Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[vonOben]

Hi

I'm about to try learning Gmax to be able to edit some IL-2 models.

I've installed Gmax,the Buggy Buggy plugin and the MshConverter 1.18 by Dr Jones.

As I've understood I can't use buggy buggy if the mesh file is a textfile, but instead use the MshConverter to convert to 3ds and then use the Gmax import.
What I tried was to open the hier.him file and convert the complete aircraft to 3ds.
In MshConverter I changed the numbers in Save Options tab as suggested on the Forum:
U offset 0
V offset -1
U scale 1
V scale -1

In Gmax I selected File > Import and I did Un-tick Convert units option, but then I get the 'improper' format error in Gmax. 

Perhaps this is not the right way to do it? 

Suggestions would be highly appreciated. 

Best regards

vonOben

[Mission_bug]

Hello Per, here is a quick tutorial have a go and see if it helps.


Find the model you want, click on the hier, then select open in Mshconverter and go to the 'save to 3DS' option:



With the model open you then add the name you want to use for your file to ‘Model’ and save to 3ds:





Open gmax and go to open listener and use edit ‘clear all’ to remove the text in listener:





Then go to the right and find ‘3DS import’ and select:





A drop down will appear ‘import 3DS’ select it:





You will then be invited to find your file, mine is usually in my documents:





Select your file and click open and in gmax you will see a run error box appear, just click anywhere on the screen and
it should disappear and you should see the complete model in the various windows:





You can remove the text from the listener as before because it will be necessary if you want to extract anything during
this current session you have open, just save your model to a gmax file and you should be good to go:








Have a go at that  and see if you can import the particular model you want to alter, not sure about exporting the whole
model, it should be possible but I usually just need to take out certain parts individually rather than the whole project.

Getting things out is by selecting the listener and using the Buggy option and saving as a mesh using the name you want
it to have in your project.

See if the above is clear and we can then go on, you need the parts in gmax before proceeding.

The above is for a model already in the IL-2 format, generally only certain files saved in a certain format can be opened
in gmax, in the past some of the models I worked on were kindly converted for me so I could open and work on them.


Note:

You will need a script adding to your gmax set up for the 3DS, not sure where I got mine but this looks
the most likely from looking through what I just downloaded:

https://neverwintervault.org/project/nwn1/other/gmax12-3dsmax4-importexport-plugin-script-collection


Some of these will be useful if you make new stuff and need to map your parts, others you will not
use but keep them all on your hard drive somewhere.

The folder 3DS contains the script for the importing inside a zip:  import3ds

If you need to map things the Quake3 folder has the scripts for that.


It has been some time since I set up my install so not entirely sure how to advise on that but I think for the
import you just drop the script file 'import3ds.ms' into the script folder in gmax.







Wishing you all the very best, Pete.

[mandrill]

I have been doing exactly the same thing as you, Von Oben. I found that it sometimes took 2 or 3 attempts to get the model to appear as a .3ds file in GMAX. Don't know why. I just kept trying over and over and eventually the file would actually come onto the GMAX screen.

Here is another thing I have discovered so far. I just want to alter the scale of some static objects in order to populate my maps. At first, I imported all of the .mesh file into GMAX. This included shadows and hooks and collision boxes. But I couldn't change the size of these when I changed the size of the mesh for the visible part of the model.

So I re-imported each mesh file into GMAX from scratch and this time, I carefully checked that no hooks, shadows, lods or other stuff were imported. And now I have simply the visible mesh that I can re scale in GMAX.

(Now I just have to figure out how to put all the stuff I did not import back in and UVW map the object and then export it back into IL-2!!!)

[western0221]

According to Which version MshConverter you are using .....

> V scale -1

This parameter change is needed or NOT needed ..... different.

This "V scale -1" is needed by originel MshConverter 1.18 .
But newer MshConverterEX is NOT. You have to keep its value "1" to write out correct .3ds / .obj data.

[mandrill]

Mission_Bug: What are those "scripts" and how do they work?

[Mission_bug]

Mission_Bug: What are those "scripts" and how do they work?

The 3DS script enables you to import the object you want into gmax, however, it only works for some files not all as
it depends on whether they are a format that can be read by gmax.  In the past things such as the Geezer objects
had to be converted in such a way that I could load them because even though gmax is itself a version of 3Ds max
it does not necessarily mean you can take any file from that programme and use it in gmax.

The example I provided above for Per used a model already in IL-2 so there was no problem doing it the way I showed
using the script I mention.

How these things work is not something I can explain, sorry, I can only try and provide a example of something I tried
that was successful.


The other script mentioned for Quake3 basically allows you to save a mapped part and in conjunction with a special
programme allows that mesh to be textured, it bakes the coordinates of the mapping to the part so to speak so in game
it will show the texture you make.  Again, you would need a technical person to fully explain what happens.


As I mentioned to you recently in a PM Mandrill I can try and take you through certain processes such as importing and
exporting but first I need the mesh you are working on so I can attempt it first to make sure that part is compatible first of all
and I can do it before I could be certain that what I explain is valid, this thread is a good place to do that as I do not like doing things
through PM but prefer to have it so everyone can see the process.

