Problem exporting MAX character

[ZioRed]

I am experiencing (or better my designers, since I really don't understand graphics and animations at all) hard problems exporting with 3D Max 2009 a character made of a body with clothing pieces skinned and animated. Since I don't understand graphics and animation at this moment (even if I'm trying to study about these arguments, but I am a developer not a designer), my designer has no really experience in game designing so I think he's skipping or doing bad something in the procedure.

 

The workflow we are following is this:

1. Open the .MAX file on 3D Studio Max 2009
   
2. Click on LEADWERKS TOOLS > EXPORT OBJECTS
   
3. Activate the following options: export smoothing groups; export binormals, tangents; write UD properties to meshes; export animation; export skins; exports materials IDs (max ID: 50); export materials (copy textures: replace)
   
4. Click export
   

 

The result is a file GMF and some files .MAT, but opening the GMF with LE ModelViewer it shows only bones animated and some incorrect spheres, which my designer says to be bones conjunctures which should not be exported.

 

You may see the bad preview on ModelViewer here and can download the source character here.

 

I will thank everyone who may download the source and export it (possibly only the body with its bones and animation, without clothes) in the correct format (GMF/MAT) with correct animation and say to me a detailed explanation about how he did it (a video on youtube/vimeo should be very useful), so I can pass the information to my designer who will try to repeat the steps by his own.... I may even pay for this work, since we are working on a game project and absolutely need to understand how we must proceed using 3D Max 2009 and Leadwerks Engine to walk by our feets

 

Thank you in advance.

[Masterxilo]

Hi there.

Let me have a look at this...

[Masterxilo]

I managed to get the mesh working (animation) and looking (well I didn't bother about the colors) correctly in the engine, except for the smoothing:

(one of the things I had to do was remove the turbo smooth modifier):

 

The converted file:

JimboDressedGMF.zip

[ZioRed]

Hi Masterxilo, thank you for looking at it.. I see your export is correct (excepting the smooth, but it's not important now), my designer is looking for what have you done to correct it (more than removing the turbo smooth)... can you write something to say to it in a "graphicer/designer language"? (lol)

The correct .MAX file modified should be very helpful too, aside from a description of steps to reproduce the fix (since now we need to export every piece of cloth by our own to understand the process and do some tests on parenting body and clothes in the C++ code).

 

Thank you yet!

[Masterxilo]

Here's what needs to be done (note I didn't use the leadwerks tools, there might be some way to get it working with those too, but I think going over fbx is just as simple):

• Open the file (the original "JimboDressed.max" you posted here) in max
  
• Select all the visible geometry (body & cloth pieces) and remove the turbo smooth modifier (because there can be no modifier on top of the skin modifier for fbx export to work).
  
• Create a new material and choose a diffuse texture for it (the name of that texture will be the le material (.mat) filename that will be applied to the mesh in the engine).
  I always assign some "animated(.bmp)" file to untextured animated objects.
  
• Apply this material to all the visible geometry you should still have selected.
  
• Unhide the bone layer. Select all bones as well.
  
• Choose to "export selected" and use the fbx format. Choose the following options:
  
  Ignore the warnings.
  
• Now convert the fbx file by dragging it onto fbx2gmf.exe located in "C:\Program Files\Leadwerks Engine SDK\Tools".
  
• Create the material file (make sure to give it the name of the diffuse texture you assigned to the mesh in max) and choose the appropriate shaders. Refer to my material file.
  

OK. This procedure (makes sure there are no modifiers on top of skin, assign material, export only bones and geometry, select "bake animations" option) should work for most animated models.

 

However, there's something else wrong with this specific mesh. This is how it looks after exporting/converting it by following the above instructions:

As you see, for some reason the faces of the piece of armor on the right arm are flipped.

Here's how you can solve that one (and still have it look correctly in max)

• Remove the skin modifier from that mesh (called "R Bracer").
  
• Apply a "Reset XForm" modifier from the "Utilities" tab. (TIP: use that regularly DURING THE CREATION of the model, especially when mirroring things.)
  
• Collapse all modifiers and edit the mesh. Select all faces and use flip.
  
• Reattach the skin modifier and add the correct bone ("R Arm Bone02").
  
• Export the model as described above (select geometry and bones, export selected to fbx...).
  

 

This is the max file after applying all these steps:

JimboDressedFixed.zip

 

I hope that helped.

[ZioRed]

Thank you very much mate!!

 

I will send your notes and fixed file to my game designer. I hope he can walk by his own feet really very soon