gmax2psp

[alatnet]

BEHOLD!!! gmax2psp!!! A maxscript that you can use to create 3D models for the psp with out the hassle of manualy codeing in the model.

To use this maxscript:
1. Start gmax.
2. Click on the Utilities Tab thats at the left of the screen. The Utilities tab has a picture of a hammer.
3. Click the MAXscript button. Its at the end of the list.
4. Important, you must click the Open Listener button. If you dont, then the script will not be able to convert the models for the psp.
5. Click Run Script and open gmax2psp.ms file, where ever you have extracted it.
6. Click and select gmax2psp under the Utilities dropdown box.
7. Click Export Lua Structure to convert the models to lua.
8. open the program GrabListener.exe that is included in the compressed file. The GrabListener program copies everything that is in the listener to a file.

Guidelines to gmax2psp 3D modeling:
1. Every Model you want to show in lua code, MUST be linked to a model named frame. The frame model can be anything but MUST have the name of frame.
**More Guidelines to come in future versions**

You can get gmax at turbosquid.com. Click here.
Gmax does require an account on turbosquid.com, but you dont have to worry about it because they are free. Gmax is FREE!!!

This is only the first version of gmax2psp, so dont get all disapointed that it's stupid. I am going to be enhancing this script over time and will have the script to be able to support multimaterial objects or objects that have faces that are a different color and C\C++ code.

[EDIT]
Version 2 released.
Version 3 released.

[alatnet]

Version 2 of the Gmas2PSP script is done!!
I have implamented multi-material objects conversion to lua. I haven't been able to implament a way to have 3D models converted to C\C++ code yet cus i don't know how color is implamented in C\C++. I think i know how to have the x, y, and z postitions in gmax to be converted to a c\c++ array, but i do not know what type of array it should be. What im saying is, is it an integer array (int x[]) or something? If anyone could help me out on the color and array type thing, i would have the 3rd version of gmax2psp be able to convert models to c\c++.

Also, In the near future i may create a tutorial on how to use gmax2psp.

[EDIT]
Moved version 2 of gmax2psp to first post.

[TheMarioKarters]

WOW, this is awesome.

[alatnet]

I guess you like the ease of using a 3D Modeling program to create 3D models for the psp. :icon_bigg There are a few bugs here and there, but i am confident that i will fix them.

Also, i forgot to mention that a 3D model's position in gmax is a bit buggy at the moment. It doesn't create a 3D Model in lua code from center of the object to the vertex of the object. Instead, it creates an object from the center of the 3d world to the object's vertex. So if you modify the rotation of an object in the program that you are creating, it would move instead of rotating where it is at. It's a bug that im working on at the moment and will be fixed by the time i release version 3 of gmax2psp.

[Spirit]

This is pretty cool, and hopefully this will help lead to the rise of 3D homebrew games.
Now, kind of off topic.. I've download gmax, but I've never tried 3D modeling before, but I've always wanted to. Do you know of any good tutorials I could read on it.. I'd love to make a 3D lua game one day... and I never knew Lua could do 3D until that cube demo you created. :)

[alatnet]

This is pretty cool, and hopefully this will help lead to the rise of 3D homebrew games.
Now, kind of off topic.. I've download gmax, but I've never tried 3D modeling before, but I've always wanted to. Do you know of any good tutorials I could read on it.. I'd love to make a 3D lua game one day... and I never knew Lua could do 3D until that cube demo you created. :)

Well there are tutorials that you can download and install for gmax over at turbosquid.com. Click Here to be transferd to the downloads. The tutorials and help files are underneath the main download for Gmax.

[Psilocybeing]

I've just started playing with OpenGL with the hopes of sexifying Traveller, glow effects, 3d view etc(think StarTrek Bridge Commander). Good luck with implementing C data structures aswell, great job so far

[Psilocybeing]

I've been playing, and it works very nicely. I've got a basic interperator that can read the LUA model files working, but it needs cleaning up. I'll put it up on here later if it's done by then :)

[alatnet]

I've been playing, and it works very nicely. I've got a basic interperator that can read the LUA model files working, but it needs cleaning up. I'll put it up on here later if it's done by then :)

Cool!

[Insert_Witty_Name]

Also, In the near future i may create a tutorial on how to use gmax2psp.

