Acuracy with 3Ds

I have 3Ds max 8 and want to build some objects for a heavily themed coaster, the coaster will interact with the objects a lot using tunnels, head-choppers and really close themeing ect, I was just wondering if anybody could explain properly how to best plan out a project of this type and how to go about building the objects/themeing.
Cheers

Well, I suppose the best way to do it is to get the old terraforme from NLDC export your track file as a .3ds. Import into max and then model everything around the track then export the objects.

Man, I've been looking for a free 3ds exporter for months. Where the hell does that ol' terraformer suddenly come from? How couldn't I see it hehe [:D]

The old terraformer does not do it very accurately. Another approach is to make the 3ds first and build the track to fit them.

?!! How could you do that? What if you arent using the right units and your 3ds are way out of proportion?

I was lucky. I bought the full version of the NL Toolkit so I can export everything in a track to near 100% accuracy, import into MAX and start goin.

Originally posted by Real

?!! How could you do that? What if you arent using the right units and your 3ds are way out of proportion?

I was lucky. I bought the full version of the NL Toolkit so I can export everything in a track to near 100% accuracy, import into MAX and start goin.

When i export my track to 3ds and edit it all the way.. incl modified trackspline.. the scale is all messed up.. is there a way to automaticly get the good scale.. so i only have to position it.. or do you have good ways of doing it correct.. ?

In Max

Customize -> Units Setup ... -> System Unit Setup ->

1 untit = 1 meter.

If you are using the Construction Kit to export, heres how.

Open up 3d Max
From the Customize Menu - select Units.
-Change it to Generic Units.

Next, from the Customize Menu select Preferences
-In the General Tab:
--Select 1.0 for your Units and then Meters for your Scale.

No matter if you use Imperial or Metric this is how you do it.


Now, when you import the 3ds into the scene have it Merge into the scene and Convert the Units.


Now, dont move its origin.

Export it.
Open up NoLimits and go to Options and Preferences
-Deselect Auto Center and Auto Scale


Now, zoom all the way in with snap on to the center diamond point. Once zoomed in, select your 3ds and place it exactly at that center mark. Before you press the mouse, make sure your cursor position is at 0 for X and 0 for Z with no decimals. Your Y however will probably be higher.

Select a side view. Zoom in all the way.

Using the page down key, move it down till its right on the ground. Your aim is to get it at [x 0.0 - y 0.0 - z 0.0].

I found that if you switch back to the top view, deselect the 3ds then select it again the Cursor bar will tell you exactly how high it is. So say you dont get it all the way down to 0.0, if in the top view you select it and it says 0.3 - then you are 0.3 off the ground. So using the Page Down Key, press it a few times (based on your settings) then go and deselect and reselect it to see if its at 0.0 for Y.


Once you have one object at perfect center, leave it. Next time you add an object, select that object by single clicking (or selecting but I find single clicking to work more often than not) the object, then placing your new object at the center like we did and it will automatically, like supports, be at 0.0 for Y which saves you work.

Wow! Tnx.. let me try that!

It worked fine Thank you very much!!

Cheers for all the replies that should help greatly I'm just a bit annoyed i didn't get the NL toolkit as it is available any more, will the old terraformer be as acurate? And is there anyway of making the track to a 3ds tunnle to avoid any tunnel test issues the 3ds might cause?