3ds max instances

[Tom]

Hi fellow 3ds max users, (@Vladan)
how do you create instances so that it becomes an instance in the shapespark editor
(less geometry if you have more of the same objects)

I work mainly in Sketchup, and it is pretty simple, just create a component, and every copy of the same component is automatically an instance in the shapespark.

I have tried to copy as an instance in 3ds max, but it is still a separate object in the shapespark.

can anyone help
thanks

[Vladan]

Hi @Tom,

I have not yet tested the new Max -> Shapespark plugin. With the FBX transfer so far, it is a really a separate object in Shapespark.
Shapespark can recognize it as an instance.
You can test your scenes to see if it is an instance by adding to the end of your url #debugbuffers

(shows which objects were detected to be copies of other objects (such copies reduce scene download size).
Pointer for Teleporting

[Tom]

Thanks @Vladan,

I will try with FBX import, maybe I will get different results.

[Tom]

ok, I tested the scene with FBX export from 3ds max, and the same problem is here.
there are no instances in the shapespark.

but, when I export the same scene from 3ds max to Sketchup,
and then from Sketchup to Shapespark, the same objects become instances.

can somebody explain that?
@wojtek, @jan

[Vladan]

Hi @Tom

I recently asked @jan about those instance issues. You can see the rest of the discussion on this link.

Pointer for Teleporting

Hi @jan, I’m trying to understand instances with #debugbuffers [instance] [instance_MAX] Each part of the radiator is an instance in MAX. What’s the problem? Everything should be green, right?

[jan]

@Tom by ‘no instances in Shapespark’, do you mean the Shapespark editor doesn’t show the object as sharing the same object type, or a debug view does not show the geometries as shared? Instances do not affect which 3D objects share geometry, to detect instances Shapespark looks only at geometries, transforms them to common origin and compares them. This doesn’t work perfectly, but in most cases the object that have the same geometry will share the geometry buffers without extra copies.

[Tom]

thanks for the explanation @jan
I took a closer look at this problem and created the same scene in 3ds max and one in Sketchup.
the result is that in Shapespark editor the scene from 3ds max doesn’t show the instances, but the version from the sketchup shows.

however, when I upload both scenes and debug them, the instances are there.
so it is just the editor, that doesn’t show the instances.

a scene from 3ds max:
https://avatarstudio.shapespark.com/3ds-test#debugbuffers

a scene from sketchup:
https://avatarstudio.shapespark.com/sketchup-test#debugbuffers

the screenshots from the editor:

[Vladan]

Hi @jan,

For 3DMax users, light instances are perfectly resolved.

Any way to create lights externally (withhout sketchup)

Starting from version 1.7.3 Shapespark allows to import multiple lights from a 3D file (eg. FBX, DAE) as instances of a single Shapespark light. If an imported light name starts from __NAME__ (any NAME preceded and succeeded by double underscores) it is imported as an instance of a Shapespark light named NAME. So, if in your 3D modelling tool you name your lights as: __DeskLamp__ __DeskLamp__.001 __DeskLamp__.002 they will be imported to Shapespark as 3 instances of a light named DeskLamp. L…

Can you fix the Shapespark instance recognition algorithm for objects in a similar way?

This is very useful for faster loading of large scenes that contain instances (where some are recognized and some are not).

[jan]

We are working on importing instances from 3ds Max, so Shapespark editor correctly recognizes them.

[Tom]

this is great news!

btw. while you are working on 3ds max exporter, there are 2 issues that shoud be mentioned here.

1. When I click on export to shapespark inside 3ds max menu, sometimes it doesn’t recognise that this is just an update to the scene, and it wants to create a new scene with a 3ds max project name.
   I tested it today, and it happened when I applied one of the standard materials to an object.

2. Shapespark doesnt recognise materials and textures (standard or vray)

[Michal]

Thanks Tom,
Michał from Shapespark here.
What Shapespark version do you have?
Do you mind sharing the 3ds max scene with us, so we can investigate unrecognised materials?
Looking forward to your future feedback, so we can keep improving the plugin!