3dsMax 2 Unity: Units? Hidden Layers?

Unity Engine
1

hello together,

i have three questions on getting geometry from 3dsMax2010
into Unity2.5 (I use the method without exporting manually to fbx, just the .max-files in the asset folder).

  1. Do actually the settings or the chosen preset of .FBX export of max in any way matter how the geometry arrives in Unity?

  2. Is it possible to receive geometry eg. a 1x1x1m cube with 1x1x1 Unity units in Unity? Whatever i try (changing Units Setup, changing System Units and changing FBX-export units) i always get it 100 times smaller in Unity.

  3. is it possible to not receive geometry which is in hidden layers in 3dsMax?

2

No.

Change the “Scale Factor” in the Inspector’s import settings… unfortunately this can’t be changed globally at the moment. You have to do it for each import.

No.

3

Thank you for your reply.
The 3ds-max-layer-support would speed up the asset flow a lot i think. I’ll post it in the wish list.

4

Well, I think it’s more dependent on how Max exports geometry into FBX. Can you for instance choose to “Export Layer” in Max? If you can then this might be possible.

5

No there is no such thing as an “Export Layer” in Max

Now for me i found the work flow to have my layered source-and-model-generation-max-file anywhere outside and only the manually exported FBXs inside the asset folder of my project.

There is an option to save presets (at FBX-exporter) with an adjustable scale factor (set to cm to get 1m = 1unity unit). It also has a window which pops up if the geometry isn’t clean.
(i can also recommend the STL-check Modifier (in max) which checks the models for double faces and more)

When switching back to Unity it of cause doesn’t need to extra export.

This kind of spoils the smooth asset flow idea of Unity, hmm But for now i feel fine this way.

6

the .DAE (collada) format works better. The Units are correct (no manual adjustments needed) and hidden Layers don’t export.

I want to make further investigations on animated and vertex-painted models. I’ll post my results here.

7

Now i found the way how to export properly. Forget my post about collada. There is a way to use the recommended .max-format.

I have my organized multi-layered ‘resource-.max-file’ anywhere outside my assets folder. I select the object(s) that i want to have in Unity and save it out with ‘Save Selected’ to the assets folder (from where it gets exported automatically when you open Unity).

In the Max Units Setup i have (Metric) Meters and in the System Units Setup i have 1 Unit = 1.0 Centimetrs.
Then one Meter in Max will be one unit in Unity.

If you have already Geometry in your max-scene you have to scale it up to x,y,z 10.000% and then do a Reset Scale (in Hirachy Panel, rollout Adjust Transform, just press the big button called ‘Scale’)
To check if everything is alright you can create a 1x1x1 Meter Box and see if the size fits to your Object(s).

But you have to take care if you wanna bake physically simulated animations or physically correct light, cause max’s internal engine now thinks 1m is 1 cm.

8

Max setttings should be meters.
Save selected or export selected. (Export settings should be meters)
In your Unity change import settings to 1.
Your geometry is now 1 to 1 in Unity.

Max will put your intire scene hidden or not hidden in the project folder if you dont save selected or export selected.

:wink: