Convert a map-file to 3ds?

[burzum]

Its possible to load models into a map and use them in the map. But is it somehow possible to convert the map into a 3ds-file? I want to use some surface models ive made in 3dsmax in my map and need to fit them to the mapgeometrie.

[kamikazee]

It is possible to convert a map to bsp, and to ase from there. ase can be imported in 3ds max, and eventually exported and used as a model itself. (used to deform your terrain and get it back in the level)

Search around, it's possibly around in the 'Level Design for ET' forum.

[MMFSdjw]

But 3dsmax does not import .ASE file nativly, I've been search everywhere I could think and have not been able to find an ASE importer.

[kat]

See the top entry in the Google FAQ sections on my home page..
http://www.quake3bits.com/

[MMFSdjw]

Thanks Kat, that's a usefull tool.
but it still can't read ASE files.
so if you just have an ASE file then you're still stuck with no importer.

[kat]

You should be able to export the brushwork to DXF or 3DS, both of which work pretty robustly from what I remember (it's been a while since I've had to use that for level design related stuff). I *think* you can apply textures in the app as well, I remember doing a lot of beta testing for Bert adn that was one of the things we tried to sort out, can't remember if the textures were saved to 3DS though.

[MMFSdjw]

but if all you have is an ASE file and not the .map. Then you can't do anything with that ASE file except put it in a map.
If you have an ASE file that you want to use in a map but it isn't quite right in what ever way, unless you have the file in another format you can't do anything with it.
I've been search high and low to find anything that will convert ASE files. So far I have found only one program and even then it only works with small files, large ones(like the one I have) make it crash.

[kat]

Oh sorry, I'm getting confused with some of the posts above that mentioned converting *maps* to models.. heh.

Here's something you could try... have you got Doom 3? If you have, load your model into the editor and then use D3Ed's export to OBJ (selection > export > export to OBJ), that works although the OBJ file is untextured or UVW'd

[Twisted0n3]

For that matter, can't you put the ase model in a q3 engine map and export it again as something else with q3map2?

[kat]

You mean using the -convert [format] switch? Never used other than for ASE.

[kamikazee]

PM Detoeni some time. On this part of his site ( http://www.planetwolfenstein.com/detoeni/ase.htm), he says ASE can be edited with 3dsmax. If he put it there, it could be possible.

[Detoeni]

If he put it there, it could be possible

Could be possible? nay, is possible.

go here:
http://www.maxplugins.de/

look for Ascii File Importer By Christer Janson

The importer I have is for max5.

[MMFSdjw]

WOW, thanks Detoeni.
I didn't realize, I already had that but didn't think to rename the ASE to ASC to get it to recognise it.
you just saved me ALOT of work.

Oh sorry, I'm getting confused with some of the posts above that mentioned converting *maps* to models.. heh.
Yeah, I did sort of hijack the thread, but thank goodness it payed off.

[Detoeni]

I'v not had to rename anything my self.

One thing to watch, when you export out of max as ase, radiant may not be able to read the file*, (you might only see one or two planes in the editor). Q3map2 will be able to read the file and add it to the map or make a "visable" ase.

*did they fix this, I am using an older radiant atm.

[kat]

Might be the version of GTK you're using, I've had no problems with ASE files other than the usual forgetting to edit the texture/file paths, everything basically shows up fine in 1.4

[MMFSdjw]

I'v not had to rename anything my self.
When you go to import, you have an option in the drop down menu to import ASE not ASC?

I'm useing max6 if it makes a difference.
after renameing the file to ASC and importing it it looses all the UVWs.
If I convert an ASE to 3ds useing 3dexplorer then the UVW stay intact but the model I'm trying to import is too big for 3dexplorer to open.
I know the UVWs are good on the ASE because it displays fine in radiant.
I must be doing somthing wrong here.

The plugin I downloaded was the first one on HERE (http://www.maxplugins.de/max6.php?search=Ascii).
That is the right one isn't it?
I put it in the plugins folder and then in the sdtplugins folder and it didn't appear to make a difference.

