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532 Chapter 20: Managing Scenes and Projects
When importing PRJ files, the software converts
polygons to shape objects. You choose an option
in the Shape Import dialog to set how the shape
objects are created:
Import Shapes—Turn on this option if you don’t
want to import shape s from a .prj file.
Single Object—All polygons in the .prj file are
convertedtoBeziersplinesandplacedinsidea
single comp osite shape object.
Multiple Objects—Each polygon in the .prj file is
convertedtoaBeziersplineandplacedinsidean
independent shape object.
Exporting to 3DS
File menu > Export > Select File To Export dialog > Save
As Type > 3D Studio (*.3DS)
3DS is the 3D Studio (D OS) mesh file format. You
can export 3ds Max files to this format.
When you export a 3DS file, the following
information is exported:
• Position, Rotation and Scale animation. If the
controller is a TCB controller, the TCB, Ease
In, and Ease Out values are also saved. If the
controller is any other ty pe of key controller, the
keys are saved but the tangent information is
lost. If the controller is not a key con troller, only
the object’s transformation at frame 0 is saved.
• Basic material color/parameters f rom the
Standard m aterial.
• Single maps with t heir amount, offsets, scales,
etc.
•Auto-cubicsandMirrors.
• Target cameras, t arget spotlights and omni
lights.
• Most "static" parameters for cameras and lights,
and animation tracks for Roll, Falloff, Hotspot,
and FOV.
When you export a 3DS file, the following
information is not exported:
•Compositeandproceduralmaps.
• Grouped object transformations. There’s no
concept of group hierarchy in the 3D Editor.
Groups export to the Keyframer because the
Keyframer understands hierarchies.
• Global shadow parameters.
When you export a 3DS file, the follow ing occur:
•Allnon-meshgeometry,suchasprocedural
primitives and patches, is collapsed to meshes
before export.
• Objects are exported as t hey exist on the frame
3ds Max displays at export ti me.
If you want to output morph targets, go to each
frameandexportthetargettoadifferentfile
name.
• Meshes are saved with edge display informat ion
and smoothing groups.
• 3ds Max instances are saved as Keyframe
instances.
• Modifier and morph animation is frozen at the
cur rent frame, collapsed, and exported as a
simple mesh.