hello, im a little out of my area here (typically im in the programming section :) ), but i was hoping you guys might be able to field a question for me. // background info In my project, i originally wrote a plugin for 3d studio max 5 to export geometry to my engines native file format, which my 1 artist has been using quite happily. However i now have another one who is very familier with blender, and i do not wish to redundantly write another exporter for blender. // real question My question is, what is the best method for getting models (without animation) from blender to 3d studio max. Would this be via a plugin to convert from .blend to .3ds or .max files? Or exporting as a .obj file and importing that in max. Also are their any conversion problems we'll need to be aware of, like texture coordinates not transfering over properly ect, b/c i heard there was a problem with that going from maya to max. ok thanks alot, a link to the plugin would be very nice btw, if one even exists. much thanks!

If your artist goes up to File>Export in Blender, there are many formats it will export to, but I don't which if any 3D Max will import, I've never used Max.
You could try to export a model to either .obj or .lwo(lightwave) and grab one of the many import scripts for Max from Free Max Plugins or just go to the forums at Elysiun and do a search there for an export script for Blender to make Max files.

an obj exporter for Blender. Do a search at Blender.org , in the "interface and tools" forum section, do a search related to OBJ and ideasman. When you find the thread, the very last donwload is in the last page of it. Is quite, quite good, and does not need to have python installed. You have to know how to run a python script from blender , but is a matter of opening it in the blender text editor and hitting alt+p.

there are many other format exporters.


I said OBJ as is a very, very good format for static objects.

You will need the obj plugin for max. Just copy it into the max plugins folder and restart max.

for max 6
habware.at/duck6.htm

for max 4, and 5.
habware.at/duck4.htm


you both have enough knowledge together of Max and Blender to do this.

huh, let's do it correctly...


http://www.blender.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=3822&start=30

THIS is the exact page on the long thread about it. Indeed, in ths page, is the 6th post. Count six posts, and there u have the latests OBJ import and export scripts.

I have tested a bit them and look fantastic.

Now, if your artist now even just a bit of Blender, and I am sure you can copy the max OBJ plugin out of the zip and into the max plugins folder... you must have zero problems with porting statics from Blender to max.

Oh, for animation, bones stuff. I'd use md5. But once the final and oficial md5 importer for Max is released. Der_ton is at that, as far as I know. He made a md5 exporter for Blender, an md5 exporter for Max, an md5 importer for max, too.

You see, your artist probably in the future will port animations from Blender to Max.

Elysiun forums have all this info , too.

Two very important places for you since now on : www.elysiun.com forums, and Blender.org and its forums.

doom3world.org , is where der_ton posts all his md5 format related stuff. There you will find specs for md5, and a large etc, useful for a programmer. I have several friends reporting they like that format for character animation. As it is being done an importer for max, will be ideal for animations go Blender--->Max.


I'm Extrudeface at Wings3d, Elysiun, and Oin at Blender.org.

Hope it helped, but beware I practically never pass over these forums(if u reply, most likely will never get the chance to see the reply). Just passed by digging for certain stuff and saw ur question.

wow thank you so much, you have been so very kind.

i havnt had a chance to try this, but with all of the information you gave me it should be impossible to fail.

once again i kindly thank you,
-hans