Is there a tool that allows the conversion from gmax files to Panda’s egg format?? If there is it saves me a lot of money and time.
TIA,
Lucas
another vote for gmax exporter here!
As I understand it, gmax doesn’t allow plugins at all? If not, then it cannot accept the max export plugin. However, gmax does accept maxscript code, I know that, so it is possible to write exporters in maxscript. We don’t currently have a maxscript egg exporter.
However, if there does exist a maxscript exporter for the directx ‘X’ file format, then you’re in business. Just use x2egg on the output. (Or, load the ‘X’ file directly).
Please let me know if an ‘X’ exporter for gmax exists. If so, I may bundle it with panda.
- Josh
Well, after some hunting I found that the DirectX SDK contains some items on converting MAX to X, but nothing on GMAX to X. The search continues…
Looks like this is going to be difficult. I don’t quite get discreet’s business model, but everything I’ve seen indicates that they don’t want people writing exporters for gmax and giving those exporters away for free.
But, there seems to be a loophole - gmax can execute maxscript. So any exporter written entirely in maxscript will function. I’m not sure if they plan to leave this loophole open.
The panda exporter isn’t written in maxscript. It wouldn’t be hard to write an exporter in maxscript, but I don’t have time to do it right now. I can say this — I just wrote an egg importer in maxscript, and it only took me a few days. Maybe some ambitious soul out there could do the reverse?
Another possibility would be to get an exporter that already works — say, Der-Ton’s doom III exporter — and export the models in that file format. Then, you could convert them to X file format, then to egg. It’s kind of ridiculous, but it might work. The challenge would be finding a sequence of steps that doesn’t mangle the model.
I also know that maxscript exporters exist for Doom III file format, half-life 2 file format, and Grand Theft Auto III file format. I know that these formats are “non-broken” - they all contain vertexes, bones, animation.
I know that unwrap3d and milkshape3d can both export ‘x’ file format. They can both import a whole slew of file formats. I’m not sure if milkshape 3D supports vertex weights correctly. I don’t know if they can import any of the file formats listed above.
Hiya all,
Gmax is my tool of choice too. I’ve tried some of the other freebie modelers like Wings, Anim8or and Blender, but in the end I always come back to gmax. For hobbyists like me, it really is a wonderful program.
Now, for exporters. Take a look at this site:
davidhsmith.net/Essential_Tools.htm
I personally, use the MD3 exporter to export my models from gmax, and then use 3D Exploration to convert them into other file formats.
So far, I’ve managed to export a simple cube from gmax, convert it to lwo format in 3D Exploration, and load it in Panda3D. I’m still experimenting with the whole thing, so I don’t know if its going to work for the textures and animations too.
Oh, and by the way, 3D Exploration can also convert models into the .x format. I haven’t tried this route yet though, so I’ll let you know how it works.
Now, this is a personal, begging appeal to Josh. Please, please, please on my knees, hands clasped in supplication when you have the time, could you write an .egg exporter for gmax too.
If you could, this would be beyond great! Because it will be really terrible if we gmax fans can’t use our models in Panda 
.
For non-programmers like me, writing our own gmax .egg exporter is all but impossible. So pretty, pretty please, with sugar on top 
. You could make us all very, very happy.
Cheers
I have bad news… md3 file format will work fine for static meshes, but it won’t work for animated models. No bones.
I understand how bad you want me to write an exporter, and I will, sometime this summer. But you have to understand how many people are asking me for things right now… I’m incredibly swamped.
I’m begging somebody else to do this.
The egg exporter for gmax is probably one of the easiest programs that needs to be written. Egg file format is really straightforward, and writing an exporter in maxscript isn’t that hard. You could even take an existing exporter for some similar file format (say, Doom III), and adapt it. If somebody else could do this, then I could spend my time on other things… like, say, finally integrating Hugh’s patch for visual toolkit.
- Josh
I’m not sure but:
- as MS3D got a genesis 3D importer and GMAX a genesis 3D exporter
- as MS3D is able to export to .X format with animation for Panda (tested)
- as Genesis 3D animation format is skeletal based (*)
It should be a not so awful pipe line to be tested …
(*) in fact if i remember well, genesis3D support both keyframed and skeletal animation, so the question is: what does GMAX plugin export?
I wont be able to test it however (no gmax installed right now),
stil 2*16Hours of work for job before friday 
Having gmax enabled for character / detail work would be great indeed.