Looks very promising. The tutorial would be excellent, I keep getting a 'There is no geometry linked to the frame' error when running the script.

I do have no experience with GMax though.

[Psilocybeing]

I got that aswell, then I watched one of the GMax tutorials and noticed how you link objects. Check it out, it shows how to use the NWN exporter, but the basic principal up to until they export it is the same.

http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view....Detail&id=186

[alatnet]

well, the development of gmax2psp v3 will be halted tomarrow and saturday cus of my end of the year field trip that im going on. I have gotten some optimizations done and a new save to file feature has been added, but it doesn't work on gmax yet i think it will work on 3Ds max. I did fix the 3D model position bug.

[Insert_Witty_Name]

I got that aswell, then I watched one of the GMax tutorials and noticed how you link objects. Check it out, it shows how to use the NWN exporter, but the basic principal up to until they export it is the same.

http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view....Detail&id=186

Thanks for the heads up, I'll check it out.

[blah]

.. i tryed it out..pretty cool ..good work man..

a couple things though ..(im sure your aware of this..) ..

unless i did something wrong??..when it generates the script..the spaces in the functions...

Frame 1col = ...
and..
Frame 1 = {...

other than that its wicked and after i fixed those problems manualy ..i had a nice terrain rendered...again nice work man..

[alatnet]

Thanks. Im still going to work on it. I might rig it up so that there will be a frame object link stationary objects (objects that dont move, such as a level), a frame object to link movable objects (objects that rotate and move, such as cars, characters, etc.), and a frame object to link lights. I think that will be in the 3rd or 4th version of gmax2psp.

[edit]
Oh! i see what you mean! Im going to do some research on string functions in maxscript to fix that problem.

[blah]

one other thing..if i can explain this.. texture UV Coords...

ok..right now you have it to convert to ..(color, x, y, z). thats good and all but to render textures/images on the mesh you need it to convert like .. (textureU, textureV, color, x, y, z).. is this something your going to have with it any time soon? or do in the future?

edit: nevermind that whole spaces thing..i used it again ..and this time that didnt happen?? weird...ha..dont mind me.. it was probley something i did..works fine now..

[alatnet]

well with the texture uv coords, it may take a while b4 i can implament it into the script. all i have now is applyable colors to the 3d model. when i can figure out how texture uv coords work, i'll implament them in the next version.

[alatnet]

Version 3 of Gmax2PSP is released!:Punk:
Still no support for c\c++ yet.

New features and bugfixes include:
-Vertex and model positioning fix.
-Textures! (as in the uv thing).
-Pictures that are used as textures, their names are added to the code.

[NOTE]
The download link of the new version is at the first post.

[gosugenji]

Great Work!! Ill Definately be using this in the future, as soon as ive completed my PSim Date Game

[alatnet]

Nice to hear that my maxscript bridges the gap between 3D and programming.

[Campbell]

I got that aswell, then I watched one of the GMax tutorials and noticed how you link objects. Check it out, it shows how to use the NWN exporter, but the basic principal up to until they export it is the same.

http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view....Detail&id=186

Heh I am a part of the Art Staff over at the VN's.

[alatnet]

<sarcasum>And that has to do with Gmax2PSP because...</sarcasum>

[alatnet]

Just wanting to let ppl know that im planning to have my maxscript support target cameras (for blah's modified luaplayer) and lights, though lighting may take a while.

[blah]

vertex normals .... = then lighting would work...i dont think its supported yet with lua player..

[alatnet]

Yea, vertex normals arnt supported in luaplayer or even the pspsdk, i believe.
I think that if vertex normals are supported, then i could have my maxscript be able to know when a 3D model's faces are fliped or not.

[gamehunter101]

this is so cool

[Psilocybeing]

I just want to thank you again altanet. Using your code as a base I've now got a full model/uv map exporter working and rendering in C. I can't wait to start building up a new engine :)

[alatnet]

wait, u coded in maxscript and modified my script to get c code down? KEWL!!!!!!

[Psilocybeing]

Yeah, it basically exports all of the the vert/uv coords, almost the same as the original copy does(I cut down the commenting and such, changed the format a little etc), and then renders them using a simple loop. I seriously need to get array drawing sorted, as simply looping through the vertexes is reaaally ugly, but it works :)

[alatnet]

nice.