3DS Max Import/Export plugin

[Leksey]

I have completed first version of 3DS Max plugin(versions 7.0 and 8.0 supported) for ToEE.
You can get it here: ToEEImpExp.rar

I have created my first mod using it Rolling-Pin is really great weapon for woman )
Ah Greatsword was crashed, but still works And GreatAxe have an text "ToEE" on it but it is not visible well...
Not only weapons can be created!
fun.JPG

Some instructions:
1. Copy ToeeImpExp.dle in plugins folder of 3DS Max.
2. Launch 3DS Max and use Export/Import options to save/load files in SKM format.

"How to use" instructions in attached archive.

Source code available at: ToeeImpExp.zip

[Morpheus]

Great job!

The possibilities are endless... Any number of items, or even monsters might be created.

Now, we need some 3DS Max experts.

[Agetian]

Wonderful job, man! Really great, something we desperately needed all along! Congrats on completing the import/export plugin. Keep it up, I'm looking forward to seeing newer versions of the plug-in in the future! Good luck!

P.S. Thread is stuck.

- Agetian

[Spellslinger]

Awesome work there!

Now to find someone who can actually model stuff...

[Cerulean the Blue]

Woo Hoo!!!

The ability to work with models! Now that is something we really needed!

First Spellslinger hacking away at all the hard coded bugs, and now this! What will be next?

[Leksey]

Originally Posted by Morpheus

Great job!

The possibilities are endless... Any number of items, or even monsters might be created.

Now, we need some 3DS Max experts.

Not sure about all items and about monsters. Many of items or monster models contains a lot of animations. For now, I don't know exact format for animation (.ska file), so plugin didn't suppot any animations. But with some work in HEX we can change monsters appearance, but animations will remain......
For now I tested it only on models that contains one bone and one empty animation "item_idle". A lot of weapons contains that parameters and if we will create new it items without animations it will be easy.

[Cuchulainn]

Absolutely awesome work Leksey!!

Even being limited to models without animation gives us a lot of possibilities we didn't have before. Of course like everyone hear I'm anxously waiting to see if animations are the next great obstacle to fall.

Cuchulainn.

[Cujo]

now what we need is for someone to attach the body part of the lamia to the black widow so we can get a drider (or even lolth).

[Allyx]

Originally Posted by Cujo

now what we need is for someone to attach the body part of the lamia to the black widow so we can get a drider (or even lolth).

Or just making Drow an available PC race eh Cujo?

[EDIT] Though thinking about it, that would require Spellslinger's services.

[Leksey]

Originally Posted by Cujo

now what we need is for someone to attach the body part of the lamia to the black widow so we can get a drider (or even lolth).

As I said plugin didn't support animation for now and it will require not really easy work to find out animation format... So creating monsters is not easy task.... For now plugin works good only for simple models - weapons, some containers without animations and some other items.

Originally Posted by Allyx

Or just making Drow an available PC race eh Cujo?

What is other diffrences between Drow and Elf except eyes and skin color? May be ears, but they are to small in ToEE so the differnce will not be visible.... OR some others?
If not we can just change some textures, without using 3D plugin.

[krunch]

hair color

[Lord_Spike]

Drow also have magic resistance and innate spell casting ability. Females & higher level drow have these abilities expanded somewhat as well. Lastly, they have better infravision.

That's what I recall off the top of my head. Anyone else?

[Cujo]

the models for drow are fine, its the skins that are the problem and thats where a dll hack is required.


btw. a few things that would look good in the game would be
a kukri that looks like a kukri
a better sickle than I made
a handgun.
a flail - currently uses the heavy flail model and I think the chain is to long
a druss styled axe

[Cuchulainn]

Hmm.

When attempting to fire up Max after adding ToeeImpExp.dle to the plugins directory I get an error message.

DLL <c:\Program Files\Autodesk\3dsMax8\plugins\ToeeImpExp.dle> failed to initialize.
Error Code: 126 - The specified module could not be found.

Any guesses as to what might be causing this.

Cuchulainn.

[Leksey]

First bug report.

Strange, I also use 3DS Max 8.0 and just reinstalled it , so all folders are clear. Plugin works normal...

