ASCreader

MaxScript Release 0.3 Beta (4/9/1999)

SHORT DESCRIPTION

ASCreader is a 3DS ASCII file format importer.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

ASCreader uses the parser code of WorldGrabber. The ASC format contains only a very small sub-set of the nodes supported by 3D Studio and MAX - Tri-Mesh nodes with smoothing groups, texture coordinates and edge visibiliy, Material assignement per face (without the material definition itself), Ambient color, Spot and Omni Lights, and Target Cameras. There is no animation information at all.
MAX 2.5 exports .ASC files by converting non-supported nodes to one of the supported (like Free Camera to Target Camera, Free Spot to Omni Light etc.)
Some 3rd party programs export .ASC files instead of .3DS, this script will let you import data directly into MAX.

FEATURES

Beta 0.3 (4/9/99) SOURCE!

This release fixes some bugs and adds custom functionality based on a user's wish:
A fellow MAX user lost his whole backups except for some hundreds ASC files. In order to save his work, the ASC reader has been enhanced to support Batch-Importing, and to build Materials based on the Material Name in the ASC file and a BMP file in the same directory as diffuse texture map. Also, each imported file can be automatically saved as MAX file to the same or a custom directory.

Fixed a problem with Spotlights preventing meshes from import (a flag has been set and not reset after spotlight import)
Fixed a problem with Texture coordinates not being imported properly.
Implemented Batch-Import - selecting a directory will import all ASC files found. Each file can be optionally saved to a MAX file in the same directory. (default)
You can specify a different directory for saving MAX files, too.
You can let the Importer reset the scene before each import (default). If you disable this, you can import multiple objects into the same scene. It is a good idea NOT to save to MAX file in this case, or you will get incrementally growing scenes.
A Multi/Sub material is generated based on the MatIDs. A single Standard material is generated for each MatID.
If the importer discovers a BMP file in the same dirtectory as the ASC file with the same name as the material used for a MatID, the BMP file is included as Diffuse map.

Beta 0.2 (7/2/98) Encrypted

Support for Tri-Meshes.

Support for Texture Coordinates.

Support for Smoothing Groups (there was a buggy implementation in Beta 0.1, it is fixed now).

Limited Support for Mat.IDs.

NOTE: ASC does not provide MatIDs directly, because 3D Studio does not use them in the same way as MAX. Instead, the ASC file provides the NAME of the MATERIAL used on the certain face. ASCreader builds MatID arrays based on these names. This means that if you export an object with Mat.IDs, but just a Standard Material using MAX 2.5, ASCreader will import it with just one MatID. If you add a Mulit/Sub material to the object before exporting, the Mat.IDs will be imported back, but perhaps in another order.

Support for Edge Visibility.

Support for Ambient light color.

Support for Omni lights - position and color.

Support for Spot Lights - position, color, target position,falloff, hotspot.

Support for Cameras - position and target. FOV is currently NOT supported.

CREDITS

Thanks to Charles Girard for requesting it.

Thanks to Larry Minton for the smoothing groups hint.

Thanks to Derek "Battlecruiser" Smart for getting me back to this project...

DOWNLOAD ASCREADER BETA

Beta 0.3 Source