Communication Plugin for 3ds MAX

1. Getting started

Here is a small tutorial that will get you started with WorldBuilder communication plugin (communicator). The communicator is a powerful tool that lets you render your 3ds MAX animation together with WorldBuilder scene and automatically compose render data from both packages into a resulting sequence of images.

It should be specially emphasized that communicator does not perform export / import of polygon objects in any common data format. Instead, it creates some sort of common scene, allowing 3ds MAX and WorldBuilder to render their own parts of the scene using their own rendering engines.

The procedure of composing rendering data is rather sophisticated in the latest versions of the communicator. In addition to depth data it supports opacity and edge anti-aliasing data, shadow casting from 3ds MAX objects onto WorldBuilder objects and vice versa and also allows you to generate reflections of 3ds MAX objects in WorldBuilder’s lakes and rivers. Below you can learn how it works…

WorldBuilder interface:

Start WorldBuilder. First you need to create a communication object in WorldBuilder. In the main menu line select Create / Communication Object / MAX Communication Object (as shown in the right panel). A new item is added to the scene and its properties appear in the Property Tree. They do not tell us very mush so far until 3ds MAX is started.

3ds MAX interface:

Start 3ds MAX (versions from 3 to 7 are supported). In the main menu line select Rendering / Environment. The Environment and Effects dialog appears (see the right panel). In the Atmosphere part of the dialog click at Add. This brings up the Add Atmospheric Effect dialog, which lists all possible atmospheric effects. Select WB Pro Communicator v.4.0 and click OK. The communicator is added to the atmospheric effects queue and its properties appear at the bottom part of the Environment and Effects dialog (see below).

First of all you have to make connection between 3ds MAX and WorldBuilder. Click Connect and make sure that the current state reads “Connected”.

The next step is to fit units in both applications. We recommend you to do this because it is much easier to deal with two parts of the common scene all dimensions of which are expressed in the same units. Look at the informational controls under Parameters (the left column). If units are different in both applications click Fit units button. This will change units in WorldBuilder. Note that the 3ds MAX units remain unchanged!

The animation ranges in both applications must be the same. This is very important as both packages must render one and the same animation sequence. Look at the informational controls under Parameters (the right column). If animation ranges are different click Fit frames button. This will change the first and the last frames in WorldBuilder to make the animation ranges in both applications equal to each other.. Note that the 3ds MAX frame range remains unchanged!

2. Lights Import

When connection between 3ds MAX and WorldBuilder is established and units and animation ranges are adjusted you need to synchronize camera(s) and light(s). Such a synchronization is a necessary operation as lighting in both parts of the common scene must be equivalent. The same can be said about points of view (cameras).

The interface of the communicator allows you to create copies of these objects in a partner’s application. You might have a ready for use light source or camera in either 3ds MAX or in WorldBuilder. For both cases you can create an exact animated copy of the required light or camera in the scene of the other application.

Light Import from WorldBuilder to 3ds MAX

Suppose, you have got a number of light sources in WorldBuilder. Our nearest aim is to import those lights to 3ds MAX, which will illuminate both World Builder’s and MAX’s parts of the common scene.

Open Lights Import group at the Communicator dialog as shown in the right figure. You will see a list of all light sources of WorldBuilder’s scene. Select one or more lights and click at Import button. The result of this operation is a new light source(s) in the MAX’s scene. All parameters of the light, which both MAX and WorldBuilder support (such as position, color, intensity, etc) are exactly the same as corresponding parameters of its original object. Thus, importing a light from WorldBuilder to MAX you merely create a MAX light source, with all parameters copied from corresponding WorldBuilder’s light.

When you have imported a light from WorldBuilder its name disappears from the list. If you then added another light to WorldBuilder’s scene the Light Import list can be updated. Click the Update button and the new light’s name appears in the list.

Update of the Light Imported to 3ds MAX

Objects imported from another application always have animation keys at every frame through all the animation range. It seems to be very inconvenient, but this is the only way to support keyframe animation when interpolation methods are different. That is why it is strongly recommended not to edit the copies of objects imported from WorldBuilder to 3ds MAX. However, you can update these copies if you have changed their originals.

The only way to do so in 3ds MAX is to delete the copy light and re-import it anew.

Light Import from 3ds MAX to WorldBuilder

You can import light sources from 3ds MAX to WorldBuilder. Select Max Communication Object in the Object Tree of WorldBuilder’s scene (as shown at the top window of the right figure). Just its Properties appear in the Property Tree (the middle window). Select MAX Lights and make sure that the list of all light sources of the MAX’s scene is seen in the bottom window. Select one or more lights you want to import to WorldBuilder and click Insert. Copies of selected objects are inserted into WorldBuilder’s scene.

Update of the Light Imported to WorldBuilder

Of course, the most straight (but not the most convenient) procedure is to delete the copy object and re-import it anew (as it takes place for copies of WorldBuilder objects in MAX). But due to pecularities of WorldBuilder there is more advanced way to update copies of MAX objects imported to WorldBuilder’s scene.

This way is the same for all types of imported MAX objects (cameras, lights, meshes and gizmos) and it is described below.

