Is there any plugin for Max 8 that exports animations to MDL?
I tried to use the Max6 plugin, but it constatly gives errors about textures (even when model does have textures and even when it doesn't).

I definitelly need it, cuz i just can't animate in MED.

The model was just a simple ball that jumps (animation was made with keyframe animation, no bones either)

I'm not sure max6tomdl plugin support max 8, but when you
get such error message, you have to quit and rerun max again,
then assign the texture on your model and export it again.

If the error message still exists, try MALABAR's max2mdl
plugin, it supports both textured or untextured models,
you may download the trail version and try it before you buy.

You could also export the model to .3ds format, open it in Milkshape 3d, then use that program to export it to .mdl.

Or export it to .3ds and import it into med directly. But i don't know if this includes the textures... But it does work for the models anyway.


Jason

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But i don't know if this includes the textures...

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It doesn't . But, you can manually import the skin . I'm not sure about if the UVs are exported and in the same positions though.

It export UVs too but no animations at all with .3ds
unless you just want a static model.

The plugin works fine in max 8. I have created several animated and non
animated models with this plugin.

Make sure you have uv mapping applied to the model and do not use a compound
multi-texture or anything like that. Just use a plain bmp texture in the
diffuse slot of the material. You can change the texture in MED later.

Check "hi precision" and enter the start and end frames (keyframes) in the
dialog. Click "export frame range".

Some Tips:
Before you export, save your file, then collapse the stack. Switch to some
other tab than the "modify" tab on the command panel, the export operation can
sometimes mess it up if it is open while exporting. If it crashes, restart max
and try again, however once you get the hang of the plug in, crashes are rare.

Good Luck!

"But, you can manually import the skin . I'm not sure about if the UVs are exported and in the same positions though."

I'm having trouble with this... After I export my obj file from 3DS into 3DS format, when MED loads the texture, the colors are messed up. In fact, whenever I attempt to import a 24-bit bmp or any other file, it gets automatically converted into 256 colors. Any way around this?

Also, after I load the obj file in 3ds max (It comes with 10 TGAs), is there a way to export a new single image that's a combination of all of the TGAs?
THanks!

If they haven't changed MED in the years since I stoppped using it, then every type of texture you import into it looks like its only 256 colors, because that's just how its viewports render things. That won't however affect how it renders ingame. At least it shouldn't.

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Also, after I load the obj file in 3ds max (It comes with 10 TGAs), is there a way to export a new single image that's a combination of all of the TGAs?

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I haven't heard of an automatic way of doing this . . .
The only thing I can think of would be to re-uvmap all the pieces of your model onto one texture sheet.
If I remember correctly, 3dgs can only handle one texture sheet per model anyway.