Is GMax capable of designing worlds and levels for games? In the back of my "Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare" strategy guide, there are some photos of the backgrounds that were made in 3D Studio Max. I figured that since GMax was a sibling to 3D Studio Max, then it might be capable of doing that.

I thought GMax was for editing models of existing games, but if you know how to load a gmax file(should be easy), you should be able to use the models in your own game.

So can be used for making levels/worlds?

I bet it can.

I highly suggest not listening to PipoDeClown. The GMax file format is heavily encoded and is near-impossible to write a loader for (I haven''t seen one yet). Also, i''m not sure if it''s legally allowed to do? (Someone verify this) I coulda sworn i saw someone in #gamedev said that they had mad copyrights on it.

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Also, there is an Exporter which you can use to export your model to another file type, right? (don't know for sure)

[edited by - pipo declown on September 14, 2002 7:08:58 AM]

Technically you can export to something like md2 via one of the coverters and load that. But its also hightly illegal, because Id have paid to be able to have coverters to their own formats so people can use gMax for quake editing only.

Theres plenty of other free/cheaper editors out there you can use and not worry about Discreets legal team..

You can''t write a reader for the .max/.gmax format. It''s not a 3D format, it''s an executable. It contains code for a special virtual machine inside Max (that sets up the objects, modifier stack and parameters, according to the instructions in the (g)max file).

In order to decode it yourself, you''d need the full source of all 3DS Max object tesselators and modifiers. So either you reverse engineer Max and code it yourself (and everything has to match 100% ! Basically, you''d have to rewrite 3DS Max from scratch, fun...). Or, if you have a lot of mil$ to spend, you can try to buy Discreet from Autodesk (incl. the source to all their products)

Conclusion: don''t even try to decode the (g)max format. You can''t.

Of course, you could do things the way you''re meant to, and shell out $$$ for the gmax dev kit. That includes full loader/decoder software.

That costs more that 3dmax AFAIK so it would be pretty pointless.

I would recommend waiting for blender to come out again. Then get that. You can code in any features that aren't already there in python for example: stuff for your level editor

It's gonna be out sometime in october. Check it out here

Oh it's free and open-source(IIRC) btw

[edited by - Monder on September 14, 2002 3:44:33 PM]