replace geometry only

Hello
I work on Lightwave for modelling and max for rendering....
I convert LW model to max and save. I open master scene file and merge the file.
When I make lot of changes in my model I do it again. But I have already assign material UVW mapping, etc... If I merge or replace my object with the new scene I loose all I did in max.
Is there a way to replace just geometry ?

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Admin's picture

I think most of what you

I think most of what you want is already implemented in Marco Brunetta's MatManager - http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/matmanager ... Its a tool that allows you to save a library of materials used in one scene (including UVW mods) and then re-apply that automatically to a new scene.

Christopher Grant
ScriptSpot.com

Christopher Grant
Admin, ScriptSpot.com

Anton Berg's picture

Interresting idea! To help

Interresting idea! To help you with this I need some input.

What fileformats do you use between max and LW?
How should the script comapare between the existing geometry in 3dsmax and the one that is being imported.
Is it ok to just compare the names of the objects.
if it is called "box_v01" in LW will it always be called that in 3dsmax? (you have more experience here since I am not a LW user).

If I only could compare the imported objects names and the existing objects names then this is fairlt easy to write.

But if I need to compare incoming geometry with exisit geometry it is a little more complicated.

Another question regarding modifiers.
If you are using modifiers that are depending on the topology like edit spline, mesh or poly. They need the exact amount of vertecies on the new object and the order of the verticeis needs to be the same of the old object and the new object to work correctly. You can try to rightclick on a edit mesh "modifier" (not base object) in the modifier stack and choose copy and try to paste this on different objects. You will have the same problem there.

The same problem occurs if you use a uvwunwrap modifier, you need to copy/paste this on another object with the same amount of vertecies and faces with the same ordering as the old one to get the correct result.

If you are using a "uvw-map" modifier like planar or box mapping it is not connected to the topology and should work.

So could you describe what a typical object would look like and what modifiers you are trying to copy/paste.

OgmaSoul3D
Anton Berg
anton[at]os3d.se

titane357's picture

Hello Anton Happy to see

Hello Anton
Happy to see that somebody is interrested :-))
In fact my problem has nothing to do with Lightwave: I import my LW file with Polytrans...I save a 3dsmax file.
Object name is material name assigned in Lightwave.
So logically "wood_01" should replace "wood_01".
I do architectural rendering, and I use in general just box or planar mapping....(lazy man).

I know that I can select object copy modifier, select the new object paste modifier, same for material.
But as it is a repeatable and boring task I'll better have a one clic button :-))

That is something that can be usable by a lot of people.

I don't know maxscript, I can't even imagine how many time that could take me to make such scripts !!.. :-(
Hope that can help ! :-)) (sorry for my bad english)

titane357's picture

or if it is too complex, is

or if it is too complex, is there a way to copy Material and modifiers from one object to another ? (select one object clic a button , select another object and clic to paste ?)

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