LEXIExporter        
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Author: Sethos

Project: OGRE Main Project (LEXIExporter)

Type: Plug-in

Supported Versions: 3DSMax 9

Documentation: Dependencies

Sources: OGRE Main CVS

Binaries: OGRE Tools Downloads Area

Status and bug reports: OGRE Forums Thread


Concept

LEXIExporter is a native plugin for 3DSMax9. It is a project in progress, with realeases every 2. or 3. week, and with your help it will be just what you need.

The concept behind the LEXIExporter consists basically of two ideas. First of all, it should be extendable. So far this means opensource and plugable. It will be possible to create plugin export types, such a specific scene formats. It will also be possible to create different methods of material exports, e.g. extend the standard emulation to more optimized shaders or export materials enforcing a certain parent-child relation. Secondly, loose coupling to the modelling tool (so far it´s 3DSMax9) should be kept where possible.

Current Version

Current version is 1.0.8. This version now supports 3DSMax9. For further details on current releases check the Changlog in the CVS.

Features

LEXIExport currently features:

  • Simple .scene export
    • exports node hierarchy
    • exports node animations
  • 3DSMax9.
  • Automatically load and unload of plugin Dlls.
  • XML export of mesh and skeleton
  • Export types
    • Static mesh
    • Skinned mesh (skeleton animated)
  • General Mesh export
    • Shared or Dedicated geometry option
    • Vertex Colors
    • Normals
    • Multiple UV sets
    • Reindexing optimization
    • Single pose
    • Multiple sampled pose animations
    • Tangents
    • Edgelist
  • Specific export features for skinned mesh
    • Multiple Skeleton Animations
    • Multiple root bones
    • Linked bones
  • Shader based materials, to mimic 3DMax DX Viewport look (so far only one at a time)
    • Blinn colors
    • Diffuse texture
    • Specular Color
    • Specular Level
    • Self-Illumination
    • Diffuse and specular map
  • Submesh materials
  • Automatical conversion of referenced texturemaps. (e.g. .psd -> .dds)
  • Material export into per material file or per mesh.
  • Add Selection of Multiple Objects


For more details see the Changlog

Design & Features to come:

  • Templated settings.
  • Morph animation export
  • Plugin based exporter types
    • i.e. Scenemanager specific scene exports
  • Plugin based material export.
    • i.e. override standard material export of Max materials with Diffuse+Specular+Bump maps assigned
    • i.e. add support for new material types

Where to get the source

LEXIExporter is opensource and the source code can be found in OGRE's CVS repository. After checkout locate it in folder ogrenew\Tools\3dsmaxExport\LEXIExporter. Mind the license and contribute with any improvements or fixes.

How to Contribute

Create a patch as you would with OGRE and submit it.

How to Use

Take a look at the screenshot descriptions and the video tutorials. If more questions arise post them in the LEXIExporter thread on the OgreForum. Feature requests, Ideas or bug reports may be reported as a private message to me(sethos) in the OgreForum.

Install Notice

If you experience problems initializing LEXIExporter try to set your 3DSMax to use the D3D display driver. Additionally, the current versions of oFusion and LEXIExporter conflicts, due to their common initialization process, so installing oFusion after LEXIExporter, will corrupt the initialization of LEXIExporter, and vice versa.

Screenshots

thumbnail|none|The LEXIExporter is a native plugin for 3dMax8, and may be positioned in the Max Utility Panel as shown
thumbnail|none|Clicking the ''Properties'' button reveals the Export Tree Dialog shown above. Here the user may add objects to be exported and set individual export properties as needed.
thumbnail|none|When setting the individual properties for an object to be exported, select the object in the tree and set the options in the panel to the right.
thumbnail|none|During the export a progress window will appear, and afterwards a log window will popup if any serious warnings or errors have occoured. The log window may also be accessed through the properties dialog.

Video Tutorials

History Source