3dsmax 2011 nurbs question

onionhead_o

does anyone know if nurbs can be converted to quad polys now in 2011.

Playdo

dustinbrown wrote: »

Add a Quadrify Mesh modifier to your NURBS surface, then add an Edit Poly modifier on top of that.

Have you actually tried this? It doesn't work in Max 2010.

renderhjs

use this:
http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/scripts/max-retopo

Playdo

Does that have an option to convert to quads or do you mean remodel a quad version over the top using retopo?

It would be nice to have a convert nurbs to poly (quads) option, like in Maya.

renderhjs

then use maya and export the poly back to max. Most converting solutions suck or cost a lot of cash as extra plugin or tool like:
http://www.npowersoftware.com/
There is a reason why hardly any game artist uses Nurbs, its just used in a different industry.

Playdo

renderhjs wrote: »

then use maya and export the poly back to max. Most converting solutions suck or cost a lot of cash as extra plugin or tool like:
http://www.npowersoftware.com/
There is a reason why hardly any game artist uses Nurbs, its just used in a different industry.

Npower doesn't convert to quads. It's not for game use.

Neox

seriously nurbs in max sucked since years if not decades, better just use nurms and polymodeling in first place

Playdo

Neox wrote: »

seriously nurbs in max sucked since years if not decades, better just use nurms and polymodeling in first place

You're right, it does. I don't know why the OP was asking, but for myself, it's for importing external nurbs files in for texturing and rendering.

r_fletch_r

If your into nurbs give MOI a go. its done by the original author of Rhino and does excellent Nurbs to Polygons conversion.

Playdo

Moi looks like a lovely little Nurbs program, it seems very user friendly. The Nurbs to Poly conversion does look cleaner than any other conversion that I've seen. There is still a LOAD of cleaning up to do though to make it useable (ie for UV unwrapping). I had this problem a while back and ended up remodeling the model, snapping the poly model to the Nurbs reference model; basically the same as the retopo technique Renderhjs linked to above.

I'm beginning to think that the only decent solutions for things like this are:

1. Keep the model as Nurbs and use projection mapping if possible.
2. Use the Nurbs model as a reference and model over the top (using a tool like retopo if necessary).

r_fletch_r

My plan has been for a while to do a nice hard surface model in moi and use it for a hp source in max, i did a couple of tests and max 2011 seems to import OBJ files correctly with good normal data from moi so all the fillets look great.

Playdo

I'm not having the same results here. Would things be that different between Max 2010 and 2011? Here's a test I did, exporting a Nurbs file from Moi to a .obj. Imported into Max:



Can you post a screen shot of the results that you are getting?

r_fletch_r

Mine wasnt so complex. i will try something if i have time later this evening(still in work). Max 2011 has had updates to the OBJ importer, perhaps thats the key to it, or perhaps i wasnt pushing it hard enough.

Playdo

Yeah, definitely let me know if you can Rob. I'm very interested. Thanks.

r_fletch_r

Sorry this is a bit late, were on crunch at the moment. Here ya go. if you want to send me a mesh so i can test something a bit more intensive PM me and ill send you an email addy.

onionhead_o

thanks for all the post guys, but i guess im gona stick to poly modeling i guess.