The end of Gmax?

[backyard]

So, after all this time, and spending money to get AutoDesk to authorize a graphics machine unequaled to any, with a custom exporter in .im format, we're to forget Gmax?

All in the interest of Nurbs?

Please explain this to me....what's a mother to do?

 

[S301]

Man. How many times do we have to say it.

GMax can NOT do some of the things that are 'required' for the new TRS ('baking' textures, and normal maps and so on is a 'basic' one).

But, aside from this, you can still make content. TRS04/6/TC content will apparently still work. And GMax can be made to export a mesh with normal maps (just that you need to make them using the photoshop plugin). The main things that I can see that it can't do are texture exporting (inc texture baking, normals, and 'pre mapped' textures), and it struggles with high poly models (limit is about 40k, the station model alone breaks this one, so you can't safely export the 'required' poly counts).

In reality, I see this as being as much the end of GMax as AutoDesk's no longer supporting it was the end of it... There is nothing to stop you from using it, just that a number of features are not available in it...

Zec

 

[ZapperJet]

Gmax is still available for content creators. The only difference is that it doesn't generate the items mentioned above. Without them it usually looks like our regular TRS content. That is not to say that you cannot make the items mentioned.

Normal Maps, or bump maps, add details without adding polygons by interrupting specular light, and, in some cases, the ambient light of the game. These can be generated with a myriad of programs, including the nVidia Photoshop plugin and perhaps GIMP.

Baked textures are usually generated by mapping ambient occlusion lighting to the texture. Ambient Occlusion (AO) is what you get in any shadowed, flat, or cloudy area. It's indirect light and shadow. These cannot be generated with Gmax, but that's not to say that you are required to make them. They can be generated by most 3D programs that have a render engine. (i.e., Blender, 3DsMax, etc)

Gmax has a polygon bug at roughly 30,000 polygons that causes the export to become distorted. However, assuming mesh tables are still used (I assume they will be for compatibility), one can split items into multiple sections (two .im meshes) and add them on top of each other.

Anyhow... there you have it. Not terribly devastating. It will still do all the stuff it does now. TRS09 is not required to have the aforementioned items, but apparently it's the "standard" of quality. I personally say, screw the standards, make what you want, up to par or no.

Cheerio,
John

 

[backyard]

Well heck Man, lay it on me...

I'm cool that I'm not orphaned...I have posted that '04 & '06 will still rule...in their own way...

I guess I'm looking for a low cost replacement for Gmax.

Photoshop plugins, require a heavy investment into Adobe;

Blender and Gimp, are not impossible for me.

Any suggestions on programs that will be compatible for TRS2009 are welcome.

I can't knock the new technology, however like everyone who's posted as such, AutoDesk 3dsMax is heavy as hell to invest in...without a payware sales option.

I had content creation dreams, I guess they will work for the legacy sims(check out my sig.).

Any suggestions?

 

[paulhobbs]

Blender and Gimp, are not impossible for me.

Good that they not impossible for you, those are the two you need.

Paul

 

[thomasfrede]

New Poll for 3D program usage??

Should someone organize a poll to let Auran know how many fans are using gMax, 3Dmax, Blender etc.?

 

[bendorsey]

Hi Gents:

I'm a notorious poly-lover as I'm sure you all know. I probably have over 500 items with 40,000 to 60,000 polys, some with close to 100,000 and one or two close to 200,000. My current project may very well come in at around 500,000 or so.

Gmax itself doesn't seem to have a real poly-limit but as stated above starts to get cranky around 40,000 or so. It still works as long as you are willing to have a little patienence. It also doesn't seem to like working more then 2000 ft from the axis origin (X, Y, Z = 0 ft 0.0 in) but it will (again with patienence).

The poly-count limit seems to be around 18,000 per image file and is associated with your video card, the exporter, or perhaps Trainz itself. Much more then that and funny planar things appear and/or entire sections may not appear at all in Surveyor and Driver. The solution is simple - break the item up into as many separate image files as required of 18K polys or less and let the config files mesh table assemble the complete item but remember, all attachment points must be in the default image file.

Ben

 

[johnwhelan]

Should someone organize a poll to let Auran know how many fans are using gMax, 3Dmax, Blender etc.?

Why?

Isn't the thing to do to find out what the requirements are for a 3D modelling program?

The professionals will probably use 3DS not many of them but they need that sort of tool and many have years of experience in it.

The creators with money probably have a copy of 3DS so that leaves the rest of us.

TRS2009 has more capabilities than can be used by 3D Canvas, or Sketchup, or GMAX, or even Blender with the present exporter. They can't afford to build and test an exporter for each with all the capabilities so the answer is build an XML importer which they have done.

Blender seems quite happy with the current XML exporter and it seems likely that it will be enhanced to support more features over time.

What we need is more xml exporters for different products.

Cheerio John

 

[backyard]

And, by the way...

I've not heard any mention of PaintShop Pro lately...why?

Will I be able to substitute PaintShop Pro X, for PhotoShop, for TRS2009?

 

[freightcar2]

So, if I am reading this thread right, I won't be able to create content for TRS2009 in GMAX?

 

[trw1089]

So, if I am reading this thread right, I won't be able to create content for TRS2009 in GMAX?

No, you are not reading it right. Try again, this time with feeling...

Tony

 

[deeelare]

No, you are not reading it right. Try again, this time with feeling...
Tony

:hehe: :hehe: , ---DLR

 

[johnwhelan]

I've not heard any mention of PaintShop Pro lately...why?

Will I be able to substitute PaintShop Pro X, for PhotoShop, for TRS2009?

The file formats are the important thing here, PaintShop pro can handel them without problem but GIMP and Paint.net which are free can also handle them.

Gimp has a few tricks that Paintshop Pro can't do, Paintshop Pro XI has one trick called colour replace where it replaces shades etc of the colour which I haven't seen in the others.

Cheerio John