Creating Aircraft in 3dsmax ?

[-sam-]

Hi there,

Is it possible to create aircrafts using 3dsmax instead of gmax. ?
Anyone allready exported a working aircraft from 3dsmax ?

Well I

[-sam-]

here I found a link that shows the Global Illumination Effect and how it could enhance a model.

http://www.mysticgd.com/projects/mystique/mystique.htm

scroll down to the tank and the UFO. This show pretty good the realism that GI adds.  Thos little shadow details everywhere.
And with texture baking, you could bake this light situation to your textures...

[Mathias]

Yes you can.
Export to x-file from within Max using the panda exporter available at http://www.andytather.co.uk/ ,
next load the so compiled x-file straight into makemdl and export to FS.
A guide on how to setup the panda exporter for use with FS can be found here:
http://www.oregon-coast.net/FS2002/3DSM-PandaX-FS.htm

[Sterk]

sam.eddm,baking GI is already used for making textures for fs for ages.
But the problem is that you can see all the beauty only on complex models,having many small parts and complex geometry.Using GI baking for making textures for,say, regular plane like passenger jet is not always justified,cause it has smooth general shape.

And you cant use GI baking on moving animated parts,like flaps,because when it's moving,beautiful GI-shadows will move with it,wich will look not exactly realistic-just like dirty spots on part and not as shading.

I used GI baking for making textures for gears-it looks fine only very close,but in sim you dont see it at all because of distance.Sometimes its much faster and simpler to add just little dark brush strokes in appropriate places-in sim it looks all the same.

[-sam-]

Mathias:

Thanks for the link !


Sterk:

I agree in all points !

So I assume you are using 3dsmax for creating your
aircrafts ?
Wich renderer do you prefer ?
(I

[Sterk]

Look,I use 3dmax 5 for creating Tupolev TU-334 model ,I'm currently working on.I love very nice GI look that

[toposky]

Hi all,

may I bother you whit some questions?

I just installed 3dsmax 7 and I have the latest version of pandasoft x exporter but I cant import anymore any file I have created before (max 6 and panda version dated august 2004) nor the newest ones.
The only thing I can obtain is an error in makemdl (related to the geometry but with no sense because the part was already exported before and it worked nicely) or a makemdl crash to desktop.
I found that if I use the previous version of makemdl (2002 sdk) the import works but the animations dont.
Any clues?

[Sterk]

I think the reason is simple- pandasoft x-exporter hasnt been updated yet for 3dmax 7.It's logical,because version u have was released before 3dmax 7 release.
So,we have to wait for updated version of exporter,thats all.

[-sam-]

There exists a new version wich is available by e-mail request ! It fixes some max7 problems.

http://www.andytather.co.uk/Panda/directxmax.htm

haven

[toposky]

Hi,

thank you for reply, meanwhile I solved my problems.... and yes I'm using the version for max 7.
Btw everything was related to a incorrect merge of some materials in the scene.

thanks again