Dozens of other major software do it. Software with far more users to keep track of than Modo. The Foundry and Autodesk are literally the only fools I know of taking the approach of managing two separate versions of their software so they can hamstring one of them.
#AARRGGBB it depends on the app and if it supports it, otherwise you are right its just 6 for the RRGGBB. The first 2 of the 8 digits are the alpha value. But I guess hex values don't matter much here since autodesk doesn't know about them in their apps.
You can Export to FBX (with the default autodesk preset), then re-import it. It will import with a skin modifier. Once you've done this you can use the SkinUtilities to transfer the weight back to the original model and biped. Look in the max help for instructions on how to use SkinUtilities.
I would not take anyones armchair thoughts here as fact(no offense intended). Contact Autodesk directly as many times as it takes until you get an explicit, written, answer. You can NOT take the chance of a company with millions of dollars coming after you.
Just for the info, you might not need the script at all, as Autodesk added this feature in Maya 2011 (maybe 2010, not sure). Edit Mesh > Detach Component now splits edges like the Split button in Max (doesn't completely break the vertex like it used to).
errrr my friends who won the last unearthly challenge never got their prizes, i believe it were laptops and autodesk licenses. very shady.. plus its hard to make people accountable for kickstarter... funny video though, mildy entertaining actually...
I wish someone could write a script or plugin to bind Shift Clone ability to another shortcut (Ctrl+Shift for example) so we could use Maya navigation and still be able to use edge clone feature. Why Autodesk won't do this?!
autodesk officially allows legit upgrade from student version to commercial version at reduced cost ( I think 1000€ or 1000$ dont remember exactly)... It obviously works only once. (saw if for Maya and 3dsmax) so its not into the multithousand value anymore for starters.
renderhjs: Francois Levesque from Ubisoft did something like that on assassins creed, there's a video about it from a year or two ago, from an Autodesk show or maybe GDC or something like that. Sorry for the hijack, I don't know anything about bodypaint! :O
FBX has always worked fine for me... make sure you have the same version of import/exporter (check Autodesk website for latest update and get it for both Max and Maya), make sure you keep the settings consistent between Maya and Max.