this is a work in progress and I'm by no means an expert in any of these fields... so take this for what it's worth. if any one has any corrections or tips to add I would appreciate it. hope you find it useful. How to Convert a Triangulated Model into a Quadrified, Smoothed, Textured GMT 1. Import model in .3ds format into 3Dmax View attachment 932 2. Select model group to smooth. 3. Right click on group and select convert to editable poly. 4. Select editable poly in modifier list. 5. Select vertex in the drop down list of editable poly. 6. Select all visible vertex’s in the model. View attachment 933 7. Under the edit vertices menu click on weld settings 8. Lower tolerance until model looks right. I like “0.02” 9. Click weld. 10. Click polygon in the editable poly drop down list. 11. Select all visible polygons 12. Under polygon smoothing groups click 1 group to assign all selected polys to smoothing group. View attachment 934 13. Select the model group. 14. Select polygons in the modifier list under editable poly. 15. In the graphite modeling tools on the ribbon on top go to geometry all and select quadrify selection. (more kool tools here) View attachment 935 16. In the rendering drop down menu on the top of 3ds select render to texture. 17. Select all the polys in the model 18. In the render to texture menu set the location of your vehicle texture folder maps. 19. Under the selected object settings change padding to “6” 20. Under mapping coordinates change channels to “1” 21. Under output click add and select complete map (notice other types.) 22. Under selected element common settings choose texture size for vehicle, I choose “2048x2048” 23. Under selected element common settings select texture name and type. 24. Under automatic mapping changes threshold angel to “55” 25. Under automatic mapping change spacing to “.002” 26. Click “unwrap only” at the bottom of the menu. 27. In the modifier list you will now notice an automatic flatten UV added to the list. 28. Select face in the drop down and select all faces. 29. Below in the edit UVs panel click open UV editor. 30. You will now notice the UVs of the vehicle have been automatically unwrapped for you. edit them to refine. 31. In the edit UVW window click the tools drop down and select render template. 32. Change height to 2048x2048 33. Make other selections you wish. 34. Click render UV template. 35. Save the rendered template to the vehicle maps folder. 36. Add texture map to car. 37. negated with addition of 3D Max 2012 Tools for rFactor 2 38. negated with addition of 3D Max 2012 Tools for rFactor 2 39. negated with addition of 3D Max 2012 Tools for rFactor 2 40. Select the model group in the main window 41. Hit m open the material browser 42. Chose default material 1 43. Next to the eye dropper where is says 01 - Default select the text and change name to “test_car_body” 44. You must use a Multi/Sub material as a container for gMats 45. Click on Standard button, and select Multi/Sub-object material 46. Select keep material as sub material. 47. Delete sub materials from 2 to 9, just keep first one. 48. Fill “Name” and “Sub-Material” fields with “temp_test” 49. Click the button under sub-material 50. Next to the eye dropper where is says test_car_body slect the text and change name to “temp_test” 51. Click standard next to drop down. 52. Select gmotor2 from the list. 53. Under textures in the panel below click gTex button and select the .dds map that you created. 54. Drag the new material to the model group in the main window. 55. Now in the hammer menu or tools menu. Under utilities choose “more”. 56. click “GMT converter v2.52g” 57. Under gmt output choose you mas folder in your vehicle folder. 58. Under the instance menu 59. Check mark “move” 60. Checkmark “smooth” and “omni” 61. Click gmotor under shadows 62. tan “-1,0” 63. bin ”-1,0” 64. LOD in “0.0” & LOD out “10000.0” 65. Click on “do mesh” in the GMT Output menu above. View attachment 936 if you've done it right you should get a mesh.gmt in your mas folder and a successful export window in max 2010. now you have a wrapped, shaded, textured, smoothed .gmt to put in your .gen files. p.s. I might add I learned most of this from my new mate across the pond named Websta. he and his model gallery are located here. thanks for all the help.
Thank you man! Very, very much obliged! Send my thanks to your made Websta, this is definately something that'll aid me
Yeh some or all of that may be useful, especially if your converting or importing existing assets from other apps. you can just work in 2010 or 2011 (32bit for export tho) only 2012 has a nicer modeling environment and one or two newer tools which I like to use, so when i'm done modelling, uvw unwrapping and texturing, i'll save for 2011 and export. It may have to wait a bit tho ( i have other work i have to do ) Great work for writing all that Kris, I hope some of it will help others an good luck with your mod.
This 3ds max script works for me if I need to detriangulate Well its not perfect but almost there. http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/scripts/detriangulator
What is reason of using different version of 3ds max, is there some things not working in 2012? As I use 32bit student 2012, I believe I could do all in it too, I guess only need for OP to use older max is to get export tools to function in max as his 64 bit version is not working with export tools, I presume? Then again as I make model as editable poly, maybe it is not triangulated in first place, but I think lot of this must be useful, especially material stuff, but it takes time until I really understand it well, maybe few years
Yes with editable poly you make quads. When it is exported to rFactor, the model is turned into triangles. This applies also most of the other games too. If you then try to import GMT with the Max script, you get all triangulated mesh. So usually when people need to deal triangulated meshes, they are imports or conversions from games. I'm not quite sure why games use triangles, I've read about it but it is already forgotten.
This was quite some time ago... So I can't say for sure. It could have been changed in a build update or I might have just got it wrong. Right now I can't even remeber what it's in regards to. If you know for sure, or if you have a source, I'll change it.
Sorry Kristoff, I had not realised it was an old thread, I do that all the time lol Theres a pic of the exporter in the ISI Car Modding Complete pdf in dev corner, page 04, and that shows -1,0 on both. As to whether it's correct, I can't confirm because that document is from 2012, but I have used that setting from day one.
