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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 15th Aug 2011 at 11:03 AM
Default 3ds Max geom plugin and rig generator for animTool
I couldn't find many max plugins so I made this one. This plugin lets you import geom models, generates rig config files for animTool and imports the smd animation files with rotation only.

This is a port of Blender GEOM Mesh Plugin . The only other main change is that it generates the hashes for the bones.

Install the gr2 rig file importer. I'm using 3ds Max 2011 and I think the importer I used was nwn2utilsmaxplugins2.3.0.exe which required granny2.dll to be copied to 3ds Max 2011 folder.

To install the geom plugin go to utilities, click "MaxScript" then "Run Script" on the included ms file. Then select "Sims3 Utits" from the Utilities dropdown. This will display two buttons.

Import Geom: To use this first create a folder with the *.gr2 rig file inside it. Then create a sub folder (any name) to store each simgeom file and optionally add the textures which assigns the diffuse ("*_m_*.dds") and secular ("*_s_*.dds") materials e.g.

TestImporter
-- auRig.gr2
-- Test UpperBody Folder
---- upperBody.simgeom
---- texture_m_.dds
-- Test LowerBody Folder
---- lowerBody.simgeom
---- texture_m_.dds

In max click the "Import Geom" button to import the rig and add all geometry to the rig. It also creates a rig config file e.g auRig.txt in the root folder. Use the new config file with animTools to convert CLIP files to SMD.

Import SMD: Use the smd generated by animTool to import the animation. This works like a regular smd importer but only includes rotation animations and not positions. Not including position animations fixed a lot of animation errors I was getting, especially in facial animations.

I'll probably convert the morph importer plugin for max some other time.
Attached files:
File Type: zip  3dsMaxSims3Plugin.zip (6.5 KB, 850 downloads) - View custom content
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#2 Old 15th Aug 2011 at 1:58 PM
OMG!!! This is soooo cool!!! 3Ds Max is the main package I work with. I'm a bit busy at the moment, but once I get the time I'll be sure to test it out! Thanks soooo much.

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Test Subject
#3 Old 19th Aug 2011 at 5:19 PM
Thank you, but unfortunatly, I'm not able to use this plugin. Wherever I put the file granny2.dll, it seems that it can't find it.

Import Error
Unable to locate file: granny2.dll

I've tested with 3ds max 2011 on Windows 7 x64
Test Subject
Original Poster
#4 Old 20th Aug 2011 at 3:49 AM
I also had issues with the dll not being found. I think I downloaded the NWN2 plugin from
http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?vie...ns.Detail&id=27 then followed the install instructions to copied the following files
C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\granny2.dll
C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\plugins\NWN2Utils.dlu
C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\plugcfg\NWN2Utils.ini
but it still didn't work. I think the issue was that there are different versions of the granny2.dll. The dll from the granny crowd scene doesn't work. The correct one is in the "GR2 Expotron Exporter (3dsMax)" at http://gr2decode.altervista.org/download.html.
I'm also using Windows 7 x86 and havn't tested it on x64.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#5 Old 20th Aug 2011 at 3:52 AM
Another issue I had was that it couldn't read auRig, cuRig or puRig. Thanks to Nukael, I found out that these files have extra bytes at the start which can be removed with a hex editor.

I've included a new version of the plugin. I fixed a bug that would prevent some models from loading and the models should load much faster now.
Attached files:
File Type: zip  GeomImport_0_1.zip (7.8 KB, 209 downloads) - View custom content
Test Subject
#6 Old 20th Aug 2011 at 6:03 AM
Quote: Originally posted by bobbuilder45
I also had issues with the dll not being found. I think I downloaded the NWN2 plugin from
http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?vie...ns.Detail&id=27 then followed the install instructions to copied the following files
C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\granny2.dll
C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\plugins\NWN2Utils.dlu
C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\plugcfg\NWN2Utils.ini
but it still didn't work. I think the issue was that there are different versions of the granny2.dll. The dll from the granny crowd scene doesn't work. The correct one is in the "GR2 Expotron Exporter (3dsMax)" at http://gr2decode.altervista.org/download.html.
I'm also using Windows 7 x86 and havn't tested it on x64.


Thank you, but I still have the same error.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#7 Old 20th Aug 2011 at 12:03 PM
Sorry to hear that, sounds like the gr2 importer doesn't work with the x64 version. I've created some max rig files so you don't need to use the gr2 importer. I've included auRig, cuRig and puRig along with the matching text files to use with animTool in the attached Rigs folder. I also included a "testImport" folder that includes geom, textures and a smd. The new GeomImport.ms script displays a "Import (max)..." button. Click it and select puRig.max from the testImport folder. Hopefully this will work.
Attached files:
File Type: zip  GeomImport_0_2 set.zip (6.45 MB, 349 downloads) - View custom content
Lab Assistant
#8 Old 21st Aug 2011 at 7:36 AM
This is most excellent! I am glad someone is working on GEOM plugins for 3DS Max;
Unfortunately I only own a license for 3DS 2012 version, but nevertheless here is my tests:

- I wasn't able to setup your script as MAXScript Utility to showup;
Whoever I am able to do so if I set it instead of utility, rollout (in your script just switch comments )

- I can get a GEOM to import, but only the mesh, once the script start to setup the boneList array, if finds none (@459)
The auRig is from the package, perhaps I shouldn't be using that one?
I didn't went into thorough tests, but once I get time I will see if I can try debug it more deeply.

Although I can confirm the mesh is imported successfully.
All normals axis are aligned properly, UVs properly applied, no isolated vertices as well.
Did the test with both low and high poly amount, 1k and 24k respectively.
While high-poly meshes will take a while to calculate everything, will cause 3DS to lock up with no response, it is processing the data.
Just need to wait.

The only thing is that the GEOM mesh use a flipped axis (compared to 3DS df unit, -90Z?), so I just use the command to rotate
rotate $ (angleaxis 90 [1,0,0])

Do you plan on starting development on a Exporter as well?
Not long ago I wrote a small script to get the vertex weight of the mesh,
While I scrapped out the idea of what I was going to try to make, I am sure you can put it to a better use than me:
Code:
msh = $
max modify mode
vertexCount = getNumverts msh
for i = 1 to vertexCount do
(
  vertexBoneCount = skinOps.GetVertexWeightCount msh.modifiers[#skin] i
  for bn = 1 to vertexBoneCount do
  (
    weight = skinops.getvertexweight msh.modifiers[#skin] i bn
    -- write the weight to exporter/array..  for _vertice_ i _bone_ bn
  )
)


You made my whole week already just when I saw this, I just can't simply give a thank you, this is a HUGE step!
One ahead on getting perfect bone assignments for high-poly, that would open many doors in terms of making custom high-poly meshes to The Sims 3.
Make my modding dreams possible as well!

“One small step for man, one blocked path for sim-kind.” - awtmk@blogspot | S-Club Privée
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