3DS Export Settings?

[xarathos]

This is probably a stupid set of questions but I can't seem to find a consistent answer anywhere, so here goes:

 

1. what do I need to do to keep the vertex count of an exported mesh from 3DS Max the same as the count I imported, and,

2. lately I've been having this problem with exported body meshes where the seams don't line up with the neck or wrists that DIDN'T go through Max, so I guess my question to other modders out there is either how does one get around this issue in Max, or is there another way to get from Max to Skyrim (through another program's exporter or something?) that doesn't cause the problem?

 

And I guess related query, is blender genuinely better at avoiding this problem? Because I've been avoiding trying to learn Blender, but if it can import/export a seamless NIF without scaling issues or the like I might just bite the bullet and swap over. If nothing else for the import/export process.

 

And I apologize if this was the wrong place to frame the question. I'm just having a hell of a time with an armor project right now and I wasn't sure where else I could ask.

[Vioxsis]

 

1. what do I need to do to keep the vertex count of an exported mesh from 3DS Max the same as the count I imported

 

After import don't add an edit poly modifier (only edit mesh), don't add/remove any polys/verts (weld, cut, split, merge), keep smooth groups the same by adding the smooth group modifier above the edit mesh modifier (and below the skin modifier). As long as you do none of that it should leave max in the same vertex order as it entered.

 

 

2. lately I've been having this problem with exported body meshes where the seams don't line up with the neck or wrists that DIDN'T go through Max, so I guess my question to other modders out there is either how does one get around this issue in Max, or is there another way to get from Max to Skyrim (through another program's exporter or something?) that doesn't cause the problem?

 

Don't line up how? what skeleton do you have in your max scene? The ones that that didn't go through Max what did they go through? BS?

 

 

And as for blender i have no idea... could never get over the UI learning curve, or even import a nif...

 

[xarathos]

I have XMPSE in the scene, but it ran through the same import process as the meshes (import with skeleton), so I'm not sure if that might be part of the problem or not.

 

As for lining up, it's like... it's like a subtle physical gap at the neck, wrists, ankles, almost like the scale of the body mesh is off veeeeeeeeeeeeeeery slightly. And yeah the body mesh/wrists/etc were generated in bodyslide.

[Vioxsis]

So just to be clear,

 

Import XMPSE skeleton (with import skeleton checked) then import the mesh (with import skeleton unchecked) <----this is the correct/normal way.

or

Import mesh (with import skeleton checked) <----this will bring in a skeleton with (in most cases) missing bones (feet, toe, hands, etc) and with what ever scales have been altered in nifskope.

 

The second way is wrong well sort of  it does have its purposes though, but the first should really always be used and how i assume you did it?

 

 

And for the seam problem you could try seam mender http://kgtools.org/seam-mender/ i've never tried it (had no reason to yet) but i do remember having a very slight seam barely a pixel a long time ago, but i put it down to BS over max at the time though.

Seam mender is made by gerra6 http://www.loverslab.com/topic/24392-seam-mender-beta-089f-10-26-2014/ if you need help with it probably better to go there.

[xarathos]

AAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah okay. I've been doing it the second way, so apparently I've been screwing up. I'll give the first a shot and see if that fixes things for me, thanks.

 

EDIT: unfortunately the problem seems to persist. Just a bit of clarity.... 

 

 

 

So this is the mesh that looks right, from bodyslide

 

 

And this is the one from Max.

[Vioxsis]

I would give seam mender http://kgtools.org/seam-mender/  a try.

 

Alternatively (assuming the body in the armour wasn't altered) you could in nifskope delete the body and paste in the one generated from BS.