max2nuke

32 votes
Version: 
06
Date Updated: 
05/25/2009
Author Name: 
Christian Pundschus

max2nuke exchanges animation data between 3ds max and nuke using chanfile data. cameras, axis or transform-geo supported.

worked for free cameras (with or without transform reset) and target cameras.

exports obj sequences to bring mesh animation to nuke 4.8 and higher

nodes can be copied from max and pasted to nuke (which is more comfortable and lots of additional data can be copied)

vray cam focal length is now correctly calculated in relation to focus distance

Additional Info: 

you need to replace nukes import_chanfile_tcl (backup the original)
nuke rotation order is xzy !

for object animation: remember to export the obj at the first frame of your animation

max2nuke-r05-clipboard is meant to be used with a shortcut, no GUI.
Just copy nodes and paste into nuke

Video URL: 
AttachmentSize
max2nuke-r06.zip8.03 KB

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ebee's picture

Solution!

This was an accidental post, the trick I described worked well.

ebee's picture

Solution?

The problems were propably created by the fact that our system units were meters. I assume this script was made for centimeters?

I think I fixed the script for us by just replacing all the "/10" lines from the focal length calculations by "/100".

ebee's picture

Bug?

Thank you for this GREAT tool!

I've encoutered one problem. All vray cameras seem to work fine when the target distance is at it's default value (~40 meters). There was one camera where I changed the target distance to 9.39 meters, and this seems to upset the focal length calculations. In max the cameras focal length is 24mm and in nuke it is displayed as 33.21 (don't remember the decimals exactly). This wasn't a big problem as we could just change the fov to 24 by hand and everything seems to work (adequately) well. Just thought to give a heads up.

I actually created a very similiar tool for max -> after effects, including the vray target distance effects to fov. Here is how I translated vray fov & target distance to a standard camera fov. "fs" is the standard camera fov script controller. "focusdist" is either the target distance or the focus distance, whichever is used, taking the system units in consideration.

fs.script = "degtorad 2*atan(Physcam.film_width/(Physcam.focal_length*2*(1+Physcam.focal_length/("+focusdist+"-Physcam.focal_length))))"
David_H's picture

Thank you

As usual trying to use fbx to get some simple geometry and a camera from max to nuke immediately resulted in massive headaches for all concerned. Trust a user to create a brute force tool that just works as expected and on the first try.

I'd love to see the copy/paste functionality expanded to also create readgeo nodes in nuke.

Also the set ranges buttons generate an error, easily fixed by removing
"animationrange.startstartframe.value" and "animationrange.endendframe.value"?

Thank you for sharing!!!

3dnuwan's picture

wer i shoud add those .mcr

wer i shoud add those .mcr files and how can i use it in max

mondochiba's picture

for exporting a camera

for exporting a camera chanfile you press "Pick Camera" and pick the camera then say where you want the file to be saved. that's it.
same thing for point and object, only they export the data in a way that works better with axis and geo in nuke.

then, in nuke, create a camera node, change the rotation order
to xzy (important!) and import the chanfile.

(I noticed that often it is best to start with a fresh camera node in case something went wrong)

-make sure you have replaced the import_chan_file.tcl in the nuke plugins folder

hope that helps

Gags's picture

And how to use it :) i mean

And how to use it :) i mean i have problems ,can you describe camera exporting process from max to nuke in a little bit advance form(step by step) ?:)

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