Converting 3ds to Reality Factory compatible

Cynnical · Post by **Cynnical** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:34 pm

I made a 3ds model and can not figure out how to change it into a .nfo or .key or other reality factory compatible things before i put it into acompile.

can anyone help me out??

Post by **AndyCR** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:38 pm

you will need to open it in milkshape, gmax, 3ds max, or any other program that has a .nfo or .bdy exporter.

Cynnical · Post by **Cynnical** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:19 pm

i tried exporting with gmax but it doesnt have a .nfo or .bdy exporter.

i also tried milkshape but it doesnt have an import .3ds so that way i can export it into .nfo.

Post by **AndyCR** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:43 pm

Gmax has one, its at http://www.genesis3d.com/~wog/tools/gmaxg3dexp.zip

hike1 · Post by **hike1** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 1:08 am

RF FAQ http://terrymorgan.net/rffaq.zip

Demos Tuts http://terrymorgan.net/download.htm

incenseman2003 · Post by **incenseman2003** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 4:39 pm

I tried the nfo/exporter for gmax. I go the mesh the way I wanted it. I put a bone in it. I assigned the bone to the mesh. I ran the MAXScript Listener. I got the following for the key and nfo options

KEYEXP 2.1
Number of Bones = 0
Key Data
0 100 30
Key Data Complete

NFO 2.0
Material List
Number of Materials = 0
Bone List
Number of Bones = 0
Node Transform Matrix List
Number of Nodes = 0
Mesh List
Number of meshes = 0

It doesnt look as though the exporter recognized the bone in the mesh. Come to think of it, It seems as though that the exporter recognized the model at all.

I did see that there was reference: "each vertex MUST be RIGID-assigned to ONE bone"

What is "RIGID-assigned"?

Is it different than just to assign?

If so how is it done?

Would this cause me to get the results that I did?

Is there a better source of reference that tells about it?

I tried the Gmax help files and they dont seem to exist. I click help and then user reference and nothing happens. The same thing happens when I hit the F1 key. I get an hourglass and the it goes away and thats it.

I have tried the Gmax forum search and came up empty.

If "RIGID-assigned" is some thing different from the norm please enlighten me.

If not, then can anyone tell me why I got the results I did?

I read that RFfaq it said to go to http://terrymorgan.net/pipeline.zip for the answer on making vurtices rigid.

I tried going to http://terrymorgan.net/pipeline.zip and the link is dead. I tried going to http://terrymorgan.net and it took me to http://www.opushosting.com/.

Post by **AndyCR** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:09 pm

1. Make sure the mesh is selected when you export

2. Make sure all vertices of the mesh are assigned to the bone, and they are all the same color in edit envelopes

hike1 · Post by **hike1** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:20 pm

http://asylum.rfactory.org/pipeline.zip

For the 11th time just for you
http://terrymorgan.net/download.htm

pipeline is obsolete, however I used the
Gmax exporters to make a static mesh actor,
don't remember how.

Post by **QuestOfDreams** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:20 pm

i also tried milkshape but it doesnt have an import .3ds so that way i can export it into .nfo.

Milkshape3d DOES import autodesk 3DS files, however it doesn't export to .key and .nfo but to .mot and .bdy files, which can also be used in AStudio

incenseman2003 · Post by **incenseman2003** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 4:39 pm

thanks for the really usfull info. It will come in handy.

I have found several gmax tutorials but they must be for different versions. they present options that 1.2 doesnt have, or at least I cant find. The fact that Gmax has no help files that I have seen is not helping.

Im still not clear on What "RIGID-assigned" is.

I went throgh one tut for Gmax athttp://www.neomagination.com/tutorials/09_02Rigging.html and it said.

"pulldown the modifier list to select Physique"

There is no "Physique" option.

"use the Attach to Node button ( ) and click on the root bone of your skeleton to link up the two. In the window that comes up select RIGID in the Vertex link Assignment rollout."

I hit the attach to node button and then clicked the root bone (there is only one bone). No window came up and there didnt seem to be a "Rigid" option anywhere.

I think that this must be a tut for 3DS Max.

The expoters seem to work with 3DS Max.

I got the same results when I followed your advise AndyCR.

Im sure that I must be missing something. Im sure that you people have done this before, so Im confident there is a way.

Post by **AndyCR** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 10:42 pm

you have to use Skin, not Physique, for Gmax. yes, that tuts for 3ds, notice the silver coloring of the GUI. you should be able to find a tutorial for it in the tutorials you can download on the same page as you download gmax on, thats where I learned it.

rigid means that one vertex can only be assigned to one bone.

incenseman2003 · Post by **incenseman2003** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:01 am

I ran the Gmax script listner again using the skin and rigid vertices settings.

Here is what I got for a popup error box:
--Runtime error: Exceeded the vertex weight list countskin:Skin

Here is what I got in the listener window:
NFO 2.0
Material List
Number of Materials = 0
Bone List
Number of Bones = 0
Node Transform Matrix List
Number of Nodes = 1
Node(0): Mat_0_0
1.0, 0.0, 0.0,
0.0, 1.0, 0.0,
0.0, 0.0, 1.0,
0.0, 0.0, 0.0,
Q(w,x,y,z): 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
S(x,y,z): 1.0 1.0 1.0
T(x,y,z): 0.0 0.0 0.0
Mesh List
Number of meshes = 1
Node: Mat_0_0
Vertex List
Number of Vertices = 267
-- Error occurred in i loop
-- Frame:
-- i: 1
-- v_offs: 0
-- boneidx: 0
-- bonename: "-1"
-- v_pos: [5.35238,4.18688,0.423348]
-- called in scene_node loop
-- Frame:
-- scene_node: $Editable_Mesh:Mat_0_0 @ [0.000000,0.000000,0.000000]
-- vert_bone: #()
-- lx_mods: #(Skin:Skin)
-- Error occurred during fileIn in <File:C:\gmax\scripts\g_nfoexp.ms>

Can someone decypher this for me and suggest a direction for me to go in?

steven8 · Post by **steven8** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:30 am

I would use Milkshape. Import>Autodesk 3ds, then Export>Genesis BDY

Post by **bernie** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:13 am

Make sure the materials are in .bmp format NOT .tga or .jpg. For some reason I can NEVER compile an act file correctly unless the materials are in .bmp format. I think Actor studio only likes .bmp files.

Post by **AndyCR** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:08 pm

@bernie: you might try running bdyfix (or something like that, forgot the exact name, it comes with rf), i assume you use milkshape?