The 3dmax file is exported to the ms3d file.

Ms3d was selected as an animation model during the creation of a category-based casual game in the studio. in this way, we need to convert the Max file created by the artist into the ms3d format. the following is the method we use. (which is derived from the Ogre model of Yan Chen. Article )

(1) Use the actorx plug-in to completely export the role animation from 3 DSMAX to the PSA and PSK files;
(2) Use milkshape 3D to read the animation exported in the previous step and convert it to ms3d.

The following describes the detailed steps.

0. Tools used:

(1) 3 DSMAX 4, 5, 6, 7
This is mainly because the following unreal actorx plug-ins are powerful and have all output plug-ins corresponding to 3 DSMAX 4, 5, 6, and 7 versions. So here, the 3 DSMAX version is not a problem.
I use 3 DSMAX 6.

(2) unreal actorx for 3 DSMAX plugin
(2-1) plugin download
You can go to und (unreal developer network) to download the actorx plug-in corresponding to your 3 DSMAX version. The download page is here:
Http://udn.epicgames.com/Two/ActorX
There are also actorx plug-ins for Maya 4, 4.5, 5, and 6. In short, no matter whether you use 3 DSMAX or Maya or what version you are using, the power of this plug-in can ensure smooth output, at the same time, make sure that the output models and animation files follow the same specifications to ensure that they can be smoothly read and final output by milkshape 3D.
(2-2) Plug-in Installation
Decompress actorx_216_max6.zip and copy actorx. dlu to the plugins folder of 3 DSMAX, for example, C: \ 3dsmax6 \ plugins.
(2-3) Usage
To use the plug-in, read this page:
Http://udn.epicgames.com/Two/ActorXMaxTutorial

(3) milkshape 3D 1.7.0 or 1.7.1
This is a shared software, which cannot be output without registration. Considering the international influence of Xiaoyan Xiaozhu, we will never release the registration machine or registration code here. zhujun can find various applicable versions by himself. Its official website is here:
Http://www.milkshape3d.com

OK. The output is now available.

1. Step 1: Use the unreal actorx plug-in to output the role model *. PSK and bone animation *. PSA from 3 DSMAX.

(1) Use 3 DSMAX to open the original role animation file *. Max.

(2) then, you must observe the necessary constraints to perform some necessary pre-processing on the original role animation file:
(2-1)Only one role model can be output at a time.If you want to output multiple objects at a time, for example, you want to output both the role itself and the weapon in the role's hands, you need to first convert the role itself into an editable mesh, then, use the attach function to bind the weapon to the sub mesh of the role ).
(2-2)The role's skeleton can only have one root node.If the output role skeleton has multiple root nodes, you need to create a common root node for them.
(2-3) The last is the most important point. Ignoring this will cause serious exceptions to the normal and texture of the model you output.You must assign a "legal" name to the material of your model.This is a strict rule of the unreal actorx output plug-in,It requires that all materials contain a suffix such as "_ skin00", "_ skin01", and "_ skin02.
For example, if your model has two materials named "mbody" and "mface, you need to rename the two materials to "mbody_skin00" and "mbody_skin01" respectively ".
You can use material editor to change the material Name:

(3) then, output the static model of the role and the file *. PSK. This model file contains the role's skin and skeleton information.

(3-1) Open the actorx toolbox first.
(3-1-1) to 3 DSMAX, click the hammer icon to switch to the utilities panel, and click [more...]:

(3-1-2) in the displayed utilities window, double-click "actorx ":

(3-2) on the actorx panel, click the Browse button next to the Output Folder column to select the directory to save the model file.CompositionDirectory of the file to be saved. In the mesh file name column, enter a name for the model file to be output.

(3-3) Click Save mesh/refpose (save model/reference pose) to save the role model. The following two dialog boxes will pop up one after another during the saving process:

(3-4) if an error message is displayed, you must correct the error according to the error prompt. In many cases, it may be that your output options are not properly set. You need to modify some corresponding options in the actorx-setup panel:

Each specific option is not described in detail. For details, refer to the lower part of this page:
Http://udn.epicgames.com/Two/ActorXMaxTutorial

(3-5) the output model file is *. PSK.

(4) The final part is the output of the bone animation file *. PSA. This function is quite powerful.

(4-1) First, the upper part of the actorx-Epic games panel is the model output module, and the lower part is the skeleton animation output module.
(4-1-1) in the animation file name column, name the action file to be output;
(4-1-2) in the animation sequence name (animation sequence name) column, give an action name for the action to be output, such as dance, walk, run, attack, etc;
(4-1-3) in the animation range column, specify the range of frames to be output for the animation sequence, the format is "start frame-end frame ";
The overall settings are as follows:

(4-2) What we need to do first is the animation acquisition (Digest animation ). Click the [digest animation] button to view the progress bar of the status bar and complete the animation collection. However, at this time, only the animation data sampling of the action sequence is completed, it is not saved, so the next step is to manage the animation.

(4-3) Click [animation manager] to open the acorx animation manager panel:

(4-3-1) in the left column of the panel, we can see that there is an animation sequence named "dance ", you can use the move [-->] and [<--] buttons in the middle to move the animation sequence to the output package column on the right, that is, prepare to output this action;

(4-3-2) Click the [Save] button on the Right To save the bone animation sequence to the specified action file:

The following dialog box is displayed:

(4-4) in this way, the action file is saved as *. PSA.

(4-5) the animation management function of the animation manager is very powerful. You can not only save a single animation sequence, but also collect (Digest) separately) multiple animation sequences are saved as an action file. You can also use [load] or [load as...] to read an existing action file, add or delete the action sequence, and then use [Save] or [Save As ..] button to save the modified action file. In short, this animation manager is very powerful and has a lot to learn.

2. Use milkshape 3D to read the *. PSK and *. PSA files generated in the previous step, and then integrate the output to ogre.

(1) Open milkshape 3D.

(2) Use the menu [file]-[import]-[unreal/ut psk/PSA...],First enter the model file *. PSK, and then enter the action file *. PSA:

(3) You may find two problems: first, the skeleton may be misplaced; second, there is no texture map. These two problems are not difficult to solve:
(3-1) first, you must read the help of milkshape 3D and learn various simple operations;
(3-2) for texture pasters, click this button on the materials panel to select textures:

(3-3) for the bone dislocation problem, use the three views and the model panel to select all vertices by using the [select] button, then, use the [Move] and [rotate] tools to align the skin of a role with its skeleton.
Note 1! Do not trigger bones;
NOTE 2! When alignment, make sure that the animation bar below is in the inactive state, that is, the [anim] button is not pressed, and a row of animation keys is in the inactive state.After everything is done, click the [anim] button to play the animation.

(3-4) adjusted models and Bones:

(4) now the output is ready.

File-> Save can be saved as the ms3d model. almost all common animation formats are supported in irrlicht. what ms3d supports is better. version 1.0 has some problems, but later versions have been corrected. we hope that the irrlicht future will be better. we also hope that more people will use this engine.