Topic: re: import new model to SFC3 - why is it all smoothed?

[Visimo]

Hi,

Having a problem importing into SFC3 from Max 4.2.

When exporting, I chose 'no' to smoothing and 'no' to LOD.
When the model goes into SFC3, the entire model looks like it's in one smoothing group!
When I import the model back to max it IS in one smoothing group.
What am I doing wrong?

This model is almost ready to go. I just have to finish the texture. This is my first model, and the funny thing is; this was supposed to be for the SFC3 modelling contest!! I didn't realize how hard this was going to be.

Thanks for any help.

Visimo


 

[Lord Schtupp]

Hi Visimo

When exporting a model from max, the exporter will smooth over any welded vertices up 90° between faces. The solution is to select the object, goto EDIT MESH in the object modifiers panel, then click the SELECTION: POLYS button. Then shift-select the polygons in the object to the point where you want a hard edge i.e not smoothed over. Now click DETACH button under the edit geometry section int the same panel.  In the "detach" window that appears, select the DETACH TO ELEMENT box, click ok. Now you have a single object that has two (or more) elemnts. The exporter will not smooth across seperate elements, as the coincident vertices are not welded.

Now go to store, get BEER. drink one BEER per seperate element.

Repeat as neccessary, Good Luck!

Lord Schtupp
 

[Visimo]

Hey Lord Schtupp,

Thanks for the tip! What you suggested worked fine, but I'm still having problems. I think it might just be bad modelling. I'm going to use your technique to finish the ship and just move on.
About breaking the ship into elements, the taldren ships are all only one element each, with different smoothing groups. Also, the instructions from taldren said to make sure there are no double vertices, which breaking into elements causes. Does this cause a problem down the road with the auto LOD's? I checked it out and it seemed fine, but I'm not sure really what to look for.
But more importantly; today, thanks to your help, i can toss back a couple of beers!!!!

cheers

Visimo

 

[WickedZombie45]

In the simplest of terms, SFC3 doesn't like smooth groups too much. No matter what you do to your ship, once loaded in SFC 3's engine, it's basically 'resmoothed', creating those always annoying errors (aka black shadows). The detaching method Lord S. mentioned works perfectly fine for the other SFC games, but for some reason (most likely the new Dynamic LOD system) it almost never works in SFC 3 (at least in my experience).  

[Lord Schtupp]

Hey vis Im glad it worked for you. Looking forward to seeing that model.


WZ - Interesting, whut about detaching as seperate objects (as opposed to elements), then grouping the entire model before exporting? Seems that it works and looks  the same as SFC2 to me, but then again I havent fooled around with SFC3 as much as I would like too...