There’s also Deled, a free/lowcost level modeller/lightmaper with open plugin (exporters etc. …) c++ api:
It’s worth a look imho. It has a good material manager, maybe it would be a good addition to panda art pipeline.
The ‘deled’ post made me rethink this whole thing. There are a lot of art programs out there: softimage, gmax, mirai, wings, ac3d, fragmotion, poser, blender, truespace, and on, and on, and on…
Adding a new exporter to panda covers one of those programs. But adding new file formats kills multiple birds with one stone. For example, panda’s support for the ‘X’ file format covers both blender and milkshape 3D.
So, let’s make a list of the file formats supported by Gmax. Here are the ones I know about:
Doom III MD5 (very straightforward format, easy)
Genesis3D KEY and NFO (no idea)
Quake III MD3 (unusable - no bones)
Help me build this list. Then, we’ll choose the format which is best (the one that contains the data we need, and is supported by the most art programs). I’ll add support for that format to panda, sometime in June.
However, this is going to be a lot of work for me, so I’m not going to do it unless I’m convinced that you guys care enough. I will judge that by the amount of effort you guys put into helping me evaluate the options.
like … making a real gamepak with proper level and character exporters for gmax ?
seriously, my personal and entirely selfish vote would go to making dedicated exporters for the following apps ( I know this is illusionary and way too much work for un-predictable outcome, but I’ll try to break it down nevertheless ):
categorized per logic:
lesser gods of stardom:
- gmax
- xsi mod tool ( or xsi foundation, probably best buy among hi-end apps )
cheapware:
- xsi foundation ( I wondered why is linux version more expensive than windows)
- gamespace
lowcost niche apps:
(level editors and lightmappers)
- gile[s] (has also a tree-maker)
- cartographyshop
- delgine deled
- blitz maplet
(to my knowledge, all of them support (export) blitz *.B3D format, so general b3d importer would take care of all of them, as well as of multitude of blitz-community freebies)
oss and freeware:
- blender (also has poorly documented yet quite well-working vertex-light feature, which can to some extent provide even fully-working subsurface scattering - plus usage of motion sequencing)
- wings3d (probably best used in conjunction with blender - blender as animation software in this case ??? )
beauty of the last category is it runs on at least 3 platforms, and according to some maya and max users from other forums wings is a nasty modeller and some swear by it.
No, I think you misunderstood me.
I feel it’s more efficient to add a file format to panda, than to write an exporter for an art tool. For example, let’s say I add MD5 support to panda. That way, I’ve automatically convered all the art programs that can export MD5. I would be able to cover several art programs in a single step.
So, I just need to choose the right file format. Find me a file format that’s exported by many programs! 
no-no! I understood correctly (see the blitz b3d format rant in post above), I was only breaking things down a bit if others would care to comment it so there’d be a bit more insight on what’s hot and what’s not.
personally I’m lobbying for full gmax gamepak 
and deled exporter.
and, yes, sir, in case you take pre-orders, full featured blender exporters for usage on linux - and, oh, yes, full gimp 2d art pipeline, please 
or full x-exporter for gmax …
x-files with bone animation can be exported from blender, cinema4d …
Happy joyous news folks!
It looks like Gmax can export to .x format! I was Google searching for ‘Gmax exporters’ and came across this link:
geocities.jp/yuuchankellyy/gmaxe.html
It’s a tutorial that tells you how to export .x files from Gmax. The setup is a bit complex, but once done, the export process is extemely simple.
So far, I’ve only tested it with a simple static model, and touch wood, it seems to work (loaded up nicely in Panda ).
I’ll try testing it with textures, bones and animation next. But as I’m still only in the learning phase with Gmax, it may take a little while 
. I’ll let you know how I get on.
Cheers
It seems like due to how widespred the .x format is that you should make sure that it is fully supported in Panda rather than creating a new format.
As I understand it, the ‘X’ file format is pretty well supported by panda. But that sequence of steps to export ‘X’ from gmax… geez. Well, maybe we just need to polish up those instructions a bit.
… or just re-pack the fs2004 *.dle’s and renamed *.exe’s as mentioned on the website - if that wouldn’t break any eula’s … but yes, that’s a lot of tinkering and complication …
as a certified smartass I propose a petition to Disney to get’em one of those discreet’s gamepak licences and make a proper gamepak for panda
OR contact maxon and include a version of cinema4d CE (used to be free ) and x-port ( !!! ) with panda.
OR just make a kickass Blender exporter.