (rendering) side..anyone played with Final Render yet?

Oh..and i found out a softimage XSI 2.0 student license will only be £300    yippee!



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AARGGH!!
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[Nico]

 

Originally posted by wEvil:
Gmax is a cut down version of 3dsmax.

They cut out ALL the rendering, most of the materials editor/shadetree and some of the more complex animation systems.

Basically what you have is a fully customisable 3D application designed specifically for in-engine game design.

I saw discreet demoing a version called..err...something that was done for quake3.  You can create flash-based control panels for in game entities so it becomes easier to use and easier for you to create a moddable game because you wont have to code your own SDK.


GMax is fully compatible with 3DSMAX insofar as they share the same architecture.  3dsmax obviously wont natively open proprietry game 3D files (still no POF?  time to grill volition over a Gmax sdk? anyone?)

On the other (rendering) side..anyone played with Final Render yet?

Oh..and i found out a softimage XSI 2.0 student license will only be £300    yippee!

well, sounds perfect to me   everybody: go get it  
oh, about that Max2pof converter... oh well, this subjevt just pisses me off. Damnit they released the one for Red Faction, but for Freespace, no way  !!!

[Vertigo1]

Don't worry, there will be one.  I know someone is working on it...

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"You know you've played Freespace too much when you're driving along trying to use countermeasures to shake off pursuing highway police." - Top Gun

Material Defender Studios

[Martinus]

I'm not too optimistic about GMAX, discreet originally claimed it was going to be the be all end all modelling tool for modders. Then they started adding the moneymaking clause.

A game will only have GMAX compatibility if the company shells out for a licence to make plugins for it, with production costs being what they are I'm sure most companies will be slow to consider adding GMAX compatibility. I was also told that GMAX won't actually work unless you have plugins from a compatible game, I'm not sure if that is accurate but it would mean that you can't simply load the proggie and build a model.

I'm still waiting to get the modding community's verdict but I'm not holding my breath.

[aldo_14]

 

Originally posted by Maeglamor:
I'm not too optimistic about GMAX, discreet originally claimed it was going to be the be all end all modelling tool for modders. Then they started adding the moneymaking clause.

A game will only have GMAX compatibility if the company shells out for a licence to make plugins for it, with production costs being what they are I'm sure most companies will be slow to consider adding GMAX compatibility. I was also told that GMAX won't actually work unless you have plugins from a compatible game, I'm not sure if that is accurate but it would mean that you can't simply load the proggie and build a model.

I'm still waiting to get the modding community's verdict but I'm not holding my breath.

So you couldn't build, say, a 3ds model and do your stuff in 3dEx?

Damn.... and I just started DL-ing this.

[Martinus]

 

Originally posted by aldo_14:
So you couldn't build, say, a 3ds model and do your stuff in 3dEx?

Damn.... and I just started DL-ing this.

Don't jump the gun yet, as I said I was told this and I'm not sure if it's accurate.

[JBX-Phoenix]

Gmax is okay, I just finished downloading it.  But we really need plugins.  You can ONLY save in .gmax form and ONLY load .gmax files.

And the tool layout isn't the best either.

[This message has been edited by JBX-Phoenix (edited 10-18-2001).]

[aldo_14]

 

Originally posted by Maeglamor:
Don't jump the gun yet, as I said I was told this and I'm not sure if it's accurate.

Well, I checked the Discreet site, and only GMax Dev exports 3ds - that is,of course, the one you pay for    

Could export to Quake 3 format and convert with 3d Ex of course, but I don't think it's worth the effort.

[Martinus]

Urrr, just found this at the Lancers reactor:
GMAX info

[Pez]

Adam P replies about GMax support for Red Faction.
 http://vbb.volition-inc.com/ubb/Forum10/HTML/000651.html

[wEvil]

Wel what would you expect?

3dsmax is a world-class product at a very reasonable price considering its extensibility and the R&D that has to be put into creating something that complex.  Any of you that understand the basic tenets of 3D scene description will sympathise with this.

So quit moanin' - its still a great tool and no doubt 3D exploration will start support the .gmax format  


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AARGGH!!
My Normals' Flipped!!