3ds Max and Noesis

[Azatha]

I wrote a Max8 Maxscript dotXSI Importer script... it works just fine up to Max2012. It imports skin weights. Check it out.

 

To import a GLM and preserve skin weights-- use Noesis and then save as another 3D format you can import into your 3D app. Remember the models are scaled down 64%... do you'll need to rescale by 1.5625

Currently I'm using Max 2015 and unfortunately none of the exporters seem to work for it. I get an error on startup saying the plugin won't be loaded as it's made for an older version.

[AshuraDX]

Currently I'm using Max 2015 and unfortunately none of the exporters seem to work for it. I get an error on startup saying the plugin won't be loaded as it's made for an older version.

but a new exporter is not required !

Use noesis, as described by @@DT85 in his tutorial

http://jkhub.org/tutorials/article/182-glm-importexport-using-noesis/

 

if you convert a glm to fbx via Noesis it MIGHT keep the weighting intact when importing in 3ds max

I can not confirm this (yet) though

[Azatha]

Alright, so I found an old copy of Max 8 and the exporter that worked with it. I used Noesis to convert the (original unedited) .glm. First I tried .fbx, but importing that into Max causes Max to crash. I then tried .obj, which imports, but without weights. I don't think that route is going to work for wanting to do this without reweighing the model from scratch.

 

Ashura - I could import the .fbx into 3DS Max 2015, but then how do I save the model from 3dmax to .xsi/.glm without an exporter? Am I meant to then use Noesis again to reconvert to .glm?

[AshuraDX]

Alright, so I found an old copy of Max 8 and the exporter that worked with it. I used Noesis to convert the (original unedited) .glm. First I tried .fbx, but importing that into Max causes Max to crash. I then tried .obj, which imports, but without weights. I don't think that route is going to work for wanting to do this without reweighing the model from scratch.

 

Ashura - I could import the .fbx into 3DS Max 2015, but then how do I save the model from 3dmax to .xsi/.glm without an exporter? Am I meant to then use Noesis again to reconvert to .glm?

yes, you are I just tried to import an fbx to 3ds max and I couldn't get weights, hierarchy or skeletal data sadly

[Azatha]

Yep, I just did the same thing. So in the end, aside from this blender plugin or a 3dMax one being released, just cannot get a way to import with weights. We will just need to wait for mrwonko to save the day.

[AshuraDX]

@@Azatha
I did it !

Noesis settings :

notice that you have to copy the humanoid.gla in the directory that contains your model.glm

the bones are kinda skewed in max though, so I mgiht have to fiddle with the noesis commands a little more

BUT I got Noesis to export hierarchy, skeleton and Weighting from GLM to FBX and manaed to import that into 3ds max
now onto reexporting from 3ds max and converting to glm with noesis - which i'll try tonight

[Azatha]

Awesome! Keep me updated on your progress with the bone fiddling and all that, I wouldn't even know where to begin! All of this has made me feel like such a noob, my expertise always did lie more in skinning than this sort of stuff.

[AshuraDX]

justn oticed the hierarchy was screwed up - so I'll have to rearrange that I guess- i'll keep you briefed @@Azatha

[Archangel35757]

@@AshuraDX -- I'll be compiling a dotXSI exporter for 3dsMax 2015/2016 soon... life has me busy ATM.

[AshuraDX]

@@AshuraDX -- I'll be compiling a dotXSI exporter for 3dsMax 2015/2016 soon... life has me busy ATM.

we don't have all mdoels from JKA or user made models in .xsi

so this will be REALLY handy for people wanting to make quick edits to models

[Azatha]

Yeah that would be great.

[Tempust85]

You can't use the model as-is from FBX from what I've tried. The skeleton is screwed pivot-wise, and everything is smaller that it should be due to the GLM being scaled to 0.64 in carcass.

