Exporting models from 3DS Max without OgreMax

Hi,

My graphist is using 3DS Max and we are using the OgreMax exporter to export models and animations in .mesh.xml format into our project. It works well but we are bugged by the limitations of the free version.

And the price of the full version is dissuasive for us.

Is there a free way to efficiently export from 3DS Max to jMonkey?

Thanks in advance.

Ben

Going through blender is usually the way I go.

You mean import the max file into blender, then export it from blender to .mesh.xml?

You can open 3ds files directly in the SDK, it uses the bundled blender to convert them.

@normen said: You can open 3ds files directly in the SDK, it uses the bundled blender to convert them.

great news ! I still have an issue to join texture. With .mesh.xml it asks me to look for the missing texture. But with .3ds file, it asks nothing and give my the untextured model, even if the right texture is present at the same location.

A solution?

Thank you very much for your time.

Just assign it afterwards.

The video was very helpful to create and assign a custom material but I still have an issue with the mapping : uv map seems to be ignored at the import.

I’ve tried many textures as diffuse map, the material show correct result, but a single colour is applied to all the model, as if every vertices has 0,0 texture coord.

Again, the import of the same model by Ogre max exporter is well mapped.

Are you sure you defined a UV map in the first place and didn’t just add the texture “somehow” with “some” function of 3ds? Make sure its also a UV mapped texture inside 3ds. The exporter will probably convert the texture using 3ds’s internal functions because ogre doesn’t support any other kinds of textures either, thats probably why it works with the exporter.

Hi there !

We still have some issues importing 3ds max files into jmonkey. For the record, we don’t use the SDK and we would like to avoid it if possible.

Is there any new way of importing 3ds max work with all the features packaged?

Thanks !

Export it in a way where Max converts all its magic to usable methods in games (i.e. diffuse/normal/specular/light/parallax maps, bone animation and triangulated meshes).

Hi @methusalah
I use OpenCollada exporter for 3DS MAX . then import it to Blender and save as .blend file then inside SDK convert it to .j3o (You should use SDK for converting I guess so). It imports materials and textures pretty well for me .
And make sure normals facing correctly in 3ds max.

It seems I will need a magic wand :smile:

I think jMonkey SDK already has what is needed to read .3ds or .obj files, but I would like to avoid using the SDK if possible because it’s one more step/software for the artists. But it seems that the conversion is messy process since each 3D software has its own way of storing things. I understand that the AssetManager can’t manage all these “standards”.

What would be great is to have some automatic converstion tool. The ogre converter is working well but it is not free and have limitations

Basically thats the whole point of the SDK, to have a tool for designers that allows to check and import models in the context of the actual engine and then make changes to them (materials etc.) in that same context. 3D editors are simply not made for creating gaming models only and will never really produce output that is 100% compatible unless you whip it in shape to do so.

Okay I understand it very well. Thanks !

3dsmax->FBX->Blender->JME