hello, i'm making a game and yesterday i have updated my directx sdk to february 2007, now my models from 3dmax don't show it in the directx viewer because they are in shader model 1.0, i need to know how to configure/setup the 3dmax to making a shader model 3.0 material, or if there are another 3d modeller that is more easy that 3dmax, the question is that i need to make an shader model 3.0 and i dont know how to do that, i have spent a lot of time searching in google but the search engine always show me information about what is shader model 3.0 and don't show me nothing to make the material, please some body can help me with this ? thank you in advance.

Shader model 3 is simply a compile target.

Anything SM1 and SM2 can do, SM3 can do better.

However, much older hardware doesn't support SM3. But, there is no reason your old shaders wouldnt' show up in DX.

What video card are you using? Are you sure it supports SM3? Perhaps your shaders aren't show up, because your card doesn't support SM3, and they are actually SM3 shaders (not SM1).

3ds doesn't make FX shaders. You either type them by hand (with the assistance of a program like FXComposer), or with a neat program like Luminox's shaderFX.

i have an geforce 6600 gt, and support sm3, can i change to maya to make the sm3 more easy ?

I'm still not sure what you are trying to do.

Maya doesn't support .fx or any directX files, as its API is OpenGL (making it cross platform).

You are trying to view a shader in the DX viewer, or in 3ds?

Where did you get this shader/.fx file from?

the problem is this, i have a few model that i was made in 3dmax, the models are fine and they show good in my game, but a few days a go i have update my directx sdk to february 2007, now the models show fine in my game but in the directx viewer don't, i put a question in the msdn forums with the error code that the directx viewer was sended to me and a guy told me that the issue was the pixel shader, that my models were in 1.0 and the new directx viewer only support 2.0 and above, this is the real problem and that is because i want to make my models with shader model 2.0 or above.

Let me explain once more.

SM3, and SM2, only applies to the FX file you are rendering with. It has nothing to do with the actual model you are exporting from 3dsmax.

The problem you are describing is an impossible one, as far as I can tell. I suggest you go back to the MSDN forums for a more complete answer, as I would think that the error code you are receiving is deceiving, and hiding the real problem.

Or can you link us to the thread so we can help you more?

Can you view the model without using any FX file (ie, no texture, no anything, just the .x model)?

i can't see the model, with or without any texture.