[chief1983]

Preventing the need for that search and replace in the DAE file for -node" with " would probably be nice.  Don't know if that would break any compatibility though.

[Scooby_Doo]

Preventing the need for that search and replace in the DAE file for -node" with " would probably be nice.  Don't know if that would break any compatibility though.

That would be nice, if nothing else have a checkmark box for it. Also, group numbered glowbanks is also highly recommended and well as properties.

[Scooby_Doo]

I've updated the max script a bit, the one that gives the properties.  It would only give properties to anything that had the word "turret" or "thruster" in it, including the arm and destroyed ones. 

Just copy over the existing one.
http://scoobydoo.freespacemods.net/Completed/Misc/Freespace-GiveThemProperties.mcr

Here's a couple more might be useful ones:

Remove all user properties from selected objects: http://scoobydoo.freespacemods.net/Completed/Misc/Freespace-RemoveAllProperties.mcr
Renumbers intakes (if anyone uses intake subsystems): [urll]http://scoobydoo.freespacemods.net/Completed/Misc/Freespace-IntakeNumber.mcr[/url]

[Galemp]

Scooby, thanks for your work. Please do the community a favor and expand the Wiki page on the Max exporter to include this information.

The more helpful stuff we have on the wiki, the less people have to hunt through the forums for.

[chief1983]

What does Scooby's guide have to do with Styxx's exporter?

[JGZinv]

In general I agree with chief, but they are related in a sense that you really
need to read both tutorials in some cases to understand what needs doing for a step here or there.

Scooby's is by far the most complete, but Styxx's is like the appendix and index of the encyclopedia.
Without both you're still left scratching your head at times.

Mine is a lengthier hybrid.. but Scooby's and Styxx will still be necessary for certain parts.
My hope (if I can get some info *wink-wink*) is that with the three guides, anyone should be able to get ships in game.

[chief1983]

Ok fine, they're both a good read, but unless you're to rename that article, info specific to this conversion process really has no business in Styxx's exporter's article.  The two could be merged into a new article though.

[warfull]

HI this is the way I import helpers and paths from  3DSmax to PCS2.1

For turret :



and subsystem.

For  bay path :



here you need to rename every "pathxx" into "bayxx" in PCS2

And for dockings points :




In this way every path is linked with it's parent but I still have trouble with vertex numbering. It seems that when exporting to .dae vertex are added one by one without following the numbering i've used in 3Dsmax. So the result is that vertex 2 become vertex 3 and vertex 4 become vertex 1 and so on.
I dont know what is the logic of the software , I know it's not a time creation order cause i've tried.
I've tryed to use spline to create path but it has never worked.

So how do you import paths in pcs2 ?

[JGZinv]

Please take a look at the guide in my signature.
There's a section on paths that covers basic stuff.

I'm "still " working on an update to fix some things with it,
been too busy as of the last month or so to spare the time for it.

[zookeeper]

According to my experience...

v.   Duplicate this helper dummy and rename it to “firepoints”, don't move it

You should align the firepoints dummy to the arm's pivot, not to the base's pivot. Otherwise the shots will appear in the wrong place in-game. When you align it to the arm's pivot, the firepoints will appear in the wrong place in pcs2, but correctly in-game.

a.   A simple dummy node named “eyepoint” is placed where the eye should be (same thing with the direction of the eye faces)

It should be named "eyepoint01".

[Scooby_Doo]

According to my experience...

v.   Duplicate this helper dummy and rename it to “firepoints”, don't move it

You should align the firepoints dummy to the arm's pivot, not to the base's pivot. Otherwise the shots will appear in the wrong place in-game. When you align it to the arm's pivot, the firepoints will appear in the wrong place in pcs2, but correctly in-game.

You are absolutely correct... Thank goodness I haven't redone many cap ships yet.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

You should align the firepoints dummy to the arm's pivot, not to the base's pivot. Otherwise the shots will appear in the wrong place in-game. When you align it to the arm's pivot, the firepoints will appear in the wrong place in pcs2, but correctly in-game.

So PCS2 shows firepoints for multiparts at the wrong place? Here's another suggestion for the UI revamp...

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Wait I've had no problem with multipart turrets.  I simply get the coordinates of the firepoint from Max and enter them into PCS2.  You have to adjust for the axis differences but it works just fine. 

[Scooby_Doo]

Wait I've had no problem with multipart turrets.  I simply get the coordinates of the firepoint from Max and enter them into PCS2.  You have to adjust for the axis differences but it works just fine. 

If you center the "firepoints" helper on the turret arm pivot point, then the individual fire points will not show up correctly in PCS2, but ingame they are correct.

[Reprobator]

Thanks for your tutorial i used this a lot in the past.
What is Wong with me is that i still was not able to have correct turret in game.
I've reset the turret's xform before making hierarchy, aligned the helper+firepoints with :
1st : The base turret's pivot point
2nd:  turret's arm pivot point

In the two cases the firepoint are misaligned, either in pcs either in game  
Now what is special in this turret is : The base turret's pivot point and the arm's turret pivot point are not at the same place : that may cause that problem?
I made a plan to explain:
[

[Scooby_Doo]

It's kinda hard to make out the diagram... how about  this?


As for arm pivots and turret pivots being in different locations, none of my turret's arms are centered.
Ok let me see if I got everything right... sounds like you did though

1. you placed the firepoints, firepoint and helper on the model.
2. aligned "helper" with the turret base's pivet point (in Max you can use Alt-A for quick align)
3. aligned "firepoints" to the turret's arm pivot point
4. placed the "firepoint"(s) to the turret barrel end(s)
5. linked everything correctly.

If the turret's firepoint(s) normal is pointing in the wrong direction, that's an easy fix.

[Reprobator]

Ok my turret has the same configuration as yours that's perfect!

1. you placed the firepoints, firepoint and helper on the model.

Yes

2. aligned "helper" with the turret base's pivet point (in Max you can use Alt-A for quick align)

3. aligned "firepoints" to the turret's arm pivot point

Hmm i've alligned (with alt+a) helper and firepoints together with the turret base pivot and then as it did have misalignement  i then alligned them to the turret's arm
here is probably my mistake, so, if i understand well, the helper should be aligned with the turret base and the firepoints helper to the turret's arm?
because on the first post , it is written :

Duplicate this helper dummy and rename it to “firepoints”, don't move it

If this is the origin of the mistake, it would be a good thing to modify this point

5. linked everything correctly.

If the turret's firepoint(s) normal is pointing in the wrong direction, that's an easy fix.

yup no problem with that!

On a side note i know how to make multipart turret (naming and hierarchy etc...) but how about single part one?

[SeeNeYe]

Duplicate this helper dummy and rename it to “firepoints”, don't move it

Maybe this is the right way to do it... only if your base and arms have their pivot points at the same place ? 

Interesting explanations though. 

[SeeNeYe]

2. aligned "helper" with the turret base's pivet point (in Max you can use Alt-A for quick align)
3. aligned "firepoints" to the turret's arm pivot point

We fixed it this way but it doesn't seem to change anything, there is a huge gap between the turret barrel ends and the point where the fire is coming out...  

[SeeNeYe]

I fixed the huge gap by correcting the normals of the "helper" and "firepoints" dummies. But, there is still a little gap which seems to correspond to the gap between the "helper" position (at the same place as the base pivot point) and the "firepoints" position (at the same place as the turret arm pivot point).

Any idea ?