Exporting Rigid Bodies, Constraints, and Ragdolls

Use these tools to export the MassFX information you create in 3ds Max to a game or other real-time simulation.

To export MassFX information, use the Export MassFX Scene command on the Enhanced menu Simulate Tools - MassFX submenu, or Standard menu Animation MassFX Utilities submenu. Alternatively, use Export Scene on the MassFX Tools dialog Utilities.

Important: PhysX Export saves the scene in a format readable by applications that use the PhysX SDK. This topic briefly covers the Export feature as implemented in 3ds Max. For detailed information about this exporter and applicable options, please refer to documentation included with the PhysX SDK.

Validate Scene Before Export

To make sure the scene contains a valid simulation, use the Validate MassFX Scene command on the Utilities submenu or the Tools panel. Doing so opens the Validate MassFX Scene dialog:

Use the dialog to perform validation tests to ensure that the MassFX scene exports properly without errors. The validation options are as follows:

Scaled Objects

Finds any graphical meshes used by MassFX that have scaling other than 100%/100%/100% applied.

Non-Uniform Scaling

Finds any graphical meshes used by MassFX that have differing scales per axis.

Animated Scale

Find any graphical meshes used by MassFX whose scale has been animated.

Skewed Objects

Finds any graphical meshes used by MassFX that have been scaled along axes other than the primary ones.

Choose the tests to perform by turning on the corresponding checkboxes, then click the Validate button. The tests are performed one at a time, during which the progress bar for each test updates. When the validation finishes, it updates the result icon at the end of the progress bar with one of three colors:

• Valid is indicated by a green icon.
• Fail is indicated by a red icon.
• Note is indicated by a yellow icon.

When a validation result is either Fail or Note, the result is be shown at the bottom box in the window.

Interface

Using the Export command opens the MassFX Export dialog:

General Settings rollout

Folder Name

To save exported data in a specific folder, turn this on and enter a folder name. If the folder doesn't exist, Export creates it.

Include FBX

When on, saves FBX data.

PhysX Scene Settings rollout

Export PhysX Scene

Saves the scene in PhysX format, using the specified data type (see following).

File Format

Choose XML or Binary as the data format to export.

Only export selected objects

When on, exports only selected objects.

Only export visible objects

When on, exports only visible objects.

Validate Scene before Export

When on, performs validation before exporting the files. For more information about export validation test, refer to the Validate Scene section, preceding.

Export

Performs the exportation using the specified settings and closes the dialog.