GMax/3DMax B3D Importer

Community Forums/Developer Stations/GMax/3DMax B3D Importer

Vertex(Posted 2004) [#1]
Yeha, with Win2K GMax will run very stable, so I have continued the project...

It's the first release of the Blitz3D Importer. It support
- Mesh import
- UVW Coordinates
- Normal Coordinates
- Debugreport

I don't know, how I can add many of diffusemaps to one standardmaterial or add many multimaterials to one mesh.

Animation still be easy, but the b3d format has a [MOD EDIT: no swearing] bonesystem, so I must order self the hierachie.

Vertexcolor I think can only show in a rendered picture in 3DMax not in GMax.

Here a little guide to this Importer:

Download http://vertex.art-fx.org/B3DImporter.zip (included sourcecode + 1 example) first.

Click on the utillity panel an choose max script. Than click on run script.


Open the *.mse or *.ms file


Click on open and select the *.b3d file.

Now you will get this in your viewport:


note, this is only a betaversion :)
cu olli


Ruz(Posted 2004) [#2]
I suppose a B3d exporter would be better , but I don't suppose that would be legal with Gmax?


Vertex(Posted 2004) [#3]
You can't create files with gmax script. You can only write any datas into the debuglog and copy this to a convertor.

I think you can't proof it, that a object be exported with gmax or so on.

cu olli


Bob3d(Posted 2004) [#4]
It's legal.

You can't reverse engineer it, but that's all.

You can use a gmax script that outputs the stuff into Gmax maxscript listener. The only thing is it's limited in the quantity of text that u can copy from the listener window, but keeping th emouse pressed while scrolling, adn at the end hitting once the rmb button without releasing LMB, and then selecting "copy" , does the trick. Is just basic MS windows handling. Call it an easter egg, or whatever. the fact is...si not too practical. You end up 2 mins(with a 40k or 100k tris mesh, can't remember...wanted to etst the trick deeply...) or more with ur lmb presed and moving down the page to scroll..hehe. It scrolls faster if have a middle mouse button mouse, and use the middle mouse scroll instead...yet though, it's tedious, at least for a hi res mesh...That is, for a level. Not so tedious for an animated character, though if it's vertex animation of hi res model, it'd be tiring. A b3d or md5 model is ok to do so...

As far as this is not reverse engineering, u'r allowed.

Indeed, the gmax modding comunity use worse tricks all time...seems they don't know this easy one , cause they keep mentioning the copy and paste chunk per chunk (eek) , or, even much worse...use a free tool that actually grabs automatically teh content of a text window...I think that is more near a hack... while the other is just a use of the mouse... ;)

But legally speaking, Turbosquid has people selling gmax files...turbosquid are actually now in charge of oficial gmax forums, I think even of its distribution....seems to me that leaves things clear.

But also I have read discreet answering in oficial forums, long ago, that ur allowed, provided no reverse engineering.

An already available method is: using md3 from mojo.gmasxsupport.com Totally legal, totally usable for comercial. A md3 can be only a 8.192 tris characters. But that's more that what is advisable for Blitz3d for performance.Only care on the UVs problem of an md3, and not sure on if u can load ok an md3 in b3d.

There's an md5 exporter for gmax (that means: bones and weights) .Dig in doom3world.org forums for it...

U may base on it to do the b3d exporter....

there has been made an exporter for every game out there, using the listener...

So, yep. It's fine.

If u do a tool that reverse engineer/hack gmax, or a crack, that'd be a very different story.It'd be totally bad thing. If I were u(I prefer to use Blender or XSI ), I'd use the mouse trick I mentioned.


Bob3d(Posted 2004) [#5]
btw, the debug log, I suppose u meant the listener...no need of an extra converter...well, maybe b3d yes, if b3d is not ascii...md5 and x are ascii, or has that as a possible export way...so it's directly converter to the ascii format. Just needda paste in notepad, and save as txt, then rename to the final format extension.

And yep, I think it'd be nice an exporter...

The way I see it, gmax was mainly made to spread even more the user base...companies get to do curious things for getting that..ie, XSI price drop...to me is exactly that reason...

The more ppl uses Gmax, the better for discreet, as the more user base, the easier companies have to train their people, they end up buying the more used software too often...


Bob3d(Posted 2004) [#6]
indeed, perhaps ur best choice then..if wanna really give support to gmax as another tool for b3d... is do an md5--->b3d converter. Md5 is quite an easy ascii format for a coder.

There are lots of tools exporting to md5: maya, max, blender, gmax, etc.

That way u just do it in one single step, and don't need to get tied to gmax or something. As a md5 perfect exporter was done for gmax, u just do a general md5--> b3d exporter(bidirectional would be ideal, but that could come later, is not really important), which is totally unconnected to gmax, in case u *still* (rolleyes) are afraid of legal issues.


WildCat(Posted 2009) [#7]
Where is it now?