Sure thing I'll try to help. First, let's make sure we're both talking about the same Maya export script (since there seems to be a least two of them floating around the forums).
The link is in the download section on the conitec.net site in the "Additional Software" section right below the "MAX" plug-in. It's the "MAYA to MDL" plug-in.
The download is a zip file that has pretty simple instructions for installing the script (which is what it is...simply a MEL script in Maya). In the zip file you'll find a "read me" instructional text file, a mel script, and a mdl5_converter.exe application. Follow the instructions and when you're done you'll have a new shelf in Maya called "Custom" (if I remember right) with one 'tool icon' on the shelf.
All that's left now is to prepare your model for export. BEFORE you use the MEL script (hit the button), you need to:
1. Make sure that you triangulate your model, which should be under the "Polygon" menu in Maya.
2. Layout all your UV's between the 0 and 1 in the Maya's UV editor (it will be the upper right hand quadrant)
3. Make all your poly Normals soft. You'll find that under the "Edit Polygons" --> "Normals" menu.
AFTER you've done the above select the model you want to export and click the button on the custom shelf. Then you'll need to fill out the following settings:
1. Name and setup the animations. You'll need to give each of your models animations a name and specify the frame numbers that make up that animation. The individual frames are separated by a space. (example: run 10 15 20 25 30) Means that frames 10,15,20,25,30 make up your run animation on your model.
2. specify the path to where you want your model exported to (obviously, don't forget where you save it). It's important to note you're specifying the PATH and NOT the file name. The file will ALWAYS be called "model.txt".
3. set the scale (size) that the model will be exported out at. I haven't found a good way to 'calculate' this yet between Maya and 3DGS, so it's pretty much trial and error until I get my first model of the game, then I use the model to set a scale for all the future exports of other models used in the game.
Then click the export button (or done, or whatever it's labeled). That will create a file named "model.txt" whereever you told it to be saved.
Finally, move (or copy) the "model.txt" file to the same directory as the "mdl5_converter.exe" (which is in the same zip file you downloaded as the MEL script.
Double-click the mdl5_converter.exe and it will run with a little command window flash and create a brand new 3dGS model named model.mdl in that same folder.
You can now rename the model.mdl file to whatever you want (player.mdl, hero.mdl, car.mdl...whatever). It's now ready to be opened in Gamestudio's MED and assigned a texture. The UV's will be layed out the same as the Maya file so just import your texture image (as a pcx or tga file) and apply it in the "skin manager" in MED.
Ok, so this isn't the shortest description but honestly the process isn't that bad. Keep the following in mind. It only exports out one mesh at a time, so if you have multiple meshs (example: a tank's lower half, and a tank's upper turret)...you'll have to combine the meshes with "Polygons" --> "Combine". The script exports out purely the mesh...no bones...no curves...rigging...etc, so animate everything in Maya. And pretty obivous to say, but I will anyway, this only works on polys...no curver, NURBS, or subdiv surfaces (they'll need to be converted to polys in Maya before you export them if you modeled them with anything other than polys.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks,
Todd
