Page 137 - Kitab3DsMax

Chapter 3: Working with Files, Importing, and Exporting

l Lightscape Material, Blocks, Parameters, Layers, Preparations, and Views (ATR, BLK, DF, LAY,
LP, VW)
l Motion Analysis (HTR)
l Publish to DWF (DWF)
l OBJ Material and Object (OBJ)
l ACIS SAT (SAT)
l StereoLithography (STL)
l VRML97 (WRL)

New Feature
Support for exporting the ACIS SAT format is new in 3ds Max 2011. n

Moving files to and from Maya and MotionBuilder
Autodesk has a host of other products that deal with 3D including Maya and MotionBuilder, so you may
find yourself having to move scene files between Max and Maya at some time. The best format to transport
files among Max, Maya, and MotionBuilder is the FBX format. Autodesk controls this format and has
endowed it with the ability to seamlessly transport files among these packages.

Tip
The FBX format also is the format to choose when transferring files back and forth with Softimage XSI and for
opening Max files in older versions of 3ds Max. n
The FBX format includes support for all the scene constructs, including animation, bone systems, morph
targets, and animation cache files. It has an option to embed textures with the export file or to convert them
to the TIF format. Other import and export settings deal with the system units and world coordinate orien-
tation. You also have the ability to filter specific objects. The FBX Export dialog box is shown in Figure 3.9.
The FBX import and export dialog boxes include the ability to save and load configuration presets. This is
helpful because once you figure out the correct settings to get models in and out of Max, you can save the
preset and instantly select it the next time you need to move a file. The Web updates button lets you check
for updates to the FBX format online.

Tip
When exporting a file for use in Maya or in a previous version of Max, be sure to set the Up Axis to Y-up, or the
models will show up rotated. n
When exporting the to FBX format, you have a Type option that you can use to export the file as an ASCII
text file or as a Binary file. Binary files are typically smaller, but ASCII files can be edited in a text editor.
The FBX format is being continually updated, but the FBX Export dialog box lets you select which FBX ver-
sion to use. If you need to export a Max file for use on an older version of Max, be sure to select an older
FBX version in the FBX Version drop-down list.

Using the OBJ format
The OBJ format is a text-based format that has been around since the early days of Wavefront, an early 3D
package. It is a common format and used to exchange 3D data with a variety of programs, including
Mudbox and Poser.

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