ModelConverterx and Textures GMax

[stuart277]

Hi all
I have been trying to 'resize' the CFS2 ship, SHA_Penn for MaxStuka.
I have been able to open the model in ModelconverterX, it shows the texturing.
I then export as a 3ds model.
Open it in GMax, but there are no textures?
Any ideas.
Cheers
Stuart
PS I have the appropriate texture files in the GMax texture folder, I also have the same texture files converted to TGA files.

[Allen]

The .3ds file format is stuck with the 3.8 rule for textures. This mean all texture filenames are limited to the 8.3 DOS format. 8 characters for the name and 3 for the file extension.

You will have to reload the texture in gMax if the texture name is over 8 characters. Thankfully 8.3 format wil save 6 or 7 characters so things are not a blind guess.

[stuart277]

Hi Allen
Thanks for the reply.
The texture names are:
Nevada_t_1 (10 Characters)
Nevada_t_2 (10 Characters)
Nevada_tr_1 (11 Characters)
ModelconverterX also loads the following textures even though thet are not on the 'texture' folder:
california_t_tr
california_t_1
california_t_2
These are also over the 8 character limit.
How do I reload the texture in GMax?
Do the ships need to be re-textured?
Cheers
Stuart

[Allen]

MCX will sometime find textues. This is done from the Texture Settings.

To load the right texture go to Material Navigator and Click on Materials that have a texture. Click on the blue and white checker board so the texture will be displayed in the view ports.

Click on Diffuse color bitmaps box. (It should have something like Nevada~1.bmp listed.) You going to have to click on the box above Reload and this will pop one a window that will want you to slect a bitmap.

Find the bitmap that is right or you think is right and click open. The texture you just loade show be diplayed in the view ports. If the texture is wrong try another. A good thing may to select a part in the view port (like the hull) and use the Material Navigator's Browse from: found on the left side. In the Scene box select Selected.

This will remove all of the other Materials but for the one that the part you selected in the view port uses.

The .3ds format will keep the texture mapping just fine. The only things lost are animations, smoothing, part names and grouping (part names and grouping and are for aircraft). Texture names over the 8 character limit will be shorten and have to be reload.

For ships all you should need to do is reload the textures and add 30 or 60 smoothing.

Note: gMax can't read CFS2 formated .bmps so you will have save a set as uncompressed .bmps.

[stuart277]

Hi Allen
I checked it out and it worked fairly well, just takes time.
In the end it didn't matter as MaxStuka sent a second email saying that you had already done the SHA_Penn for him.
Saves me time.
Oh well back to the old 'drawing board'.
Again thanks and I hope that you have a great Christmas.
Cheers
Stuart

[Allen]

Well I didn't resize it right so I saw this thread and was going to let you do it. :biggrin-new:

[tgibson]

Not your problem, but one thing you need to do after Exporting to 3DS format and loading into GMAX is to click the blue and white checked cube in each Material so the texture will be displayed on the plane (object) in GMAX. Doesn't affect display in FS though.

Hope this helps,