3ds max, Smoothing groups problem

Hey there

I use 3ds max to create models for the Scion project but I have encountered a problem, thing is that, for the shading to look good, you ahve to use smoothing groups, but it seems that it wont pass the smoothing groups from max to MED... I use the next method:
1) export as FBX
2) Import to MED
3) export as MDL

Tnhx ahead!

hmm i am not sure if smoothing groups gets exported to FBX.

Spreate the polygons in either med or max to get desired effect.(i.e. each spreate each smoothing group, dont make them a single connected shape.)

That wouldnt give me the desired effect at all... Its the other way around...
Also thatd take ages... If I just NOT group any polygons it stays the same.
Perhaps any other method thatd keep the groups?

P.S I can fix this in MED, but Its really annoying... very stupid face selection method and all... itd take ages to finish that way..

MDL format doesnt have the groups at all. you are doing this so you coul get hard edges on certain parts right?

Then it's way to go. see:


left - connected | right - disconnected

yes exactly, thats what groups are basically, but as said its really a pain to do this med... with a 5000 tris model.

any ideas?

if it is not more than 8-10 groups, it is not that hard actually.

the problem is in selecting the polygons... since its converted to tris it takes a long time aim at those polys and all, also MED for some reason shows the selected polys above all, so it makes it difficult to understand whats selected.

yes but can't you do the spreating thing in MAX? (afaik you have to select polys when assigning smoothing groups, i mean you are selecting them anyway)

no I cant, as said, its cancelled when I export to MED, or do you mean something else? Yeah Im selecting polys in max too but its ALOT more comfortable in max than in MED, also the mesh is in quads and not tris in max, therefore less polys to select.

i meant, why not do the spreating model's parts thing in MAX?

hm... lol... I dont understand what you mean.. xD
You mean you want me to actually detach the polys for each group?
If so, I think its unworkable, I wouldntw want todo that.

XD i am installing gmax, ill post screenshots of what i mean.(hope it has smoothing groups)

Detaching is very easy: Cut and Paste the groups (Ctrl+X followed by Ctrl+V)

yeah it is, but as said, I dont want to detach any polys. I only want to find an easy way to export smoothing groups from max to MED. maybe when Quadraxas will show me what he means I'll get it

When you dont want to detach then you have to create a new bevel (or maybe it is called chamfer in Max).

The reason is: DirectX or OpenGL does not know any smoothing groups. It can display hard edges only with

- splitted edges
- the help of a normal map
- vertex normals
- dense geometry in the close area of these edges (chamfers, bevels)

The Max export has to deal with the smoothing groups and has to transform them into anything mentioned above. If it cannot handle this automatically then you have to do it manually. And Ctrl+X/Ctrl+V is really not a problem at all, except you need closed meshes for stencil shadows.

If you export in FBX you get your smoothing groups exported as well.