3. Camera Import

Camera Import from WorldBuilder to 3ds MAX

Suppose, you have got a redy for use camera in WorldBuilder. This paragragh is devoted to how to import the camera to 3ds MAX.

Open Camera Import group at the Communicator dialog as shown in the right figure. You will see a list of all cameras of WorldBuilder’s scene. Select one or more cameras and click at Import button. The result of this operation is a new camera object(s) in the MAX’s scene. All parameters of the camera, which both MAX and WorldBuilder support (such as positions of eye and target, field of view, orientation, etc) are exactly the same as corresponding parameters of its original object.

When you have imported a camera from WorldBuilder its name disappears from the list. If you then added another camera to WorldBuilder’s scene the Camera Import list can be updated. Click the Update button and the new camera’s name appears in the list.

Update of the Camera Imported to 3ds MAX

Similar to the imported lights the only way to update an imported camera in 3ds MAX is to delete the copy camera and re-import it anew.

Camera Import from 3ds MAX to WorldBuilder

You can import cameras from 3ds MAX to WorldBuilder. Select Max Communication Object in the Object Tree of WorldBuilder’s scene (as shown at the top window of the right figure). Just its Properties appear in the Property Tree (the middle window). Select MAX Cameras and make sure that the list of all camera objects of the MAX’s scene is seen in the bottom window. Select one or more cameras you want to import to WorldBuilder and click Insert. Copies of selected objects are inserted into WorldBuilder’s scene.

Update of the Camera Imported to WorldBuilder

You can update the Camera imported to WorldBuilder in the same way that all other types of MAX objects (cameras, lights, meshes and gizmos) and it is described below.

4. Meshes and Gizmos

Sometimes it is very useful to import various mesh objects from 3ds MAX to WorldBuilder. You need to have copies of such types of objects at the preparation stage of your Communicator session.

IMPORTANT: In contrast to lights and cameras, which must be copied from one application to the other to provide correct lighting and viewpoint, you do not need to have copies of “foreign” meshes during the rendering stage of work. Instead, you have to either delete or hide them before starting the rendering.

Select Max Communication Object in the Object Tree of WorldBuilder’s scene (as shown at the top window of the right figure). Just its Properties appear in the Property Tree (the middle window). Select MAX Meshes and make sure that the list of all mesh objects of the MAX’s scene is seen in the bottom window. Select one or more meshes you want to import to WorldBuilder and click Insert. Copies of selected objects are inserted into WorldBuilder’s scene.

In a similar way you can import gizmos – a sort of a bounding volume surrounding objects in MAX.

You can update copies of meshes and gizmo objects in a usual way for all types of imported MAX objects as described below.

5. Final Rendering

When your common scene is ready you can start the final rendering. You can do this from WorldBuilder interface only.

In the main menu line select Render / Final Rendering. The Render Options dialog appears. This is a self-evident interface, which allows you to

  • Set the animation range in frames
  • Select a camera for rendering
  • Set the output filename
  • Set the rendering type. This has effect on WorldBuilder rendering engine only. It is impossible to control the rendering quality of MAX from this interface.
  • Set the anti-aliasing value This is the multiplier, which shows how many times larger the actual resolution of the rendering window is than the Width and Height controls read. The final picture will be smoothly squeezed to the required size.
  • Start the final rendering

NOTE: There is no way to start rendering of the common scene from 3ds MAX. Please, use WorldBuilder’s interface.

6. Update of Copies of Objects Imported to WorldBuilder4. Meshes and Gizmos

When any parameter of the original camera, light or any other object is changed during you work with the common scene in 3ds MAX, you have to update its copy in WorldBuilder. You can do this using a special interface of the Communication Object in WorldBuilder.

In the Object Tree select the Max Communication Object as shown at the top window of the right figure. Immediately the properties of the Max Communication Object appear in the middle window. Select MAX Objects item. In the bottom window you can see a page containing the only button named Update All MAX Objects. A left click at it will result in update of all copies imported to WorldBuilder from 3ds MAX.

NOTE: Changes take place in WorldBuilder.

6.1 Update of Original MAX Objects by Changes in Their Copies.

In WorldBuilder you can move, rotate and scale copies of MAX objects. These changes will immediately be reflected in original objects in MAX provided that the Auto Key button is set to ON:

Auto Key is ON

Let us consider in more detail what happens when you, say, move a copy of MAX object in WorldBuilder’s scene. Suppose that the Auto Key button is turned ON and the time slider reads frame N. When you release the left mouse button, which means that you stop dragging the object, a key is created in the position track of the original MAX object at frame N. (If a key at frame N already exists, its parameter will be replaced). Immediately the entire position track is scanned and sent back to WorldBuilder. Position of the copy object is modified at adjacent frames in agreement with interpolation method of MAX.

The same situation takes place when you rotate or scale a copy of MAX object.

Ability of Communicator to update the original MAX objects gives you a convenient possibility to adjust your original MAX animations to WorldBuilder’s landscape. For example, you can avoid collisions of your MAX camera with WorldBuilder’s trees, or you can set the camera path along a sea shore in WorldBuilder, etc.

NOTE: Changes take place in 3ds MAX.

This is the end of tutorial.