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Get gmax models into Max Install MD3 export script Export MD3 from gmax Import MD3 into Max Export gmax to misc formats Export gmax to MD5 models Export gmax to obj MD3 import/export tools Max 5 MD3 to max importer Max 5 Enhanced MD3 exporter MD5 import/export tools Other I/O scripts and tools
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gmax has limited import and export capabilities. This means models made with the application, by themselves, have limited usability. To work around this, content made in gmax needs to be exported to one of the available 3D formats the game or project you're making content for can use and understand; *.ase or *.obj would be the typical formats one could expect to use. However, the limited import/export capabilities of gmax mean that that's not quite as straightforward to do this as it should be. This is especially so where the needed modeled content - characters or objects - is rigged or animated in some fashion, because they will often be needed in a proprietary format that's specific to the project at hand.
Thankfully there is a way to do this and export models from gmax for use elsewhere. The following tutorial relates to and explains how to export models and content from gmax and how to then import those files into 3D Studio Max or other 3D applications for further editing.
As there isn't an 'official' way to export general 3D content from gmax - because of the above mentioned limitations - the problem has to be worked around, using what abilities gmax does have, in this particular instance the MD3 exporter, available from an installed gamepack. Design Note: Although this tutorial uses the MD3 exporter it should be possible to use any game pack because the basic principle is to simply export the model into a format that will get the object safely out of the gmax environment ready for import into 3DS Max or other 3D applications for further work.
gmax will export models without UVW maps or materials but it will show an error message informing you that the export process is going to unwrap the object using a default 'spherical' UVW map. If exporting simple static models, when the "Export MD3" interface appears type "1" in "The Following Frames:" text field so gmax knows what and how many frames are to be exported and click "Export Now". Animated objects should have the appropriate 'from/to' frame numbers in the same text input field so the MD3 exporter writes the correct number of baked animation frames.
gmax MD3 export dialogue. Type "1" in the "The Following Frames:" text field
There are limitations associated with using the MD3 format for this sort of conversion process that must be taken into account, particularly on large or complex models. MD3 models are; Limited to a 'volume' no greater than 1024 x 1024 units in size (512 units from centre point) meshes that extend beyond this 'bounding box' of the volume will be 'folded' back into the valid space as if 'tiled' (gmax interprets vertices outside the volume as 'tiling' so will position them relative to the repeat on the inside of the volume, resulting in vertices being on the opposite side of the mesh).
As static map or world objects shouldn't use the MD3 format directly so will need to be converted to another appropriate format; MD3 'as is' tends to be for 'dynamic' objects only (see point above).
To import directly you need to have installed into your max 'plugins' folder, one of a number of MD3 import / export tools (see resource links above) which will allow you to browse to where the file is and load it into the scene as a workable object. Although the base mesh will import and load you may find animations and the UVW map missing. To import indirectly you'll need to track down a model format converter. This will allow you to open the model into it and then save it back out as a different format (preferably one that max has native support for, 3DS for example). As with the import info above you will most likely find that animations and UVW map info is lost, this will depend on the quality of the converter you use, most of which only convert mesh data.