To all modders using max 2009

[Hans Witteman]

Hi gentleman's,

My nerve are cracking so that the reason i start this new thread.

Something is wrong with the import/export process and i am not new to 3d and computer stuff so i ask anyone who is using 3ds max 2009 a step by step process because i already used the step by step done by skwasjer but he was using an earlier version of it and it doesn't work in max 2009 something has change and i just can't find what so far!

What i need is in order : the step when exporting to obj from sh3 specially regarding the additional uvw i mean by that after import in max you have only edit mesh in the stack, so to import the additional uv channel do you have to add only one unwrap uvw in the stack or 2 it seem max 2009 is confusing channel 1 and 2 i'm not sure about that but i saw some post on autodesk forum talking about it. The confusion about this issue is simply unbelievable!

And when i want to re export from max to sh3, sh3 won't see additionnal uv i have save from max, how do you save the uv channel? The step i do are as follow : I add an additional unwrap uvw on top of the one already there, i select uv channel 2 and click the save uvw with prefix -uv2,3,4 etc but nothing work!

Thank to anyone who have the courage and patience to get me out of that mess.

Regards Hans,

[KL-alfman]

I'm sorry that I can't be of any help.

but you could try out some boards:
http://forums.tutorialized.com/3ds-max-71/
http://www.3dstudiomaxtutorials.com/
http://www.3d-tutorial.com/

I use Max 2008.
Try the suggestion in this thread:
http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=63389

Let us know if it works.

[Hans Witteman]

Thank to all for the help, i will try your link privateer and Kl-Alman but i think that i will release it without lightmap because i try all that i can possibly imagine and it doesn't work on the interior conning tower the ext and the sub work fine.

To bad i work so damn hard in the past 3 weeks to come to that deceiving result

I think i will take a brake cause I'm going nowhere right now.

Regards Hans,

[lafeeverted]

I might be able to help you but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I dont use UVW unwrap often but to change the channel of the map change it under mapping co-ords after you access the map.All maps default to map channel 1. Change the map channel # of the map.. Then change the the UVW map channel #. Does that helP?

I'm getting issues with Max 2008 in other areas.
So I'm going to reinstall Max 9 and see if those same
areas are affected.


What's with all the bugs in software now days?

[Hans Witteman]

Originally Posted by lafeeverted

I might be able to help you but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I dont use UVW unwrap often but to change the channel of the map change it under mapping co-ords after you access the map.All maps default to map channel 1. Change the map channel # of the map.. Then change the the UVW map channel #. Does that helP?

Thank lafeeverted but i already tried this one yesterday and again map channel 1 seem to be weld to map channel 2 even if i push reset uvw the same map appear again and again maybe my file is corrupt i don't know.

If only skwasjer was available just to solve this one cause in many thread he talk about enabling the SelfOccEnable to true in the UnifiedRenderControler.
But he never mention how or where, i made some search in Sh3 and found the unifiedrendercontroller i try to put it at the end of the node tree but nothing change.

Can someone tell me the exact order to put the lightmap cause when i set them correctly as Flakmonkey show me all i get is black and in game no shadows at all i don't know maybe i reach a certain limit impose by the game engine on this asset? Is there a limit of how many channels maps we can use on CT interior?

I have no problem making my lightmap i taught that in college but i cannot integrated them on my sub interior conning tower the rest is fine, again maybe because i change the original layout of the uvw map it trigger a conflict with the way ambient occlusion operate in game engine.

They are so many thing i would like to know about integration in this game engine, i dream last night that i very nice guy from Ubi Romania send me a mail with all my answers! Wishful thinking but dreams is all we have left.

Well i guess i will have to abandoned the idear of shadow in CT interior.

Regards Hans,

[skwasjer]

Originally Posted by Hans Witteman

Hi gentleman's,
And when i want to re export from max to sh3, sh3 won't see additionnal uv i have save from max, how do you save the uv channel? The step i do are as follow : I add an additional unwrap uvw on top of the one already there, i select uv channel 2 and click the save uvw with prefix -uv2,3,4 etc but nothing work!

Verify that you have the correct radiobutton (import .UVW files) selected in the import dialog of S3D, and that the filename convention is followed:

model.OBJ
model-uv2.UVW

If you have the other radio button selected, S3D will not see the model-uv2.UVW file, instead it is looking for model-uv2.OBJ.

[Hans Witteman]

Originally Posted by skwasjer

Verify that you have the correct radiobutton (import .UVW files) selected in the import dialog of S3D, and that the filename convention is followed:

model.OBJ
model-uv2.UVW

If you have the other radio button selected, S3D will not see the model-uv2.UVW file, instead it is looking for model-uv2.OBJ.

Hi Skwasjer i am please to finally meet you here plus a fast answer i know you must be a busy man with all those crying to get help, i hope i am not causing you more stress.

Ok for the import/export i now completly understand the process except when i am saving my uv layout and used the 3dsmax uvw import option i don't see the others uv channels except the default one in obj. So i used loaded uvw objects instead and it work fine.

I only have 2 majors problem to solve before finally showing my work first i am using 3ds max 2009 so procedures might be different regarding the reset uvw mention on your import/export tutorial, for now i have collapse uvw unwrap after editing both channels and my first problem occur in max 2009 they change the way uv channel work! So i have uv channel 1 showing in my uv channels 2 and i don't know if it is possible to separate them, i try a lot of thing like adding another unwrap on stack changing to channel 2 reset and load back 2 and still see channel one under it so i maybe force to redo my uv layout for the third time since i try many different way.

My second biggest problem is the ambient occlusion map that show in black in sh3 editor and in game it just doesn't show at all i have the conning tower texture ok but without shadow, i have read all your post on submarine sim central regarding this issue and try everything you mention, moving node upper etc. with no success so far. You where mentionning to check if selfOcclEnable was set to true in UnifiedRenderController but maybe i figure it was only regarding Silent hunter 4, i saw that controller for sh3 and try to put it at the end of the tree and on top without sucess.

to conclude that lengthy post when i finish my first mod i will write extensive tutorials regarding your wonderful software and believe me i know the effort behind the code that why i reiterate my offer to do anything graphic for you as a form of deep gratitude since money is not my best friend currently. You want your 3D self at the periscope with a beard as your loading screen just send me right side view, left side view and front view of your face and i'l do it with pleasure

Best regards Hans,

[Hans Witteman]

Hi again,

I forgot to ask how can i import let say an animated object fixed on the sub that user can activited with keyboard command on will with sound file associated?

Do i have to make the animated object a child of the sub in 3ds max and export as a child node of the sub, and how to save animated object as .anm in data/animations folder?

Flakmonkey also told me ambient occlusion didn't work in uv channel 3 but it work for me on the ext turmIIA and i was wandering if i could write a FAQ about what is generally possible to modify in sh3 editor and what impossible to achieve, this would save tremendous amount of wasting time for new modders.

Regards Hans,