Thanks for all the help so far.
I've been searching for weeks for this and this is the first time I've gotten any sort of progress.
But it's worthless to a large degree with the UVs.

[kat]

What's the model of? I ask because the only time I've had problems importing *any* model into 3DEx is when there's something wrong with the model itself, or I run out of memory.. which is rare; I've loaded high res ASE files that are 100+MB without any problems.

[MMFSdjw]

It's of the map City Heat for the True combat mod for q3.
I'm trying to port it to Halo PC(yes I got permission). Halo's levels are made entirely in max.
the ase file is only 35MB. I thought there might be a problem with the model file itself so I tried exporting it with q3map2 several times and that includes putting it as an ase into a new map and exporting that.
the results have not changed.

[kat]

That's odd. If that's all you're doing, i.e. you've got an actual *.map file and you're converting that to ASE (or other model format) then you shouldn't really be having this much trouble. In fact, leet should have worked on the original map file.

Make sure you've stripped out *all* the entities from the map - including models and brushbased entities - so all you're left with is static brushwork; the conversion process does have a few 'rules' you need to follow, this is one of them. You should then be able to then open that map into leet *and* 3DExporer (which has support for *.map format.. although this depends on the version you have), or convert it to ASE without any problems.

[MMFSdjw]

Well here is the catch, I don't have the .map.
I'm converting from the BSP. so I'm not getting the patches either.
In my original request to the auther for the permission to port the map I asked for the .map if he wanted to give it to me.
Because he didn't send it to me or say anthing about it I assume that he didn't want to give it to me for whatever reason.

q3map2 will convert bsp to .map won't it?
I've never tried it so I don't know how effective that would be or if it would hold the uvs either.

I have 3dex version 1.5, it's unregistered aswell, I stil use it just because it never quit working even though the trial ended and it has never worked well enough for me to want to pay for it.

EDITWOW, it always seems that right after you ask someone you find the answer yourself.
I did some googleing, search for ascii rather than ase and found this (http://mirex.mypage.sk/index.php?selected=1), scroll down to Biturn and there is a download for an ASE plugin for max6&7.
I just tested it and it worked, no problems and the uvs are intact.

Thanks for all the help guys.

[kamikazee]

So you're actually convertin from bsp to ase. This means the models are still in there.

To decompile a bsp to a map: q3map2 -convert -format map -fs_basepath <complete path to your etmain> -game ET <complete path to your bsp>Note: never use it to copy someone else's work if you don't got permission. If you haven't, decompiling may be even breaking the agreement stated in the readme file of them map.

If you got the .map, open it in Radiant or another .map editor and search around for entities and structures you don't want in the .ase.

[kat]

You should in theory be able to convert the BSP into a massive ASE model with everything in it (misc_models, entities, brushwork etc.) so I'm not why it's not working. Check your compiler settings.

[MMFSdjw]

check the edit, it was just the max plugin.

Does the map decompiler get patches and UVs too?

[Detoeni]

Converting the bsp to map might be iffy. q3map2 was indended to make a map if the bsp was made with q3map2, if another type of compiler was used then it may not make a useable map file.
When converting to map all texture alignment is lost, along with models, patches normaly show up fine.

[obsidian]

Q3Map2 BSP to MAP decompiling retains patches but looses texture co-ordinates.

Thanks for the ASE import plugin. I have the Discreet ASE import plugin source code for MAX r4, but for the life of me, couldn't figure out how to recompile it properly for MAX r6 - kept getting runtime errors.


Also, see this thread... you can use DoomEdit to export to OBJ.
http://www.quake3world.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9381

[obsidian]

Actually, how did you get that plugin to work? I have it installed in the StdPlugs directory and I get the following message. I must be missing some other file.

DLL <C:\Program Files\3dsmax6\StdPlugs\asciiimp.dli> failed to initialize. Error code: 126 - The specified module could not be found.

[MMFSdjw]

hmm.. I put mine in the plugins folder, it may make a difference.
I got that error with a different plugin that I tried
Was the file you downloaded called "asciiimp_max6.rar"?

[obsidian]

I also tried installing it in the plugins folder to no avail. The file downloaded is the same.