Bat4MAX Setup Tutorial by SimFox

[SimFox]

Greetings to all!
This is first in set of tutorials where i'll try to share with the community some tips and tricks in using 3ds Max with Bat4Max to create buildings and props for Simcity4
Hope you'll find it helpful and more custom content will be added for all to enjoy!

PDF version of this tutorial could be downloaded from here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/65424336/SimFoxBat4MaxTutorial1.pdf(153kb)


Setup and StartUp

This first installment starts with the presumption that you have installed both – 3ds MAX and Bat4Max.
Just one word of caution – when installing 3ds max make sure that it installs into the folder that has NO SPACES in it's path name. For instance:
this is a good path name:

  C:\3dsMax

and this is a bad one:

  C:\Program Files\..

Spaces in path name will prevent one of the crucial elements in BAT package – FSHTool form working properly. Installing 3ds Max into custom folder will not in any way affect its work.



attention. Important update.

Seeing how many problems editing, or to be precise, finding of 3dsmax.ini in newest versions of 3ds Max had caused plus the fact that for some bizarre reason BAT is supposed to take over the PlugCFG directory of 3ds Max I've decided to take a closer look at the issue.

I've found that the whole process of editing 3dsmax.ini could be avoided AT ALL.

I've modified BAT starting script so that it points to the BAT folder without any need for touching 3dsmax.ini
This, modified script leaves PlugCFG alone, so you wouldn't need to find it (even knowing of it) and moving/copying any files at all!

You'll find new version of affected scripts in a zip file attached to this message. Use them instead of same-named ones in BatForMax V2 distribution package when you do fresh install.

If you already have BatForMax installed you have options to

- restore your original 3dsmax.ini and use all new scripts.
- just replace CPBuildingMill.ms - in this case your installation will remain as messy as it is currently but you'll gain use of all type of lights for nitelite as opposed of only standard ones in original version.

Choice is yours!

If you need additional help/instructions - ask!
it you find some problems with new scripts let me know!



Following is no longer needed if you use modified CPTB22startup.ms file and left here for "historical purposes"

Location of 3dsmax.ini file

Readme supplied with Bat4Max gives detailed and clear instruction on editing both BAT.ini and 3dsmax.ini. But in later versions of 3dsMax (9 and following) 3dsmax.ini file location has been altered and second copy exists in the system.
Here is what you should do and how find the right one:

Install 3ds MAX. Make sure the proper location as described above.

Start program. Follow if needed activation or trial procedures and let program fully start.

Close 3ds Max.

During this first start working copy of 3dsmax.ini has been created from system backup copy – this is one you'll be editing. In order to get access to its location make sure that "Show hidden files and folders" option is enabled in Folders Options on your system. Depending on your system it could be in different locations. On Vista it is located in folder with path name along these lines:

 C:\Users\(your Username)\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsmax\9 - 64bit\enu
  C:\Users\(your Username) \AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsmax\2008 - 64bit\enu
  C:\Users\(your Username) \AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsmax\2008 - 32bit\enu

On Windows XP is located in Documents and Settings Folder, but I'm not entirely sure – just make a search for it.

Location of 3dsmax.ini on WindowsXP (Curtosy of Marcszar) (9-32bit/9-64bit - is a version of Max installed):
 C:\Documents and Settings\(your username)\Local Settings\Application Data\Autodesk\3dsmax\9 - 32bit\enu\3dsmax.ini

  -or-

  C:\Documents and Settings\(your username\Local Settings\Application Data\Autodesk\3dsmax\9 - 64bit\enu\3dsmax.ini

IMPORTANT!
Before editing 3dsmax.ini make a note on the path to which PlugCFG is pointing.

