3ds max

[JoannaDark]

Hello everybody,

Does anyone know where I can find a plugin/if such a plugin exists that makes 3ds max backwards compatible? As in, files that I've (painstakingly) created in version 9 aren't openable by 8. I have 7 computers at my disposal to render in 8, and all my bipeds are created (painstakingly) in 9. I really, REALLY don't want to have to redo all that work. All the bipeds have skins and mocap files associated with them.

Any takers?

[Wrestlevania]

I would be very surprised if this is feasible; AliasWavefront do so love to fuck-over their userbase on an annual basis -- or sooner, if even remotely feasible.

[brkl]

That's not backwards compatibility, that's forward compatibility.

[syntheticgerbil]

There is no way to save backwards, unlike Flash or Illustrator, which I'm guessing is the option you were looking for.

I feel your pain though, I have been in this exact same situation with Max 8 and 7. I have yet to use 9. Is there anyway you can get away with rendering on the computer with Max 9 and have enough time?

[JoannaDark]

That's not backwards compatibility, that's forward compatibility.

You're dead right.

Of course, that's not help you're giving me, that's pedantics.

Also, thanks synthetic, but I have waaaay too much rendering to do to do it on one computer. I hate my life. It wouldn't suck so much if all the bipeds didn't have to have 40 tiny spheres attached at precise points around the body, which all have to associated with whatever bone's nearest. I fucking hate max.

[syntheticgerbil]

I can suggest you try to export any objects you need as .3ds and see if you can go backwards, but from what I can remember, it ruins all of your texture information and unsmooths some of your polygons for some reason, sometimes even making breaks. If you have time to set up the character again with the Biped in a Max 8 file, you may be able to save your biped animations as .bip from the motion controls roll out in your Max 9 file and then load it onto your biped in Max 8.

(edited from and put after last message.)

[JoannaDark]

I'll try that, thanks! The time consuming part of it is the chr-biped affiliation, if you will. And I will. But screw it, if I have enough time to forum about it I prob have enough time to just go do it!

[brkl]

Yeah, sorry, but but pedantics are all I can give when they've made this deliberately as difficult as possible so you'd have to buy the new version for every computer.

[Wrestlevania]

Of course, that's not help you're giving me, that's pedantics.

It's pedantry, actually...

[JoannaDark]

holy thin expertly rendered ice wrestlevania!

wow, my world has become so small...

[Ginger]

It's pedantry, actually...

Thank you, that gave me a much needed laugh.

[davidana]

Hi, i'm in the process of putting blueprints together for a helicopter, however the front and side planes are not showing my reference image, it just goes white. I think it might be 'inside out' but i don't know how to fix it. The top view is fine. Any help would be great!

[brkl]

You need to twiddle that thingamajig... what's it called? Well, you know.

[toblix]

If you're using an UWV mapping plane, you should rotate it around the thingie.

[syntheticgerbil]

I think when you put on the UVW mapping plane, like Toblix said, you don't even have to rotate it. You can just check "reflect" or something along those lines in the modifier box.

[toblix]

Not if the plane is perpendicular to the surface, which I thought was what was going on.

[syntheticgerbil]

Yeah you know, just play with it.

[Cigol]

Yeah, it'll come naturally that way