GMAX

Is Gmax still available for download. If not, what can I use that is free.

up9100 said:

what can I use that is free.

Click to expand...

Blender, without any doubt: https://www.blender.org/download/

There is a steep learning curve on whichever one you go with. If you're creating for TS19 then I'd go Blender 3.0 and FBX.

There are a few tutorials around and ask here when you have problems. I suggest you look for specific Trainz tutorials for Blender 2.8 and later. We don't use 95% of Blender so general tutorials aren't really specific enough.

Best of luck and be prepared to spend a bit of time building your first model. Traditionally a scenery object will be the easiest to start with.

Cheerio John

GMAX abandoned you... you might as well abandon GMAX and learn to use Blender.

Better to go for Blender or a more user friendly fork of Blender, bforartists, better for those who prefer menus rather than keyboard shortcuts.

However as you asked there are options that are not that straight forward.

GMAX is still available, you won't be able to register it though without a hack now unless you have the original key, better to go for Blender or anything else that's free that exports to an up to date fbx.

You can get GMAX into FBX if you can find the third party 3ds exporter and then run that through Autodesks FBX convertor, works after a fashion.

Hexagon which was free at one point will export to 3ds which can be converted as above, no animation though.

3D Crafter Pro - Now Free or was last time I looked, can export to FBX as well as IM.

Autodesks discontinued but free Softimage_Mod_Tool_7.5 will export to FBX but will need updating through the FBX Convertor as the fbx is of 2010 vintage so out of date. Actually pretty similar to 3ds Max.

I still have around my files the installer of gmax1.2 and the trainz exporter for it but you should find a way to activate it so... don't know how it could help you. I agree with the others here above: unless you wish to pay big money (for original 3DSmax) or have hacked softs around better is to go for Blender

up9100 said:

Is Gmax still available for download. If not, what can I use that is free.

Click to expand...

No its not! You can't download it anymore or get needed files.

sister said:

I still have around my files the installer of gmax1.2 and the trainz exporter for it but you should find a way to activate it so... don't know how it could help you. I agree with the others here above: unless you wish to pay big money (for original 3DSmax) or have hacked softs around better is to go for Blender

Click to expand...

there a is hack for the key code.

To sum up, FBX isn't a formal open standard which means importing from various sources into Trainz depends on a number of factors. Translation expect updates to the software to get the best out of it.

Whichever one you go with will take many hours of learning to get it right. There are no short cuts that I'm aware of. As you create you'll assemble a bit box where things that can be reused in another model are stored. This means the cost of changing from one to another is high. You lose the hours you put in to learning the software plus your library of parts.

If you go mainstream then there will be others around to assist which makes Blender the best choice. There are two versions of Blender for our purposes 2.79b and 2.8 and later. They use different exporters and have a very different interface which is why if you are starting out it is best go with the latest version of Blender.

Hacks don't make for reliability and in the seventeen years since support for GMAX was dropped the tools for content creation have improved.

Cheerio John