Using Polygon Cruncher for 3DS Max / Autodesk VIZ

Using Polygon Cruncher for
3DS Max / Autodesk VIZ

Installation

In order to install Polygon Cruncher :

Run Setup.exe.
Select Polygon Cruncher and select 3DS Max / Viz plugin for Polygon Cruncher.
Install Polygon Cruncher in the 3DS Max / VIZ plugin directory (usually \3DSMax\StdPlugs\).

Launch Polygon Cruncher for 3DS Max / Autodesk VIZ

Run 3DS Max / VIZ.
Create an object and select it
Select 3DS Max Utilities plugin tab
Click on More button
Select Polygon Cruncher in the utilities plugin. If the plugin does not appear please follow the instructions in the Polygon Cruncher does not appear in the plugin utility list section below.
Polygon Cruncher opens. You can:

Optimize selection	Optimize the currently select object
Pick and optimize object	Allows you to pick an object to optimized in the 3DS Max / VIZ scene.
Select and optimize objects	Opens a dialog box and allows you to select one or more objects to optimize.
Batch optimization	Display the batch processing dialog. This dialog allows to define the file directory to optimize, the optimization settings and the optimization levels, as well as the optimized files format.
Apply geometric modifier	When this option is checked, modifiers will be applied before objects optimization in Polygon Cruncher. Once objects are optimized, modfiers stack is removed. You keep textures coordinates and vertex colors in this mode now. When this option is unchecked, Polygon Cruncher optimize the base object (the object which is at the bottom of the modifier stack). Modifiers are kepted once the optimization is done (ie. textures are kepted). This is the default mode and it is the one which keep the more informations after the optimization process.
Valider automatiquement les dialogues 3DS Max lors du traitement par lots	3DS Max might display dialogs while performing a batch processing. This can occurs when 3DS Max can't find a texture file or when 3DS Max loads a file created by an older version. Check this setting if you want to validate automatically these dialogs and avoid batch processing interruption.
Use 3DS Max bitmaps directories	Allows you to use all 3DS Max / VIZ textures path in the Polygon Cruncher OpenGL viewer. Click on this button if Polygon Cruncher can't retrieve texture bitmap files.

Notes about Polygon Cruncher for 3DS Max / Autodesk VIZ

To be optimized, objects must be optimized. Polygon Cruncher triangulates objects and informs you vous informs you about objects which are converted into polygonal meshes.

Optimized objects are converted into polygonal meshes. It is not always possible to do this conversion. Some objects can't be optimized (ie. Space Warps).
Polygon Cruncher modify object topology. Some modifiers are topologically dependent. When you don't select Apply modifiers, Polygon Cruncher shows the objects which have such modifiers.

Desinstallation

To uninstall Polygon Cruncher, use "Add/Remove programs" in the Windows control panel.

Polygon Cruncher does not appear in the plugin utility list

If you don't see in the plugin utility list, Polygon Cruncher might be unloaded. In this case:

Check you have polygoncruncher6_**.dlu in your 3DSMax/StdPlugs folder.
If you use 3DS Max 7, you should find polygoncruncher6_70.dlu.
If you use 3DS Max 6, you should find polygoncruncher6_60.dlu.
If you use 3DS Max 5, you should find polygoncruncher6_50.dlu...

If you don't find this file, Polygon Cruncher is uncorrectly setup. Please setup Polygon Cruncher application again in administrator mode.
Run 3DS Max
Open Customize/Plugin manager in 3DS Max menu.
Look for Polygon Cruncher in the list.
If the status displays unloaded, right click on the plugin list and select Load New Plugin function.
Select polygoncruncher6_**.dlu in the 3DSMax/StdPlugs folder.
Then refer to Launch Polygon Cruncher for 3DS Max / Autodesk VIZ

section above.