Is there a way to save to .3DS so that a figure and textures can import into Poser?

 

.max file, open in 3D Studio Max, save as .3ds, import into poser with textures?

 

I know 3DS is better, but I don't want to go the other way and import into 3DS and have to learn a more complex program.

In 3dsmax, you export as .3ds rather than save.  File size is limited to 64K poly's and texture map names have to be limited to the old 8.3 format.

Sometimes is easier to export in OBJ format.

I always use .obj format coming out of Max, but the digits are limited to 2 decimal places so choose .01 as the scale and if you are doing a hardline model do not have Max do anything with the vertices as they will be welded and you will have tons of grief. 

Uncheck the vertex radio box. Also uncheck the smoothing groups to be safe if you are doing a hardline model, such as a building or furniture with square edges. If they are split in max and you do not uncheck these boxes poser will try it's best to smotth these corners.

Also if it is a hardline model in the properties tab of poser uncheck smooth polygons for the object in question.

You will have to build a runtime folder structure to export to and then use the following setting in the the first dialog.

Export to the geometry folder and have Max point to the textures forlder for your maps if any.

If you have more questions I might be able to help you more.

Tom

Here is the second dialog you will see if you click on the dropdown button shown surrounded in yellow in the first image.

Enlarge this image.

Click on the little green folder and make sure the default path to your textures is in thetextures folder you set up.

This makes a big difference when you have tierd folders inside each other.

Hope this helps you.

Tom

I tried it.  The obj is saved in runtime/geometries.  Set the textures to save in runtime/textures.  But when the export finishes it deletes the textures folder and saves both the .obj and a .mtl file in the geometries folder.

 

Trying to convert this:  http://www.trekmeshes.ch/meshes/meshesdetails.php?Name=STREAM

I have never experienced that senario before so can not offer help with that one. Sorry.

Was it 3D Studio Max that deleted the runtime folder called textures? or did it happen when you open Poser?

I would open the runtime that you created and make sure the paths are the set up that is default for Poser. You might have a mispelled name on a folder or double folders.

Also did you use the default button and save the defaults the way I have them checked or unchecked in the second image I posted? If you did not then Max will use it's own incorrect choices as a default. I.E. scale is set to .04 instead of .01 which will make your models 4 times as big as they should be.

Tom

I downloaded max file from link you give.

First, the scene has only one object, a simple cylinder, plus two lights.
The effect is from a procedural shader, which cannot be exported.

The actual geometry from the scene is not so important, making an equivalent shader in Poser would take some time. Probably using turbulence node in combination with supplied texture map.

It might even be preferable to make render of max scene and use as backdrop depending on your requirements.

"First, the scene has only one object, a simple cylinder, plus two lights.
The effect is from a procedural shader, which cannot be exported."

Ah.  See, I'm not very clever in identifying that.

There is no purpose other than trying to convert from MAX to work in Poser.  There are some other nice ST models on that web site.  I'd like to use them in Poser.  Using that one was just trying to learn the conversion process.

It might work rendering things like that in MAX then using the image in Poser.

Tried saving from 3DS max as an image, and then loading that into poser.  If loaded as a background image it doesn't render.  The scene renders blank unless it's tilted/rotated so the background image isn't visible.

 

If loaded as an image on a plane, it is washed out when rendered.

Made the ground invisible in render to fix the issue with rendering the background image.

I play around with putting image on one-sided square primitive. Plugging image into Alternate_Diffuse node gives better brightness. Also used in Ambient_Node to provide some illumination to scene. I use no poser lights, just the prop and a lighting dome.