On PlugCFG

For some reason BAT needs to take over PlugCFG folder of your 3ds MAX in order to work – that is a very reason for editing 3dsmax.ini. This, however, create problems as it is a working and important folder for MAX. In order to insure that both BAT and some components of 3ds Max (like Logarithmic Exposure control, FinalGather presets etc.) are working, copy the entire content of PlugCFG  - the one to which line in original 3dsmax.ini has been pointing (for some unclear reason Max2008, for instance, installs more than one PlugCFG folder) into BAT folder.
Once all these procedures that may look a bit scary on paper, but are very simple in reality are done your 3ds max will be ready to run BAT4MAX.
The sign that everything has been set up properly is that Max Command panel after opening will look like this:



If all or any of those are missing you have made some mistake in editing of INI files and should recheck them.

Also make sure that all the plug-ins from PlugCFG have been initialized:



Logarithmic Exposure Control has to be present in the pull down menu. Other things there may differ depending on version of Max you run and other additional plug-ins you may have or not have. If everything checks we can now set MAX interface to work with BAT and to make some UI adjustments to help us later on.


Setting Max to work with BAT

First, all users of 3ds Max of versions 8 and later would need to set System units. This is a step crucial in order to make Bat4Max work in these versions of 3ds Max and not an optional feature. Failure to do so will result in export crushing shortly after start with Error Code 6 message.
To set System units go to Customize Menu and there to Unit setup:



Make sure that you e system unit is meters. Display units could be anything you prefer – metric, imperial or generic it is purely the  matter of convenience and habit.

Another modification I suggest you to make (this one is optional) is to place Axis constrain floater onto your main dock. To do so right click on empty space on dock and from pop-up menu check Axis Constrain:



Place the floater onto the dock and it will lock into there.

Next lets edit snapping setting. Snapping is extremely helpful and important feature of Max that insures accuracy and efficiency of your work. Go to customize menu select Grid and Snap Settings:
This screen allows you to decide what should your cursor snap to. I strongly recommend for now enable ONLY snapping to vertex. All other may prove too confusing in the beginning. and Snapping to grid points is just plain evil in case of architectural modeling (IMHO).



Generally I would suggest to totally disable the grid as it will more than anything else get in the way and clutter you viewports. It isn't reliable measure of size or scale as it tend to subdivide and vice-versa as you zoom in or out of your scene. Snapping to grid will lead to unnaturally size elements of design. You should always use precise measurements and sizes and Max makes it really easy at any stage of design.


On drivers

For vast majority of situation I would recommend you to run Max in Direct3D mode – the default for Max 8 on. Other modes are OpenGL and Software. Both are significantly slower than Direct3D in terms of viewport performance. But have NO impact what so ever on rendering speed.

This concludes brief setup guide for Bat4Max. See you next time when we'll take look at some of the modeling techniques applicable to BAT.

[SimFox]

Marcszar:
thanks a bunch!

[Shadow Assassin]

When I use Direct3D in 3dsmax or any other 3D Modeling/CAD program, I always get random artifacts and sporadic viewport freezes. It also seems slower than OpenGL. When I switch to OpenGL display, it works beautifully in almost every case. I thought the case for Direct3D vs. OpenGL depends on what type of video card you have. (eg- integrated, "gaming," or workstation class.) My laptop has an ATI Mobility FireGL, which might be why OpenGL works better than Direct3D in my case.

It indeed does depend on the graphics card. The newer model ATI cards (X-series, eg: X800; and X1-series, eg: X1600) will work just fine with OpenGL and D3D: in fact, in some cases, there may be better performance with D3D. It is recommended you stick to using D3D if you have an nVidia card. When I had a 6600 and used OpenGL, the performance was nowhere as good as in D3D.

If you have a pre-DX9 card, or non-DX9 compatible integrated graphics, I recommend using Software mode to run the program. Case in point: nVidia GeForce MMX440 does not support DX9 (in fact, it only supports up to DX7, feature-wise, which means no shader support).

With newer integrated graphics solutions: use OpenGL. It will usually give better performance, because nowadays there aren't really that many 9.0c-compatible integrated graphics cards (unless you have a Vista machine running the Aero theme, in which case it is virtually necessary - you definitely have a DX9c compatible integrated graphics card). I think OpenGL 2.0 is the version supported by Max at the moment.

