MAXLancer (import/export for 3ds Max)

[Treewyrm]

Beta 8 Release
Link: GitHub

Improvements

As there are so many resource files in game and this mod specifically the new tool addresses the need to automatically search libraries for materials and textures. As well as determining which models use specific material name to find collisions.

• Find Resource tool. Searches game data files for specified resource name(s) (material, texture or mesh). Additional when searched of model files it will list which models use given resource as a material. Search works both for string values as well as hash value (in hexadecimal format prefixed with 0x).
  
• Auto-search option during import.
  
• Animation resampling. When part controller properties use non-linear subcontroller (such as bezier) MAXLancer will sample it into linear property at frame rate specified in settings. Threshold option is provided for automatic keys optimization and reduction (disabled when value is 0). Overall this allows making complicated animation sequences and other types of controllers.
  
• Thorn Tool. A little helper tool generates Thorn/LUA (in-game cutscenes) snippets for selected objects. Includes sampling tool to capture motion of selected objects into THN motion path curve, such as fly-by camera or any other object with spatial animation.
  

Bugfixes

• Improved character import dialog.
  
• Reworked settings dialog window.
  
• Startup errors (better descriptions and lists all problems with settings).
  
• Animation object map export fix.
  
• Reworked main object to reduce stack trace output clutter for better debugging.
  
• Animation for head and hands can be imported into main Root part (not might be reliable in some odd situations).
  

Known issues

• Reloading scripts will break some animation controllers in current scene. If necessary please save your scene first and then re-open it after reloading MAXLancer scripts. A warning query box is added on button.
  
• In certain situations HUD wireframe parsing can be quite slow. This part is being reworked still and currently not well optimized.
  

[Treewyrm]

Release candidate 0.9
Link: GitHub

With some adjustments and fixes the development tool is almost complete in its intended functionality. I plan to finish deformable models export for 1.0 release and that should wrap it up.

• Fixed "Find Resources" dialog window for 3ds Max 2018.
  
• Added "Find Dupe Meshes" to "Find Resources" tool to scan for duplicate mesh buffer names.
  
• "Find Resources" now ignores zero length files (though it will complain about corrupted UTF files).
  
• Improved "Levels of Detail" section in toolbox: level and view distance is applied to all editable meshes in selection.
  
• Added "Reset Transform" and "Reset Center Pivots" buttons to apply to editable meshes in selection.
  
• Removed "Visible edges to wireframe" from Level of Detail mesh attributes.
  
• Added "Create Wireframes" button to generate wireframe shape object from visible edges of editable meshes in selection.
  
• Improved message log to include information where materials/textures were found when using auto-search during model import.
  
• Added checkbox in "Import Materials" dialog window to add materials into material slot editor (used to be behavior by default, now optional).
  
• Materials imported via "Import materials" and added to slot editor will start from currently selected slot.
  
• Implemented hashmaps for vertex attributes to speed up model exporting.
  
• Redesigned Surface builder tool interface. Automatically switches to currently selected mesh.
  
• Mirrored hardpoints now use 2 digit suffix sequence increment common for Freelancer assets.
  
• Mirrored hardpoints are automatically added to source object layer.
  
• INI template for loadout.
  
• Added support for RCD collision hulls format (Aftermath mod).
  

"Visible edges to wireframe" checkbox was removed from Level of Detail attributes as it wasn't working correctly and caused extra indices in buffers, with large/detailed models having lots of visible edges this caused display errors in game. Instead now you can generate wireframe shape from visible edges of editable meshes in "Rigid Models" section by selecting one or more editable meshes and pressing "Create Wireframes" button. The resulting line object(s) will be automatically attached to their respective parent LOD meshes and added into "Wireframes" layer. Also they won't have duplicate edges. You can edit line objects but keep in mind that knots should be snapped to mesh vertices the line object is attached to, otherwise wireframe will be generated only partially.

[Treewyrm]

Release candidate 0.95
Link: GitHub

• Compressor and decompressor from Nvidia Texture Tools are now included in installer.
  
• Default paths for textures, shaders and Nvidia Texture tools.
  
• Streamlined interface in various groups of MAXLancer panel/sidebar.
  
• Mass editing for LOD meshes, rigid part helpers and hardpoint helpers.
  
• Added export vertex numeric precision limit to reduce number of 'close' vertex duplicates. Used in attribute hashing, does not affect actual written vertex values.
  
• Spline attached directly to Rigid part helper will be treated as freeform wireframe and use independent vmesh buffer. This allows wireframe 'model' to be independent of LOD vertices if need be.
  
• Added support for camera part in compound model. This feature seem to be used by cockpit models. Rigid part helpers now have additional properties related to such camera. If enabled the rigid part helper will not export any attached LODs and other components.
  
• Added support for damaged parts. Although previously it was already possible to create multipart model with damaged parts now this feature is made much more convenient and damage models will be exported alongside main model.
  
• Improved installer. Instead of hardcoded version list the installer scans for registry keys of all installed versions and presents selection dialog screen.
  
• Deformable models are now imported as skeleton (a hierarchy of bones), still very much a WIP.
  

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Not in this version but coming up shortly in next update - automatically importing Freelancer materials as Physical materials for rendering purposes (like Arnold and Vray).

[Barbarossa]

As an ex-developer whos attention just got caught, is this still up-to-date? Or is there a different kit nowadays for modelling?

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[Treewyrm]

Basically you have two options: A) 3ds Max with Maxlancer; B) Blender export to gltf and converting to Lanceredit;

Maxlancer is a more feature-complete solution, while blender+lanceredit is alternative option for those who can't or won't use max.
At this state there's not much left to add into maxlancer, aside from exporting character models (dfm), so it's mostly occasional fixes here and there and feature requests.
May be I'll add support to Schmackbolzen's advanced renderer at some point.

So use whatever (except Milkshape and buggy exporters there). You can model in Blender/Maya/etc and import into Max to do final assembly for export into Freelancer formats.

[Barbarossa]

You can model in Blender/Maya/etc and import into Max to do final assembly for export into Freelancer formats.

Oh Perfect!

But how do I import existing Discovery models (for scaling/editing purposes) into Blender? Can't find a way to import a .cmp file...

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[Kauket]

You can model in Blender/Maya/etc and import into Max to do final assembly for export into Freelancer formats.

Oh Perfect!

But how do I import existing Discovery models (for scaling/editing purposes) into Blender? Can't find a way to import a .cmp file...

In librelancer, go into the preview model. On the left will be options for export.

Make sure you link your blender exe in your program options

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[Barbarossa]

You can model in Blender/Maya/etc and import into Max to do final assembly for export into Freelancer formats.

Oh Perfect!

But how do I import existing Discovery models (for scaling/editing purposes) into Blender? Can't find a way to import a .cmp file...

In librelancer, go into the preview model. On the left will be options for export.

Make sure you link your blender exe in your program options

Alright thanks! Tried to find a way to download Librelancer past 1 hour because my firewall is blocking me from downloading it because it is a threat somehow.

Now I lost motivation, gotta wait until I get it back :|

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[Kauket]

Just press ignore? If its Windows, press more details then ignore

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