CAP VR WALKTHROUGH ENVIRONMENT: 3DS MAX INTEROPERABILITY BETWEEN PROGRAMS [SKETCHUP to 3DS MAX] 1. In SKETCHUP go to FILE SAVE AS Save the file as a.skp. 2. In 3DS MAX go to FILE IMPORT Change the file format to.skp and open the desired file. Note: If you want the materials you used in SKETCHUP to remain with the model in 3DS MAX, when importing make sure to check the box that says FRONT/BACK MATERIALS AS DOUBLE SIDED 3DS MAX MATERIALS before clicking OK [REVIT to 3DS MAX: option dwg] 1. In REVIT go to FILE EXPORT AS DWG Save the file as a.dwg 2. In 3DS MAX go to FILE IMPORT Change the file format to LEGACY AUTOCAD.DWG before selecting the desired.dwg file **Note: If you do not change the file format to LEGACY AUTOCAD.DWG, the geometry will not appear in the viewport. Note: This option DOES NOT keep materials/lights from REVIT [REVIT to 3DS MAX: option fbx] 1. In REVIT go to FILE EXPORT as FBX Save the file as a.fbx (Stores materials for rendering in MAX). 2. In 3DS MAX go to FILE IMPORT OPEN the desired.fbx file. 3. A FBX IMPORT Menu appears. Go to the LIGHTS section and make sure to check SUN AND SKY if you want the sun from REVIT to be imported. 4. On the menu go to RENDERING RENDER SETUP COMMON Tab ASSIGN RENDERER Under PRODUCTION make sure it is set to MENTAL RAY RENDERER. Note: If the rendering appears washed out and too bright, you might have to adjust the lighting properties for the imported sun Note: Keeps the materials/lights from REVIT [RHINO to REVIT] 1. Select all the objects within the desired layer and go to FILE EXPORT SELECTED Save the file as a.sat **Note: Each exported layer will be its own material group in REVIT
2. Repeat Step 1 for however many layers you want to have materials for. 3. In REVIT, go to FILE INSERT IMPORT CAD Select the desired.sat file In the CHANGE POSITIONING setting, change it to AUTO-ORIGIN TO ORIGIN. 4. Repeat Step 3 for each of the.sat files for the scene. 5. To edit the material setting for each of the layers, go to MANAGE OBJECT STYLES Click the IMPORTED OBJECTS tab and begin changing the materials for each layer [RHINO to 3DS MAX: option 3ds] 1. Group all geometry within RHINO based on what materials you will set them to in 3DS MAX Note: In 3DS MAX you are able to drag a material onto one of the objects of the group and it will apply that same material to the group set in RHINO. 2. Select all geometry and go to FILE EXPORT SELECTED Save the file as a.3ds (You will be prompted with the option of adjusting the amount number of polygons within the exported meshes. The default setting is usually fine for typical use. If there is very fine detailed area within the model, more polygons might be necessary to keep the detail. Note: More polygons results in a larger file and vice versa.) 3. In 3DS MAX go to FILE IMPORT Select the desired.3ds file. [RHINO to 3DS MAX: option dwg] *recommended 1. Group all geometry within RHINO based on what materials you will set them to in 3DS MAX, distribute the objects in layers accordingly. Note: In 3DS MAX you are able to drag a material onto one of the objects of the group and it will apply that same material to the group set in RHINO. 2. In Rhino, lock all the files containing curves and make them invisible. Delete unused curves. Make visible only the layers containing usable polysurfaces, do not lock these layers. Select all the visible layers. Use the SellAll command. Export the layers and objects by using the Export Selected command. Save the file choosing the dwg file format. Use an Export Scheme : give a name (i.e. class), edit the scheme using the general and curves tabs. For the general stings use the meshes option for meshes and surfaces created in Rhino. In the Curves tab set lines for lines, arcs for arcs, and polylines for polylines, curves and polycurves created in Rhino. Save the settings for the export scheme, close the window. Finish the export to dwg by setting the number of polygons for the meshes being created. Accept the default. OK to close.
3. Inside the 3ds Max program, create a new file, set the units to match the units of the environment created in Rhino. Find the Units setup command inside the Customize menu. The units should be set to US Standard, Feet w/decimal or Fractional inches. In the Systems Unit SetUp set the unit to: 1, Meters. In 3DS MAX go to FILE IMPORT Select the desired.3ds file. In the AutoCAD DWG/DXF Import Options window you must set the geometry of the file and set the layers you like to import. To set the geometry: verify that the units are Feet; from the Derive AutoCAD primitives by list choose Entity (each object created in Rhino will be an entity in 3ds Max). In the Layers tab activate the Select from List option and select only the layers you want to import into 3ds Max. OK to finish.
4. The objects created in Rhino remain in the same layer organization in 3ds Max. If you don t see the Layers Manager panel make it available by right clicking by any floating panel, accessing the list and choosing Layers. 5. Inspect the layers by activating the Manage Layers window. Open each layer and verify that only polysurfaces are included (delete any individual curves or lines, otherwise these may slow down any rendering process). All objects at this time have the same PolyFaceMesh name. It is easier to identify objects if they have distinguishable names or are grouped within a single group name. It is also easier to assign the same material to objects within a group. 6. To create a group at this time, identify the layer you want to work with first (i.e. roads) hide the objects in the other layers by clicking the hide icon by the name of the layer in the Manage Layers window. 7. Verify that in the viewport you can see only the objects that belong to the visible (i.e. roads) layer. With the Manage Layers window active open the Select by name window and select the objects that remain in the list. Verify again that only the objects of the visible layer are selected. Create a group and provide a descriptive name (i.e. group_roads). Repeat the same procedure for other layers creating groups of objects of the same material. Please note that the name of the group will be stored inside the active layer the one with the check on (i.e. 0 default layer ).
Resources: Edition of tutorial: James DeChant and Jordan Doyle aangulo@bsu.edu