Every single time that I turn on the nite lights in BAT4MAX with 3DSMax I get the dreaded export error code=6. I turn off the nitelights and the model exports like it's supposed to do.
Is there a workaround for this?
Which version of 3ds Max or you using ?
BAT4Max nitelites do not work in Max v8 onwards...The only workaround is to use actual lighting in the scene. A simple method is to use a targeted Directional light and aim it at the side of the building, then locate the Exclude button on the modifier rollout. Exclude all objects except the windows you want to light up. Make sure you prefix the light's name with "nitelite" i.e. nitelite_spotwindow1
Quote from: callagrafx on January 28, 2008, 03:23:26 PM
BAT4Max nitelites do not work in Max v8 onwards...The only workaround is to use actual lighting in the scene. A simple method is to use a targeted Directional light and aim it at the side of the building, then locate the Exclude button on the modifier rollout. Exclude all objects except the windows you want to light up. Make sure you prefix the light's name with "nitelite" i.e. nitelite_spotwindow1
Thanks for the great workaround. That actually sounds quite simple for me.
Ummm, maybe you can answer one more callgrafx... If I export my models and then import them into Gmax, is the only thing I lose the texture applications? Or is there more lost besides textures? Thanks,
Yeah no matter how I tried, when I place a targeted direct light, it just turns everything white and bleaches out everything. I exclude everything in the scene except for the window glass but yet everything is washed out, so ti seems that Im not doing this correctly.
Got 'em working now, It was a setting somewhere that I had boffo'd and now it's working as intended, while it's not perfect, it's better than having no nite lighting at all for the moment. Just a whole lot of cameras to make different windows light up at the moment so that they can each have some sort of dimming effect I think.
Quote from: City Builder on January 28, 2008, 05:58:30 PM
Thanks for the great workaround. That actually sounds quite simple for me.
Ummm, maybe you can answer one more callgrafx... If I export my models and then import them into Gmax, is the only thing I lose the texture applications? Or is there more lost besides textures? Thanks,
All the objects become editable meshes, which means an increase in vertice count. Apart from that, the .3ds format is pretty good at keeping the integrity of the Max mesh. I can't remember offhand if UVs get screwed though.
Oh, wow, that workaround seems so simple lol. Thanks for that, illnow be able to add night lighting yay
Quote from: swat-medic on January 30, 2008, 03:01:07 PM
Oh, wow, that workaround seems so simple lol. Thanks for that, illnow be able to add night lighting yay
Do let us know how you get on with it. I've still not been able to get the windows to look like they are lit up at night even though they are not transparent during the day anymore. Seems it's more of a light em up all the time sort of comprimise for me. So I'd be interested to see how someoen else gets on with this.
There is another way to get night lights to you model in MAX - with night Libraries. It is in many ways superior to using lights - allows for non flat surfaces be "light" effectively for instance and much, much more. Results are generally far superior looking. And often faster.
Where do I find documentation or more info on these night libraries?
All documentation there is is in the readMe that comes with Bat4Max.
It is not much but totally enough.
I've also made a little semi-tutorial, basically saying the same things but in a bit more step-by-step fashion. It is in my Forces of Light and the Geometry of Shadows thread on Simtropolis. I can't give you exact link at the moment as it (simtropolis) seems to be down at this very moment.
PS
Ok it's working now here is a link:
http://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=37&threadid=81699&STARTPAGE=2
Well, Im going to have to try the night libraries. I attempted to use the directional spot lighting but it came out really really bad. Even though everything was on the exclude list except the window panes, it gave them far too much of a glowy neonish lighting and looked more like I had added a spotlight to the front of the building so it didn't work very well for me.
In any event I finally found the problem with nite lighting in my game apparently I applied the full EP1 patch ontop of the smaller 14MB patch that supposedly fixed the nite lighting issues and so the EP1 patch unfixed the nite lighting so it's all fixed up now and I've finally gotten to see what some of my Gmax designed buildings nite lights looked like which was a treat but I really don't wish to go back to gmax after using 3ds so I'll have to spend the time and try to figure out the night libraries. Thanks for the suggestions and the link .