Hi,
I been taking gmax for a spin. Not bad for a free software.
The only downside is that it doesnt internaly support exporting to various file formats. It only has plasma 3D support.
Anyone have a ready to use solution for this. Some script perhaps. Im interested in 3DS, quake, x, low, and anything else.
PS: any people using it once in a while?
V-man
That’s what gMax is NOT designed to do. If you want wide exportability, you’ll probably need 3DS or any of the other dozens (many free) of modelling programs out there.
If you want to have gMax export a special format for your game (i.e., one that you can’t get by downloading a gMax game pack) you’ll probably have to shell out major money to Discreet for the developer version.
I think that that is actually more expensive than 3DS.
And even if you would be able to export stuff from gMax it would be illegal.
So if you are going to do illegal things, better make it easy for yourself and get the real 3DS MAX.
And the developer version is not available for inviduals.
DISCLAIMER: I’m not trying to make people download illegal versions of software, I’m just pointing out that it’s just as illegal as exporting data from gMax.
Also, I’m not responsible for handbiting guinnypigs.
A developer developing an exporter for gMax signs some kind of agreement with them, and ends up getting their exporter signed in the end, so that it can export.
Using any of these signed exporters with gMax should be legal. If you can then import the file, as exported, into another program, that’s well and good for you, and not illegal.
If you’re starting to hack up an existing exporter, or try to write your own exporter and reverse-engineer the signing/validation process, then this may or may not be illegal according to the statutes regarding reverse engineering and shrink wrap licenses in your country. I think the combination of shrink wrap licensing and DMCA might make it illegal in the US (although I’m no lawyer, so I don’t know); I similarly think that certain freedoms granted by European law WRT software interoperation MIGHT make this explicitly legal in the EU. But, again, check with someone who’s a lawyer if you want actual legal advice.
Milkshape is a decent low-cost alternative if you just want a modeler that can export data, and don’t want to pay $3k for it. I’d recommend buying a low-cost product rather than trying to pirate the high-end product, because that makes sure there will continue to be affordable, low-end products around.
I think this is a very gray area. I know for a fact, you can write an exporter in gmax using maxscript. Though for certain, it is not the typical straight forward exporter. It would need help from an external program to convert the unconventional ouput into a usable format. I have done this myself since I wanted to use the POV raytracer to render one of my models built with gmax. But I have not and will not release the source code or detailed methods of how you can do it simply because I don’t want to ruffle any feathers. I would agree that using Milkshape or some similiar low cost modeling package would be the best route for minimum impact to budget and conscience.
I was wondering why there is limited export formats. Only plasma 3D.
It’s not possible exporting to another format with Maxscript? I havent touched it yet so Im wondering if someone has done this. Im willing to learn it, but its always good to ask about other peoples experiences.
Some people have written importers (free to download)
V-man
[This message has been edited by V-man (edited 12-07-2002).]
V-man, all write to file operations are disabled so the only thing I’ve seen so far is an “exporter” that can create wavefront obj files as an ascii text in a text window (Sorry - no URL, but a search on google should help).
I heared about a plan from the lightweight java game library ( http://java-game-lib.sourceforge.net/ ) that they intented to develop a xml exporter (same way I guess: print xml to text window), but I haven’t heared about these plans the last three months.
Nevertheless it should be possible to write an ASE exporter for gmax that “exports” the ase file to a text window. But I’ve no what the license says about text output…
Yours,
Stefan