Please be aware I am no 3D Master so for me it is easier to try it first before I pass on the experience to others.


Take care.

Wishing you all the very best, Pete.

[mandrill]

Much obliged, Pete - as always.

I managed to import my meshes into GMAX. Let me try and muddle my way through a little more and then I will either show what I have done with my notes, or ask the community for help.

[Zoran395]

Mandrill, I saw a script posted by Mike/ Storebor in the Superschool section for resizing objects. This may do just what you need...

https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,50304.msg549113.html#msg549113

[Mission_bug]

Much obliged, Pete - as always.

I managed to import my meshes into GMAX. Let me try and muddle my way through a little more and then I will either show what I have done with my notes, or ask the community for help.

Okay Mandrill, no problem.


Scale seems to be a recurring issue for those using gmax, my settings:




I myself suffered this when I imported my first object into the game.



The two scripts I generally use for importing are:


Import 3DS, the script is in the link I provided, and shown here is one of the Alphasim models that can be found
in a link provided by Dreamk somewhere in the forum:




Wavefront Import OBJ, not sure where the script for this comes from, it could be in gmax as default but was used for
the 'Geezer Objects' I put into IL-2 format some time ago:





These were the files that Geezer had to convert for me so I could use them, however, there must be a particular way
they are made as I have not been able to open all files I tried that were in that format.

Also, sometimes the files I import are not actually together as in the image above but can be in pieces and you
will need to bring all the parts together to make the object a whole.


Generally if I download something I go for OBJ format as not everything that is marked as 3DS can be opened, maybe
the Alphasim models were converted especially for gmax users, but then again even OBJ can be a problem and will
not open, this really does fuck with your head.

This is why I say send me the file and I will try it first, if I cannot open it then it might be that you need to ask someone
with 3DS Max or some other programme to convert it first.  As I have said before though that is not a guarantee
it will open as there must be a particular way they are saved, not being that technically astute myself all I can do when
I ask someone is is tell them the type of files I have been able to open in the past, Geezer actually was kind enough
to try a few times before we got files I could actually import.

They say a picture is worth thousands of words and a image of one of your files opened in my gmax is proof enough
that what I try to explain does actually work, I could describe the method over and over again until I am Blue in the
face as they say but you might not be able to open the file you have and you will think either I am doing it wrong or
you are not grasping what I say, or both.  It can be very frustrating continually trying to follow a tutorial and seemingly
getting nowhere, however, if someone else can actually open the file you have then we are part way there at least.

I can understand if folks do not want to send their project files to to me, you might not want others to see your project,
that is understandable, however, for me to explain how I do it means I need to be able to test what I am telling you. 
So, I need at least something in the format you are trying to open so I can provide in pictures a worked example for those
asking the question and others looking in who might have experienced similar problems themselves.

Per actually told me what he was trying to do, open something in the sim and adding it to gmax, so I tried what
he was asking for and the result is the images I posted to him and are what you see here in the thread.

I actually asked Per to ask the question here in the forum and he did, that way we could hopefully show
others having the same problems how to overcome them by showing a worked example.

Also, even if I cannot help there could be someone who can, remember there are hundreds of great models
out there in games such as FSX that were created in gmax and even though it is ancient it can be a very
effective programme even now especially for older games like IL-2.



A few links:

Milton Shupe made a tutorial for a Cessna using gmax intended for FSX users but it has proved invaluable for me when setting up to make the Lysander, some of the
links might be problematical and you might have to find scripts to make the videos run:

http://www.sim-outhouse.net/tut/fs9/c162/

As most folks generally want to add objects to the game please take a look at the KevinP tutorial for IL-2 buildings it is a must for anyone making stuff for IL-2 as it tells you all you need to know about construction and damage models and all the necessary stuff to make them work:

http://allaircraftsimulations.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=82&t=32219


Here Is a video by Scott Armstrong showing texturing in a different way to the one in the Milton Shupe tutorials but for buildings, it takes a while for the pictures to show as he is talking for a bit at the start:






Take care.


Wishing you all the very best, Pete.

[mandrill]

Pete, it's going to take me a while to work through all your many kind suggestions. But I will comment right away that Milton Shupe has now made a 50-episode mega tutorial series for GMAX modelling that I have had the mods sticky at the top of this section. I have been watching and re watching Milton's videos over the last 2 or 3 days and find them very, very helpful.

Milton starts with a couple of intro vids on the GMAX interface, then goes into basic modelling tools and then more sophisticated constriction techniques. He also has about an hour on UVW mapping techniques!!!

[Mission_bug]

Great find on the Milton tutorials mandril, I was not aware of them so will certainly take a look myself, I need all the help I can get.


Wishing you all the very best, Pete.

[vonOben]

Hi guys

Thank you very much for your help! 

That is a very imformative tutorial Pete. 

The info about different parameters when using MshConverter 1.18 and MshConverterEX was also good to know, thanks western0221.

I've now imported my first 3d model succefully into Gmax! 

Now I'll try to learn using Gmax, and will probably be back with some more questions... 

Best regards

vonOben