3D MAX 2009 to UnreaED

[Champion]

havin proplems exporting ASE to unreal ED... i cant ever seem to get the bitmap... i tryed unwapping map but when i render it it just comes up black so i cant save the bitmap.. any ideas

[TzaR99]

I am a noob in mapping and when it comes to importing .ASE files right,I never fully succeeded either.I somehow manage to import the model,but I couldn't set textures and collision right way.


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I'll describe how I import things from 3d programs to unreal engine based games.I found another nice way to import stuff from 3ds max to unreal.
That would be,exporting a modeled thingy from 3ds max as a AutoCad .DXF file first,and then importing it into unreal editor as a brush after that.Like this:



When importing it as a brush op finishes,it looks something like this:



It's supposed to look like some crappy house...

After I go hit the additive brush button on the left,and it creates an additive brush similar to my model from 3ds max.Notice that a texture on the model at first is some random texture you worked with in editor before importing this brush .. but,it's easy to set them right now,it's as simple as aligning anywhere else on the level you work on.I use the textures available in the game.Then when I'm kinda finished setting the textures.So my simple model of a house looks like this:



Then I check textures on it one more time,and if I'm satisfied,I go select this additive house brush (blue),and convert it into static mesh,(in some game's unreal editors,this option might be called 'hardware brush' also),like this:



Then I can see 2 things in editor,the brush I worked on,and a new static mesh.I delete the brush,and leave static mesh (static mesh on the grid can appear in few colours depending what game you mod for,but the mesh itself in the 3d viewport is always kinda greenish looking,in many unreal based games..)

Then editor prompts me to create new static mesh pack.I use some names related to the model (in ut2004 it creates custom .USX static mesh pack,that you need to save before exiting the editor,and in some other games,it stays embeded into map file after rebuilding and saving the map,it depends what game you map for) .. anyway that dialog looks som'n like this:



You rebuild the map with your new static mesh included,and save the map and static mesh package if asked for (... depends on what game you work,and in ut2004 you can reuse that mesh in other levels again later).

And thats it.Less hassle,and not to much complicated stuff mess with for noobs like myself.Enough to spice up a level so it isn't all that simple and boxy..

There are some limitations in brush complexity when you use this way to import meshes into unreal,but you can explore for yourself.
Btw. in 3ds max export,i used 3ds max 6,and in export to .DXF,version of dxf i used was AutoCad v.2000 type of .dxf file (there are multiple options on export from max,see which one suits you best)...

This .DXF based import of brushes and creating static meshes is probably possible from other programs that support .DXF format,check for yourself if your programs export to .dxf,and try it...
I hope this post helps someone.When I started doing this,it started as experimenting,but it worked,and I was surprised,it was much much simpler than importing in .ASE format.

[TzaR99]

One important thing I forgot to mention in my previous post is this:
When you export things in .dxf format,keep in mind that complex multi piece meshes probably won't import into unreal right way or not import fully.
When you import something simple like streetlight,created by editing from a let's say just one box (which you extrude and bevel into shape of streetlight),that one will import perfect (also,like anything created from manipulating one simple geometrical model available in 3ds max into something that looks like a static mesh you want).But if you need more pieces in 3ds max to build your mesh (like,box + cylinder + sphere that you reshaped etc),you have to consider exporting them in multiple pieces.So if you wanna make something like .. for example city hall model - export roof as one piece,pillars as another,and body of the building as a third mesh,..or if it's a car,wheels as one part,and car's body as a second part etc ...) ... some complex models can import-export just fine,but if you see your imported brush isn't complete in Ued like in max,just divide it and save it in parts and that's all .. and it's still easier than working with .ase and .stl formats ...

(problems that makes me export in pieces is something in .dxf formats that makes Z axis problematic when importing into unreal.So if an independent piece of a model is solely in XZ or YZ axis,and not turned in any angle but 90 degrees (normal to the ground),they don't appear when imported into editor if there is something on the model that stays above them .. just like in example i mentioned,if you import city hall model,pillars may not appear if roof is above them (in case pillars are one cylinder each in 3ds max) ... but exported in parts,all's ok)

Just export from 3ds max in parts if you encounter problems with .dxf format method of importing brushes and creating static meshes out of them ... that's all.