Anyone else tried to use plugin?

I reloaded archieve with plugin, so try this.

[Cuchulainn]

No, I still get the same error with the new dle.

I have max istalled to the default location, which means there is a space in the path "Pragram Files". Any chance that's causing the issue?

Cuchulainn.

[Leksey]

I also have max installed in default location.
I send plugin to my friend to test. And he said all works fine.....
Don't know how to help you
Will try to get latest 3DS Max SDK for 8.0 Max, and build new version.

[Cuchulainn]

If it works fine for both you and your friend it almost has to be something at my end. So there's probably no point rebuilding the plugin. I'll keep playing with it and let you know if I figure it out.

Can you think of any dependencies the dll might have? I'm not a programmer so it's possible I'm missing libraries present on both your machines.

I'm running:

Win2k, SP4
DirectX 9c

Cuchulainn.

[Leksey]

Hm.. It seems I found a problem. I am really stupid to upload debug version of plugin
I uploaded release version. Try it should work.
Dependencies:
System dlls:
USER32.DLL,KERNEL32.DLL,MSVCR80.DLL,MSVCP80.DLL
3DS max dll:
CORE.DLL,MAXUTIL.DLL,GEOM.DLL,MESH.DLL.
I think problem can be only with MSVCR80.DLL,MSVCP80.DLL.
If you will meet problem again I will add to archieve this Dlls (As I know microsoft allow to redistribute it with programs).
P.S. Release version is 36 kbytes instead of 300 in Debug

[Cuchulainn]

Heh heh heh, works like a hot damn!!!

Tried import and export with no problems. Very nice work!

Cuchulainn.

[Leksey]

If you will have problems with adding models to game. Send me e-mail or PM.

[Cujo]

now I've just got to get 3DS MAX again.

[Cuchulainn]

Hey Leksey,

I imported my first new model into toee (a kukri) and it works great, but I need some advice. Do you know how to tell toee where to grab the model? I had assumed the players hand would attach at 0.0 on the horizontal axis so I placed the kukri apropriately. When I equip the weapon in game though, the player holds it in the middle. (which looks bloody uncomfortable);-)

I'm probably missing something simple, but I thought I'd ask rather than pulling my hair out for hours.

Thanks,
Cuchulainn.

EDIT-----
Figured it out. The weapon needs to be oriented verticaly not horizontaly and the exact center of your scene (0,0,0) is where the hand attaches.

[Cujo]

a couple of axes I'd like to see in the game can be found here, here and here

[Cuchulainn]

@Cujo Nice! The Hungarian Axe especialy looks cool. Was that a request, or do you figure you'll have Max up and running again soonish yourself?

Cuchulainn.

[Cujo]

it was a request - I've lost a lot of my CDs and after a reformat the software as well

I was also thinking of a flame sword - one with a wavey blade, I was going to make one out of a greatsword by making wavey edges but how most of the swords work isn't quite as simple as that (in one game how they made it was a handle with a big rectangle blade and alphaed it to shape - to cut down on the complexity of the modle I think)

[Cujo]

and a couple of "real warhammers" would be nice. not the DnD sledge hammer styled warhammers or the bullshit stumpy little handle masive striking edge + small rear spike.

http://www.jasinski.co.uk/wojna/spirals/s-hammer.htm
http://www.armor.com/pole005.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_hammer

[Leksey]

Cuchulainn - Cool work.
I wanna play Co8 5.0 with kukri
Ah and thank for the tip how to place weapon in hand. I also had this problem with Rolling Pin.

[Cuchulainn]

There are a lot of things we could play 5.0 with now thanks to your plugin. (claps) I'll post screnies of the kukri once I'm finished, I'm still havilng issues with the texture atm. Then it's on to the Hungarian War Axe. (Mwa Ha Ha ha)

Not to seem like a greedy child on christmas morning but what are the chances of changing the plugin to handle more than one bone? I understand the holdup with animations, but a lot of the weapons/armor have multiple bones (helms, short sword, etc.).

Cuchulainn

[Leksey]

So they did not conatain any animations, but have multiple bones, Right?
I think this could be done,because I have bone format specs.
Will try to implement this.