[maje]

Okay, let me first say that I'm currently trying to get my first working model inside of FS2 and that my familiarity with some of 3DS Max is general knowledge (mainly just not sure where tools are that I generally don't use).

Anyways, on to the point.  I'm attempting to export the Hand Brittlestar-class Destroyer to be used with The Babylon Project and Max crashes when I try to export.  I've gone through Styxx's tutorial and have triple-checked that I am indeed going through the naming conventions correctly and that all geometry is closed, verts welded, etc.  I then go and export all of the sections of the high res model (LOD 1 (i.e. detail-0) and exporting is fine.  I try to export a destroyed sub-system, again, exporting is fine.

I go to exporting the LOD 2 (detail-1) mesh and Max crashes.  I try to export the debris, Max crashes.  I try the LOD 3 meshes,...... well you get the idea.  Then, oddly enough, I selected just the base mesh, then the base LOD2, then base LOD3, and I was able to export.....for whatever messed up reason.  So, I have no idea what's going on with the exporter, or if there's some step that I misinterpreted.

Does anybody know what gives?  If anyone needs the model and textures to see if there are any errors, I'm cool with sending it over.  Just give me PM.

[Koth]

You shouldn't be using the max exporter anyway as it produces unstable and corrupt meshes.

[Nuke]

You shouldn't be using the max exporter anyway as it produces unstable and corrupt meshes.

not always, mainly because it eliminates the point of failure which is over conversion.

[Col. Fishguts]

Exactly, most of the corrupt POFs I created with the max exporter were conversions from COB to 3DS into max. If you model from scratch in max, I got almost always perfectly stable POFs.

[maje]

Yes, I modeled everything in MAX.  I am able to get all of LOD 1 in-game, so hurray for that.  I'll see about isolating the problem and see if I can't get everything else going.

[maje]

There aren't any object limitations as to how many you can select when exporting are there?
Or any special selection methods I need to do?

[Kazan]

f you model from scratch in max, I got almost always perfectly stable POFs.

wrong

i haven't once see the Max exporter create a pof i would consider completely stable

read my sig.. it's true

[Col. Fishguts]

f you model from scratch in max, I got almost always perfectly stable POFs.

wrong

i haven't once see the Max exporter create a pof i would consider completely stable

read my sig.. it's true

Care to elaborate ? The Max exporter is prone to collision detection errors, but I have several models which converted with near-perfect collision detection. What else would you consider unstable ?

[maje]

Nope, it's still crashing like the little ***** that it is.

I even tried messing around with exporting an old model for the SW:FOG mod (that's made it in-game) and the plug-in crashed Max.

The only thing I can ask is if anyone has a dummy model with all of the hierarchy setup along with proper naming conventions, and rigging (essentially, all the Max work being done and ready to be "poffed" in PCS) that I could look at to make sure it's not something that I'm doing incorrectly.

Failing that, if anyone wants me to shoot over my MAX file to take a look at, I'll be more than grateful just so I can get something done.  Trying to get this bad boy ready for TBP 3.4b release.

[Kazan]

f you model from scratch in max, I got almost always perfectly stable POFs.

wrong

i haven't once see the Max exporter create a pof i would consider completely stable

read my sig.. it's true

Care to elaborate ? The Max exporter is prone to collision detection errors, but I have several models which converted with near-perfect collision detection. What else would you consider unstable ?

ship radius is wrong
coordinate space isn't always handled properly
BSP tree generation sucks and is faily unstable (why it sometimes makes models with seemingly good collision detection, and other times sucks - i have NEVER seen a model exported from the MAX plugin without a collision hole somewhere in the model)

[maje]

okay, figured out how to keep the POF exporter from crashing.

Someone needs to update their installation instructions as there are three folders in the zip, one for MAX 4, Max 5 and Max 6.  I'm using Max 8.

Didn't know I was supposed to use the one from the Max 6 folder.  (there actually is a pofexport.dle in the main folder that I was using, apparently that's older than the one in the Max sub-folder).

[chief1983]

Maybe, but I still don't think that improves the stability of the model.

[Nuke]

pcs2 would be absolutely awesome if is till used truespace as my primary modeling program (meaning using it to do everything, not exporting to a 3rd party uv tool). while its possible to mesh in truespace, the tools arent really there for it. truespace is a primitive modeling program, not a mesher. max has really good tools for low level modeling, where you have explicit control over verts and polies, and a threshold based weld tool that can make short work of holes and micro polies that truespace just loves to leave in.

it makes no sense to model in program x, uv map in program y, and set up hierarchy in program z, then run it all through pcs hoping it comes out right every time. thats a total of 3 conversions, possibly more, depending on what your transitional formats are and how well coded the importers and exporters are. its better to use the max converter than that strategy. the mishmash of proprietary modeling formats with their numerous versions, and piss poor code in the import/export functions of even high end modeling programs (even max has some ****ty import//export features).

i do firmly support the idea of pmf exporters for modeling programs all around. with the capabilities of setting up hierarchy and special points in the modeling program's native tool set (which can be saved and easily readjusted in the modeling program).