Pandoras Box User Forum

Hey There,

After one day of test of exporting X files from Gmax scenes we didn't arrive to understand all.
we need some answers in order to understand what we are doing :

First : When i am creating a sphere totally round in 3DS Max, A camera setup with a 16/9 export as render (fonction that doesn't exist in Gmax) . I put my camera view like this screen :
http://www.utram.org/Sphere3DS.JPG


When i export this (export selected camera + sphere) as a 3DS file, Reimport it in Gmax, Just make an UVW Mapping in order to have a texture in pandora.

This is the problem : Our sphere have not the same scale, the same position, in resume we dont have the same point of view in the pandora universe when the camera is X,Y,Z in 32768
So its amazing for us not arrive to make that. Can you Help us to understand where we are wrong ??
How to setup the camera target in 3DS MAx or the object maybe ?? we really don't arrive to have the same point of view like my screenshot camera view WITHOUT scale anything in pandora .

Thanks for helps;

PS: Did you know a plug in for 3DS max or tutorial in order to export an X files directly from 3DS max 2009 ? the plug on your website don't works.
for the moment we import a .3ds file in Gmax, remodify the UVW Map and export it in .X


Regards

Hi Selor,

the problem results from converting the different coordinates (3ds max - Pandoras Box). To fix this problem - if you have to use 3ds max instead of using gmax - you should rebuild the camera with exact same values that is involved in pandoras box (like it is rebuild in PB_native_4to3_Scale). But it is still only possible to do this in 4 to 3, not 16 to 9, because the camera in PB is only 4 to 3. We are fully aware of this feature wish, it will be involved in the next release. We are also working on a good exporter for 3ds.

So, if it is possible, please just use gmax to create your objects.

If you have a 16 to 9 output, there are two possibilities to solve the scaling problem:

1. Build up your scene in gmax. Before you export it as .x-file, scale the x-axes to 75% (using uniform scaling). In PBs preview it will look compressed, your 16 to 9 output will show the right size. The handicap with this is, that you can´t use rotating 3d objects because they will distort while rotating.

2. Put the PB_native_16to9_Scale.x (see attachments) on your cameras, then all media files on your layers will look properly on your 16 to 9 outputs. Using this .x-file, you can still do horizontal but no vertical soft edging.

I hope this could help you..

Regards, Julia

,

hum ok this post resume all our tests and problems.
Effectively we remark but not sure now you confirm our think....
Pandora cameras are only in 4/3 ... witch is really a problem when you are working in HD Outputs. ok for this point we understand more things.

About object creation, its really impossible most of case to impose our customers graphists to work only with Gmax . Gmax is not enough for modeling hard objects. So we will wait your 3ds Exporter
For the moment we can modelise in Max, export as a .3ds project, import it in Gmax and export the .x file . But in this case in order to wait your exporter and the camera modification in order to have a 16/9 cam in PB , Witch method or how to defind camera or world axis in 3DS in order to reimport it in Gmax ?

Thanks for your time Julia and Mike

PS : in the Featured Wishlist you can Add this no ? : A function to check for a mesh like " Take mesh or object ratio" it would be really cool in order not have scale them.

Hi Selor,

attached you will find a native 4to3 object for 3ds max, the associated .x-file and the pandasoft exporter for 3ds max 2008.
Hopefully this will fix your problems.

Regards,
Julia

Hum perfect Julia youre the Best

Just a silly question .. where did you put the handle export file in 3DS directory structure ?

It should be like this:
Place the .dle-file in the 'Plugins' sub-directory under the main 3dsmax folder. Backup and remove any previous versions.

hum ok know why dont working actually i am using max 9 but i have found the link on the web :
http://www.andytather.co.uk/Panda/direc ... loads.aspx

I have take the good one just posting the link for others thanks julia.

Julia need just complement for export with pandasoft plugin from 3DS Max 9 :

these screens of the setup in order to fix good things for pandora compatibility :

How to setup them ? :

Dear Selor

I have not worked with this plugin for a while. From the screen shots you send its probably in the x file settings that you would need to adjust to:

Dx File Type text
Top frame or subframe



I hope this fixes the export process for now.

As Julia mentioned already we are working on an optimized gmax and 3d studio -> Pandoras Box exporter. Depending on various user settings and preferences in both gmax and 3d studio there can be several rounding differences in the Flightsimulator and Panda exporter when coordinates are exported.

This is why we are working on a 1:1 vertex exporter so that we can provide you a 3ds camera setup file with the correct FOV values as we noticed that these are depending on the rendering settings in 3dmax as well,...

Best regards

Jan