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Shout3D™ 2.0 - 3D Studio MAX Export Tutorial

Using the Reset XForm Utility

Export the scene again, overwriting box.s3d. Open this revised scene file in a text editor and notice how the change in the location of the pivot point is handled. When you move a pivot point in MAX, it remains relative to its original location, which is the true origin of the local coordinate system. It the .s3d file, this is reflected in nested Transform nodes. Only the parent Transform node represents the location of the pivot point.

DEF Box01 Transform {
   translation 0 50 0
   children [
      Transform {
         translation 0 -50 0
            children [

Note how Shout3D uses the classic "right-handed" coordinate system in which the y dimension is the vertical one. Thus the pivot point location of (0,0,50) in MAX becomes (0,50,0) in the .s3d scene file.

The nested Transform structure is a little confusing, but doesn't effect the way the scene renders. You don't really have to consider it unless you'll be programming interactivity that uses this object. But it's generally good practice to clean up Transform issues prior to export. With the object selected in MAX find the Reset XForm utility under the Utilities tab in the Command Panel. (This is NOT the same as the Reset Transform tool in the Hierarchy Panel.) Press the Reset Selected button.

Check your modifier stack and you'll find an XForm modifier above the Box object. Collapse the stack to produce a simple Editable Mesh object and export again. Reopen the .s3d file in a text editor to find only a single Transform reflecting the correct position of the pivot point.

DEF Box01 Transform {
   translation 0 50 0
   children [

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