Exporting .MDL files to 3DSMAX for rendering

[CordoganAir 55]

So here's what I would like to do:

 

I would like to create some still images for my VA's websites front page. While I have some nice screenshots from FSX they don't quite do it for me so what I would like to do is create some photoreal renderings of our aircraft both on the ground and in the air using the advanced materials and features available to me in max. Now I'm very experienced with producing still renderings for my day job but what I don't want to do is spend $350 on a turbosquid model of each aircraft or spend the next year trying to do detailed models of all our aircraft from scratch.

     My next thought was that I have already put a lot of time into doing repaints of many of our aircraft wouldn't it just be great if I could export the .MDL files to max and use the repaints I've already created to texture them. So I did a little research and found that it is possible to export .MDL files to max but what I don't know is what the output file will be like. 

     My question for all you developer gurus out there is: With the output files I will get from exporting the .MDL files to 3DSMax will I be able to somewhat easily configure the aircraft for each still, IE landing gear, flaps, doors, etc. etc. And will it be straightforward to texture the model with my already created repaints for FSX.

   

 

Thank you any and all input is much appreciated.

[WarpD 824]

Short answer is no. All animations are 'lost' when you reverse compile the .MDL file. Texures have to be redefined as well I believe.

 

Much of the physical model may require 'fixing'. It is not guaranteed to reverse compile every single point correctly.

[n4gix 4,961]

Ed is quite correct. Although Arno's marvelous swiss-army knife utility program Model Converter X will cheerfully export a compiled .mdl file to .3ds format, and will preserve all UVW texture mapping...

 

...it does so via "draw calls" meaning every object mapped to the same texture will be imported into Max as a 'solid object', in effect a solid welded mess of mesh.

 

All animations are lost completely. The result is a perfect "still model" suitable for rendering. Some judicious object selection and keyframing might allow some ability to "pose" things however without too much effort.

[CordoganAir 55]

 

 

The result is a perfect "still model" suitable for rendering

 

That is encouraging Fr. Bill! As I only want to do still photos for my renderings it sounds like my idea may not be totally awful, thanks for the help!

[tgibson 11]

Hi all,

 

BTW, there is a setting in MCX that will  minimize that "solid object" effect upon export (but not eliminate it entirely).  Set CollapseModelParts to False in the Object Model Settings.  Then Import again.

 

And while animations are lost on export, if you freeze the animations in MCX before export (but this will "move" all animated parts at the same time), they will be in those positions in 3DMax upon import.  Good for simple things like gear up/down, etc.

[N60JBravo 27]

 

 

if you freeze the animations in MCX before export (but this will "move" all animated parts at the same time)

 

If you use the Animation Editor you can move and freeze individual animations.

 

You can control the elevator and the landing gear separately, as an example.

 

regards,

Joe

[tgibson 11]

That's true, I forgot about that.  You can select certain animations (all containing "gear", for example), move the slider, and then Fix those specific animations at that point.  For FS9 models, I usually need to fix the control surface animations (including flaps) at keyframe 50 to get them to be in the normal "flight" position.  The gear can be set up (0) or down (101).

[CordoganAir 55]

Thanks guys, all great information, I've tried playing with the animation manager but after checking or unchecking a few items it crashes