Exporting data from 3dsMax file

[Mazuho]

This is a kind of side problem I have to deal with before I can contiune with
what I have going in my previous thread.

I've been reading around and I have realized that for AI pathfinding I'm going
to go with setting up nodes (dummies in my 3dscene) for the AI to use. So I
understand I need to export the information concerning the nodes from 3dsmax
and then store that in a text member in Director? Well... how do I do that?
Thanks

[Karl Sigiscar]

You can write a custom MAXScript in order to read the dummies transforms and
output them to a XML file.

[Mazuho]

I can't help but see this as a very daunting task. Is this the only way? It
wouldn't be possible to do it director? I have no experience at all with
maxscrpting... What I'm thinking is to store all the transforms necessary in a
text cast member only once, and deactivate the script afterwards. Am I missing
something completely here?

[DMennenoh]

Yes, you could just do it in Director. You could export your w3d with only
the nodes in it, then import that into Director. Create a script that grabs
the transform info from each of your nodes and stick that into a text
member.

--
Dave -
Adobe Community Expert
[url]www.blurredistinction.com[/url]
[url]www.macromedia.com/support/forums/team_macromedia/[/url]

[PpHammer]

Why would you want to use dummies in the first place?
Max dummies are normally exported as groups. Don't know if you can use their
info? But you can always use simple boxes (or even simpler (geometry) objects)
as your nodes. Store the data in a list and remove/delete your nodes. Or simply
make them invisible if you still want to keep them for future references.

[Mazuho]

Yeah, I thought about doing that.. my pseudo code goes something like this:

x = number of nodes
repeat with i = 1 to x
cast ray out in x and y and count only the nodes hit (if wall is hit don't
count)
save all the other nodes hit as neighbor to the casting node
save the worldposition of node

It might work no? So I'm only going to execute this script once on every level
in authoring to get the info I'm after. Please post any comments and
suggestions you have!

[PpHammer]

After a quick glance I think you can retreive usefull data from groups as well.
Personally I'd still go for simple geometry as nodes in the first place. I
don't think you'll get much more control with it, but it is easier to work if
you can see your nodes as objects in your w3d scene. Dummies are not as easy to
spot.
The geometry nodes don't have to be there for ever. If everything works fine
you can always hide/delete (after storing their data) them.

[Mazuho]

Very good point Pphammer. For debugging purposes I clearly see the advantage of
having visible geometry as nodes. Thanks for being a step ahead of me ^^
I'll have a go at my pseudo for the next few days, if I succeed, I'll add this
part to the tutorial I'm going to write. Thanks everyone!