I bought one of the tanks from http://gunpoint-3d.com/list-tanks_american.html and I am trying to load it in and I am having trouble, I can't get it into Poser complete (It comes in with some pieces moved and out of place) and the 3DS file gets most of the way done in Bryce and then it just quits. I have sort of managed to get a lwo file in but I would manually have to set up textures and there are a lot of little pieces and I honestly have no clue what goes on what. Any ideas on how to get the thing to to work? thanks

hmm..does it happen with other 3ds files? I've imported a lot of .3ds into Bryce, usually the only thing wrong is it's pointing 'the wrong way'..;) Poser the only thing I can tell you is you might want to check 'weld identical vertices'..because Poser sees 2 sides to every story, or model, or whatever. Is this one file you're referring to? or more? Bryce can take many different imports, .dxk, .3ds, .obj, and .lwo are the only ones I've tried so far (I might have done others, but these I know work). Ask the Poser folks about importing into Poser, though many here do go in both directions, import/export..;) good luck.

It appens with some other 3DS files but not others ... I have the memory upped and I preloaded textures but it hits that last little bit and then just quits. The files come in lwo, 3ds, max and cd4 but the last two types don't work with Bryce. Hopefuly I can get this to work somehow ... Ugh

You may have to get grouper and run it thru that first before Poser.

Try converting it to wavefront obj first, making sure the associated .mtl file refers to your textures. copy the texture files refered to in the mtl file to the same directory as your obj and .mtl if they are elsewhere. import into bryce or poser.

Grouper may be a better solution in some cases especially if there are problems with the file itself, but it generally takes longer than doing it manually unless you have difficulty finding the texture files as might be the case if you were to export an obj from Poser.

Message edited on: 06/17/2004 00:30

What does this model say it is compatable with and what software do you have to work on it? One of the ways to model in MAX is to build pieces out of line of other pieces so that you wont snap to other objects. Suppose you build a car with four wheels. You model one then duplicate it and move to the four places it goes. If this was done and the stack was not colapsed in max correctly then the pieces won't line up. Max will open it correctly but no other 3D application can handle the transforms.

IMHO Electroglyph has hit the mail on the head, many modellers forget to reset the xForms at the end of modelling, the problem then is that on import to another package the model just says this part of the object is x units from that part, however Bryce units are different to poser units and different to Max units, so all the object appear in different spaces. If the application trying to import doesn't support the units as defined they may hang (for example too many decimal places in the unit).

Unfortunately I can't convert it to wavefront obj first since I can't get it into a program fully :) I will see if I can run Grouper on my girlfriends computer .. Where is it located? The files come in lwo, 3ds, max and cd4 but but I am trying to work with it in Poser and Bryce. I also tied DAZ Studio but that doesn't have import working yet and ZBrush. That is pretty much what I can work with it in. I think I may have a demo of Vue that I haven't installed but that does no good. I can't remember waht it was modeled in but I will see if I can have the place I bought it fix it .. Just don't really have time.

I think Grouper is in freestuff somewhere, under utilities..I do know that .max format won't import into Bryce (or much anything else, either, unless a converter for that program has been made). Lwo files after a certain version won't import either..though I'm not sure where the cutoff is, but it's fairly recent..If you look for back issues of Digit, Computer Art, 3d World, they have C4d (version 6) out there, you might be able to export it into the c4d, then export in a friendlier format (I've done that once..;)

If nothing else works we could try the C4D option. Send me an IM if all else fails.

Attached Link: http://www.righthemisphere.com/support/downloads/download.php#

Grouper will only work if the file is already in obj format. There is a program called deep exploration that you can try. It is fully functional for 30days. If you like it you will have to pay $140 for the licensed version. You can get an evaluation copy at this link. If the 3ds file was saved without doing an xform it will open all broken up in deep exploration as well but you might be able to open the lwo version with the textures intact then save to obj. Just make sure you save to another directory and don't write over your original file with something you can't undo.

the first
link suggests RH Deep exploration

this one shows that there are sometimes problems with using deep exploration to convert to obj.

this is a link to a demo of accutrans. I'm impressed - worth the few bucks it costs.

Oops the first link didn't work no matter it just verified what was said earlier but if it doesn't work read the other two links (they should work right.)

I downloaded the M1Abrams tank from that site and tried it. Try this, Look through all the lwo parts until you find a file named something.lws In my case it was m1abrams.lws. From bryce import this file. It will call all the other pieces and materials for the other 80+ lwo parts. As soon as it loads, group the whole thing. I had to scale the abrams from 100 X,Y,Z to about 3 because it came into bryce huge for some reason. Press the down arrow to drop this to the ground plane.

Crossroads is a free 3D conversion program that will convert 3ds to obj;

Crossroads

Attached Link: http://www.wings3d.com

so will Wings..with as many recommendations as I give, you'd think I'd get a commission..;) plus with Wings, you can alter the model to your heart's content..;) but Crossroads is good, I have it and use it..

Had a look at the file last night, reset the xForms, grouped the objects and sent it back to ghost was working fine in Bryce now :)

Works fine .. Thanks