Useful tutorial, SimFox. I won't need it at the moment (I've already installed it! ), but it'll be useful for if I need to reinstall.

[jeronij]

Finally it starts up. Great ¡¡¡¡ 

This one is really interesting and I love to see so many tricks and hints 

[delija21]

Hi guys...i have just downloaded BAT4MAX and followed all the steps but when i open MAX i'm missing EXPORT,PARAMETERS,PREVIEW AND BATCH CMD rollouts......what have i done wrong??

[SimFox]

delija21:
this most probably means that some mistakes were made in either editing 3dsmax.ini (part that redirects PlugCFG to .../gamepacks/BAT, or may you have somehow misplaced the core scripts of bat. Those have to be in (your max root directory)/gamepacks/BAT/scripts.
in the downloaded ZIP file that folder also contains startup subfolder. Scripts from there have to be moved to ...scripts/startup folder in your max.

attention

While editing ini files make sure that you close lines with "/" in Batformax.ini and NOT add "/" at the endo of PlugCFG line in 3dsmax.ini

[delija21]

What's the difference betwene closing lines with / and adding /....i really don't know much about this stuff

[Diggis]

What's the difference betwene closing lines with / and adding /....i really don't know much about this stuff

Same thing.  Just make sure there is one at the end of the line.

[callagrafx]

While editing ini files make sure that you close lines with "/" in Batformax.ini and NOT add "/" at the endo of PlugCFG line in 3dsmax.ini

Noooooooooooooo........Windows uses backslashes \ not forwardslashes.  This is terribly important.  Do not confuse it with web addresses, which is a legacy from Unix.

[delija21]

i did all of that but it's still the same

[callagrafx]

i did all of that but it's still the same

Have you moved the startup scripts from c:\3dsmax\gamepacks\BAT\scripts\startup into c:\3dsmax\scripts\startup ? *substitute c:\3dsmax for your 3dsmax directory

[delija21]

yes....i moved it into c:\Programfiler\Autodesk\3dsmax\scripts\startup........i do have last 4 rollouts but i'm missing first 4

[callagrafx]

Is that where the application is installed?  You should really re-install it to c:\3dsmax

[SimFox]

ups...
sorry for "/" - "\" confusion...

I was contacted privately by one member about exactly same issue...
I think it must be due to errors in editing 3dsmax.ini or7and batformax.ini.
So, may be you could just post here those two files, or send them to me privatelly so I could take a look...

The fact that you have last 4 roll-ups means that you have ST Tools loading. they are a separate and pointless nowadays script. You can safely delete it altogether since it deals with nightwindows that will crash your export in max versions 8+.
The fact that Bat itself is not loaded means only that max isn't aware of it. And since you nave placed your scripts in proper place that means there must be some error in ini files...

ATENTION:

I've made little experiment...
if you have an error message when Max load saying something along these lines: "..Runtime error: fileIn: can't open file -.." then it is absolutell certain that you either had failed to edit 3dsmax.ini, or have made a mistake in that editing or may be edited the wrong 3dsmax.ini - the back up one...

[delija21]

Hi guys...it's finaly working...i went trough all steps of the instruction once again and found out that i copyed wrong ini. into the BAT...i copyed the edited ini. not the original one.....so much problems for such a small thing....i just want to thank you all for all your help

btw SimFox...do you meen that i shoud delete both files( CPTB2Startup and SimTropolis_Tools_V104) from the Startup directory???

[delija21]

I have another problem now,Logarithmic Exposure Control is missing in the pull down menu???

[SimFox]

read the very first message in this thread. I specifically describe there this situation and solution.

[delija21]

I don't knw what you meen by "copy the entire content of PlugCFG??? Should i copy whole enu folder or what???

[callagrafx]

No...the contents of the original PlugCFG folder (located in the same place as your 3dsmax.ini file) have to be moved (not copied) to the 3dsmax\gamepacks\BAT folder

[delija21]

It's finaly working....FINALY.......i was just wondering what files did SimFox ment i should delete??? i'm using MAX 2008