3ds max - spline import

thomasp

i'm looking for a way to import vector graphics as splines into 3ds max that does not involve adobe illustrator at all. are there any alternatives? i usually use inkscape for the (rather small and simple) vector jobs that come up in day-to-day work. would love to be able to somehow import these without bugging the co-worker - who got illustrator installed - for every little thing.

- AI export (preferably old illustrator file formats since CS ones do not import into max correctly) for inkscape?
- SVG/EPS import plugins/scripts for max?
- converters which can output AI files?
- alternative (simple, preferably free) vector drawing apps that do speak a compatible flavour of the AI format?

i'm open to all suggestions.

renderhjs

AI is not the only format that max can import, have you tried:
- dxf/ dwg
- eps
- wmf
if noone work or are available trough your pipeline maybe look for free converters (check out xnview as it supports some vector stuff).

thomasp

DXF/DWG seem to open another can of worms in respect to outdated/incompatible format-flavours. i could not get this to work.
where would i find the EPS and WMF importers tho? i can't seem to find anything about WMF at all and related to EPS the only mention of that i could find is in the render output settings.

Sage

Use Photoshop Thomasp . The option is called paths to illustrator. It's found under export paths to illustrator, it should open up in max, unless they broke something the last version of max or photoshop. It works fine in CS 2 to Max 9. Hope that helps. By the way if you want ai from newer Illustrator files to open in max you have to save it as 7 it gives you the option, or it used to anyway. Try and see if photoshop lets you do it, CS2 lets you, not sure if the newer version let you.

renderhjs

how complex are those paths? - if it's just a vector aka now quad or tri bezier curves a simple script might do the trick.
If I am not mistaken SVG stores a stroke or path as a simple arrays of x,y values - it shouldn't be to hard modifying an existing script that generates a spline in max from it.

here is some code to get started:
http://scriptspot.com/3ds-max/splinetomxs

thomasp

hey Sage that sounds like the solution, cheers! the setup at work is photoshop 7(!) to max 2009. i just confirmed with google that this old version of PS has got the feature, too, so that should be interesting.
i'll have a go at this first thing next week.

renderhjs, thanks but the paths are a little too complex, it's mainly brushstrokes making up sorta organic-looking shapes that would be too painful to create in max with he spline tools themselves.

Sage

It's a very old photoshop feature. I think it saves path in ilustrator 4 ai, I can't confirm or deny that. The only problem with using photoshop instead of illustrator is you don't have the useful pathfinder options. The shape layers in photoshop seem to have them but I don't know how to convert those shape layers to vectors. Good luck.