Need help exporting an SMD. (3DS Max)

CCNezin

I have a kind of weird problem with Wunderboy's exporter. When I go to export my model (no bones if it matters) I click save, but it doesn't bring up the menu where you choose whether or not it's a reference model or whatever. The main problem is that when I import the SMD back into 3DS Max, all I get is a bone/joint. Why isn't the menu showing up? Anyone know?

Ark

Haven't used the exporter in a while, but make sure you have a texture assigned in the diffuse slot of the material.

Mark Dygert

What version of max are you using?
If you're using 2008 and up you should probably download the latest exporter again straight from his website and install it again.

It sounds like you're using an old version of max with a newly written exporter plug-in? If that's the case you'll have to hunt around for a old exporter that's supported by your version of max.

When you place the model in hammer and turn on CM does it show up?

You don't need bones, if its a non animated object, it will use the local pivot point of the object so make sure its not way off in the distance some place.

CCNezin

Vig wrote: »

What version of max are you using?
If you're using 2008 and up you should probably download the latest exporter again straight from his website and install it again.

It sounds like you're using an old version of max with a newly written exporter plug-in? If that's the case you'll have to hunt around for a old exporter that's supported by your version of max.

When you place the model in hammer and turn on CM does it show up?

You don't need bones, if its a non animated object, it will use the local pivot point of the object so make sure its not way off in the distance some place.

I'm using 2010 x64 and just downloaded the latest exporter.
What do you mean CM? I'm not good with the SDK, also I haven't tried compiling it yet. Should I?
I know I don't need bones, I never put any in.
I have a texture assigned to diffuse.
Edit: I think a bone shows up because the exporter automatically creates one, it said something like that on his site.

Mark Dygert

Compiling it might spit out an error. CM is the collision mesh viability toggle in Hammer but if you haven't compiled it won't help at all. If the mesh shows up with CM turned on then its a texture issue, chances are the ref mesh is fine and passed a series of checks, because it used it to create a Collision mesh.

CCNezin

Right now I'm not trying to get it in-game it's not really even properly textured yet. (I have applied a placeholder though) My main problem is that the menu for exporting doesn't come up, it's probably automatically selecting animation, which only exports bones (I think) which is a problem. Mostly because there aren't any bones, and because i'm trying to get a static model exported.

CCNezin

Bump? No one has ever had this problem before?

Mark Dygert

I've always gotten the menu to come up and it allows you to select between Ref and Animation. It looks like it is stuck defaulting to animation since it isn't exporting a mesh. Or the importer is stripping it out... which it can do...

The window could be hanging off screen, there are a few ways to get it back. If you delete the 3dsmax ini file it will reset the position of all floating windows. But thats a little extreme, normally you can make sure the window is highlighted, press ALT + Spacebar then press M for move, then without moving the mouse click and drag it back on screen. Try it on another window that is on screen to practice. This happens quite a bit if you change resolution or go from 2 monitors back to 1.

You do need a texture in the diffuse slot, and it's name needs to match a valid VMT file which points to a valid VTF file. It's possible your QC file could be pointing to the wrong paths also.

CCNezin

Vig wrote: »

I've always gotten the menu to come up and it allows you to select between Ref and Animation. It looks like it is stuck defaulting to animation since it isn't exporting a mesh. Or the importer is stripping it out... which it can do...

The window could be hanging off screen, there are a few ways to get it back. If you delete the 3dsmax ini file it will reset the position of all floating windows. But thats a little extreme, normally you can make sure the window is highlighted, press ALT + Spacebar then press M for move, then without moving the mouse click and drag it back on screen. Try it on another window that is on screen to practice. This happens quite a bit if you change resolution or go from 2 monitors back to 1.

You do need a texture in the diffuse slot, and it's name needs to match a valid VMT file which points to a valid VTF file. It's possible your QC file could be pointing to the wrong paths also.

I'm fairly sure that it never comes up, as soon as I press save, a progress box pops up for fraction of a second, then nothing is up, I know about VMT's and QC's, I'm not worrying about that now though. I'm pretty sure that the importer didn't strip the model because the SMD is only 7KB. What's that about the deleting the ini file though?
Edit: Also, LOL, I was screwing around I tried checking both skip mesh and skip animation, and a box popped up: One can only wonder.... You're joking right?
Edit2: BTW, do you know anything about that SMDbatch thing?

CCNezin

Finally got it to work! A strange fix though. I deleted the exporter from the plugins menu, started Max, closed it, re-downloaded the exporter and placed it correctly, and it worked! I could have sworn I had already tried that but whatever. Thanks for your time though