GMax to 3ds

[EirePlane]

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

[Firestriker]

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

[X_eidos2]

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.