How to use 3DMax v6 and v7 in v5?

[SnowJim]

Hey!

I got a scholl project where i have workt alot home at version v6.

I have heard that is ti problem to open v6- v7 in v5 ? is there any way or do i have to remake al my stuf on v5(the teacher will not use any other version then v5)?

The ide is to make objects at home and then put it all together on scholls(we are two students working on the same room)

//JImmy
I

[Death_monkey]

you counld try exporting your work as .3ds

[SnowJim]

Yes i will try that, but this mean that scenns i have been working on in earlyer version i realy have to redo?

//Jimmy

[Death_monkey]

you shouldn't have to scenes worked on in 5 can be opened in 6 and 7 but to get a scene done in 6 or 7 to work in 5 you will have to export it as a .3ds

[Brent]

correct....save as .3ds....not .max.....and 5 will open it fine.
The only problems might be that there are some mental ray aspects to the file that version 5 cannot recognize.

ciao

[the_solidshadow]

yea, you have to import it into max5.
But i dont know if the modifiers are still saved :hmm:
are they?

[SnowJim]

Thanks!

Simes like 3ds format is deforming my object slitly.

I have tryed to export in 3dmax v6 to 3ds(mesh) and then inmport in 3dmax v6 to a scene, but the model is not realy as it was.

But i think i can live with this for now.

//Jimmy

[Death_monkey]

did you collapse it before you did this if there are modifiers on it may do that

[SnowJim]

Okay then i have tested some more.

I have collaps all an added all to one mech, when rendering it looks good.

I then Exports the model(selected) it renames a map but else its works fine.

Then i open a new Project in max and imports the 3ds file that i just created.

The model become some defect it simes like it as some places is not using smoth, but i can live with that i think. The real big problem is that the textures dont simes to remain at all? Why? and how do i solve this?

//Jimmy

[Death_monkey]

ok I did a quick test on this it seemed to seperate some verts on the model which is probably why you got the smoothing problems so you will need to go though and weld verts where needed and with the texture it tryed to rename my map so I just went into the material editor and switched the map back to the original

hope this helps

[Death_monkey]

oh just another thought you might need to select your model and in the material editor do a get material from selected so you can view your texture

[SnowJim]

Okay, but then its alot to weld.

It seems like it dont save the maps as it should, no bumpmaps and so on?

Is there no way to export/import my model with valid materials(bump maps and so on)?

//Jimmy

[Brent]

yes...use [merge] insted of import....
merge keeps all material info

ciao

[Death_monkey]

with the verts just select all of them and do a 0.01 weld that should sort it

[SnowJim]

I am using merge to scene, else i cant add it to my 3Droom

//Jimmy

[Death_monkey]

did you try doing the get material from selected and changing you bump maps etc.. to the ones from your max 6 model

[SnowJim]

Thanks alot, the Weld thing workt great!

About the Textures
If i try the "Pick matrial from object" i will be abled to set the texture again(as Mutli/Sub-Object Basic Parameters (17)).

But the textures was special made with bumps, opacity, reflections and so on.

This will take forever to remake.

I can save the textures in my orginal scene and then load them in this new where i imports the speaker. But how do i do when i have to take it to scholl to import it there? can i save a special map with bumps and other modifers and then take it on a disk to scholl and just add it there?

Its strange that the import dont saves this informations.

//Jimmy

[Death_monkey]

I am not entirely sure what you mean if you want to save it you can add it to you material library then save that onto a disk

[SnowJim]

Okay so i can save the etire material librare to disc and take it to school? dont i have to get all the textures in the 3dmax/maps to?

i Still thinks its bad that it dont saves the bumpmaps and so on when importing

//Jimmy

[Death_monkey]

any maps you have created yourself you will need to take with you the ones in the maps directory you can just leave as they should be on your machines at school

[SnowJim]

Okay thanks for all help!

If i do this

Open my Scene
Rename the materials to good names
hit GetMterial
choose Scene
Saves As
Save my Library

I have to do this with all the objects that i whant to take to school

I will get 1 library to 1 object(scene)/3ds file

Then i have to take this Material files with me to school with the 3ds files of the objects.

And then i have to do the folowing proccess with all the 3ds files:

Import the 3ds file to the scene
Weld all vertisar 0.01
Load the Material Library to this 3ds file
Add the right matrials to the objects Multi Material.

Is this the only way? to get the objects to look good in the scene in school?

I have tryed to use alot of the textures/maps(from the 3ds/map directory) that is included in max but probley there will be missing some in the v5, so i have to tacke all the maps in 3ds/map with me to school to? or at least all the matrials i am using?

Its to bad that this materials cant be saved with the 3ds file, it would help alot.

//Jimmy

[Death_monkey]

you might be able to make a material lib file out of your multimaterial

[prithvi]

just wanted to add here.....
since you're getting the 'same material name' problem, avoid using the default material names in your file. Change the used material slot names to meaningful ones.
Then merge the object in your new scene, coz your new scene will already contain default material slots like 1-default, 2-default etc.

Also, if you have used various external textures and maps in your scene, you don't have to remember their locations before transferring your file to school.
Just go to the Utilities Panel and click on the 'More...' button.
Double-click on 'Resource Collector'. The Resource Collector helps to save ALL the associated files in your current scene and save them as one pack of files.

[SnowJim]

Hey!

I tryed to import my objects today and then add the multi texture, and it gave me an error about missing dll file, probley a new modifer that dont exist in v5 but in v6.

This problem crashes max totaly, then i tryed to "pick matrial from object" and then i open my saved matrials and then i added one matrial after the other and this worked good.

I did som renderings and then i saved, but when i tryed to open the scene again i got the same problem about dll file and then max crashes.

I have seartch on the net about this, and i found this script http://www.scriptspot.com/bobo/darkmoon/bff/ maby this will help me.

Its looks good, any one that have tested this script?

It simes like it saves averything you need, object, matrial and so on in a zip arcive and then it can be open in any 3dmax down to max r3.

//Jimmy