 

This is what I do (when I'm too lazy to re-weigh everything) to ensure a proper exported model:

 

1. Import the FBX. Delete the tags.

2. Save the skin weights for all meshes.

3. Merge import a proper set of JKA bones & tags from another MAX file.

4. Scale up the mesh to match the hands.

5. Unlink & reset Xform on all mesh parts.

6. Add back the skin modifier to all meshes.

7. Re-apply the skin weights by loading the weights save file for each mesh.

8. Re-link everything.

9. Export to XSI for carcass compiling, or back to FBX for Noesis.

 

I'm sure there's a magic number that will fix the scaling, as you can rescale the model in Noesis but I haven't found it yet.

 

A little tip for weighing caps is to use skin wrap, use the body part mesh that the cap is for as the reference mesh, use face (not vertex) and then convert it to skin. Handy if you need to weigh caps for arms and what not.

[Azatha]

I think I might give that a try for the time being, though it's so tedious in comparison to the ease of the Blender plugin. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed no matter what!

[AshuraDX]

@@DT85 the scaling is no problem at all - just don't scale the model on conversion from FBX to GLM !

simply alter this :

-scale 0.64 -g2exforceskeleton 53 -g2extagtrivertshift 4 -g2exorderbonesfromgla _humanoid.gla

to this :

-scale 1.0 -g2exforceskeleton 53 -g2extagtrivertshift 4 -g2exorderbonesfromgla _humanoid.gla

that should do the trick

 

otherwise the scale command should also be possible to use when converting glm to fbx making

my current option setup :

-scale 1.5625 -rotate 90 0 0

I'll try to find a command that fixes bone orientation - if reexporting and converting to glm does not work with the skewed skeleton

 

about weighting caps - that's what I was doing from the very beginning

 

EDIT :

got a close to correct hierarchy and correct scale using these commands :

-scale 1.5625 -rotate 90 0 0 -hiefrombones

also think I may have found a fix for the skewed bone pivots... if they are all skewed the same

 

EDIT 2 :

imported the fbx into your max skeleton @@DT85 oddly the model is still very small - way to small even though the scale parameter was set correctly

 

EDIT 3 :

-scale 3.953 -rotate 90 0 0 

model scale is now correct (according to your max8 skeleton)

bones are still a friggin mess but somehow the mesh hierarchy looks correct now

[Tempust85]

Try exporting the unscaled version back "as-is" to FBX>>>GLM and see how Modview likes it.

[Delmi]

I need to try this because I've been long trying to find a way to import previous weights.  I seemingly can't make of Blender.  I don't like change

[Azatha]

@@DT85 I forgot to ask, does your method keep the normals intact?

[AshuraDX]

@@DT85 I forgot to ask, does your method keep the normals intact?

yes it should do so, I only get the breaks at UV seams in max, caused by the split vertices (which you could probably fix using the normals modifier in 3ds max)

[Azatha]

Cool, I'll give it a shot. If it breaks the lighting I'd be back to the same issue I was having with the Blender plugin. Fingers crossed.

[AshuraDX]

Cool, I'll give it a shot. If it breaks the lighting I'd be back to the same issue I was having with the Blender plugin. Fingers crossed.

look at my screenshots showing the imported alora - looks pretty fine to me

[Azatha]

I actually see some hard seams in your screenshots, similar to what I ended up with. Hard to say until testing in game.

[AshuraDX]

I actually see some hard seams in your screenshots, similar to what I ended up with. Hard to say until testing in game.

these are from the UV Seams Carcass is responisble for creating that nasty effect

 

I have found a way to fix that though using the noesis pipeline and some 3ds max "trickery" - tutorial incoming as soon as I got the pipeline for importing, editing and reexporting models to and from 3ds max down

[Azatha]

Awesome! I will wait!

[Archangel35757]

I am currently writing a Maxscript that will allow you to easily fix the screwed up bones coming from importing a Noesis GLM==>>FBX file.

 

When I'm finished I'll send it to @@AshuraDX to upload in the Utilities section for me.

[AshuraDX]

I am currently writing a Maxscript that will allow you to easily fix the screwed up bones coming from importing a Noesis GLM==>>FBX file.

 

When I'm finished I'll send it to @@AshuraDX to upload in the Utilities section for me.

that will be uploaded together with the tutorial

, should make sure that it works properly first