Simviation Forums

is there any way of converting a gmax file to a .3ds without owning 3ds

Yes, you can... in a round-about way. If you have the FS2002Pro gamepack, MdlCommander, and Middleman, you can export like you are going to compile to a *.mdl or *.bgl and then capture the *.x file along the way. The *.x file can then be converter to a *.3ds file with any program that can read *.x files and write *.3ds files like DeepExploration. There may be other programs that can read *.x files and write *.3ds files that are Freeware and maybe someone can post the names here as DeepExploration is NOT free.

Happy Contrails,
Lou

If you dowload and install the Tempest gamepack from Discreet - you'll get the plugin that allows you to export in the Quake 3 arena format or MD3. This MD3 file can be converted using MilkShape - a $20 program- into 3ds. Texture information comes across - but animation and heirarchy info gets lost in the translation. When Deep Exploration converts into 3ds - you maintain texture info (UVW co-ordinates) but you lose animation, and grouping and heirarchy info and the part names get shrunk down to 10 characters. As far as I know, every program that writes 3ds files has that part name 10 character limit.