Max to opengl

[p9931734]

i realise that that's some constrains whereby some of the max functions or/and effects cannot be used.
So which are those that cannot be used?

And

Which is there ways to over come these problems?

Thank in advance

[Bob]

The MAX file format stores identifiers to plugins, along with their parameters. As long as you can identify each identifier, and recreate the object yourself, you can load just about anything from the file. The limit is your knowledge of the file format and the plugins.

I sugegst you leave the MAX format and go for a mesh format like 3DS instead. MAX can store meshes also, but I suggest you go for an easier format anyway.

[p9931734]

ok, then how about 3ds?

i realised that the models need to be applied with "Reset XForm".
"Mirror effects" and "copy by reference" cannot be used

Thank you in advance

[Bob]

I don't have any experience with the 3DS format myself, but it's supposed to be a good one. You can also have a look at the ASE file format. Export a scene/object, open the file in a text editor and see for yourself how it looks like. It's a very easy and powerfull format (at the cost of file size though).

Wotsit has quite a lot of documentation about different file formats.

[jwatte]

There are no such limitations, per se. If Max can render it, it's possible for any other software to render it, too. However, it may be harder to implement some parts than others.

Depending on what plug-in you're using to export the data from Max, and depending on what engine will actually load and render the data, the capabilities of the exporter and the capabilities of the engine may limit what you can do in Max. For example, your Physique modifier will most likely have its vertices converted to rigid with some small number of weights per vertex; also support for various materials may vary wildly between different exporters/engines.

What the rules are specifically for your set-up is answered by the documentation for the exporter and engine you're using, and has nothing to do with OpenGL.

[Matt da Monkey]

Just a very simple comment about that... if you are actually using 3DS file format, please have in mind that the exported mesh are in WORLD coordinates despite of the transform (so you'd have to multiply it by its inverse if you want the LOCAL ones), and for the GL coordinate system the equivalence of the 3DS coords is:

gl_x = _3ds_x;
gl_y = - _3ds_z;
gl_z = _3ds_y;

Regards

Matt