Importing external assets

[MKR5]

Hi All,
I'm new to TW and am still not clear on some of the concepts.

All of the documentation on exporting assets seems to assume that the asset has been created in 3ds max. Reference is made to 3rd party asset suppliers (e.g. TurboSquid), however it is not clear if these can be imported into TW simply. A review of the "Asset Compiler" documentation doesn't add clarification.

Comments in this forum and elsewhere on the site seem to suggest that even 3ds objects from TurboSquid or other sources need to be imported into 3ds max and then "exported" using the TW utility before being able to be compiled. Do I understand this correctly?

I do not have 3ds max. I'd like to add assets to my projects and have identified a number of TurboSquid 3ds objects, characters, and environments that will meet my requirements. I would be happy, for my immediate evaluation needs, to import static objects quickly. What, exactly, is the process that will be required to get 3rd party 3ds objects into TW?

Thanks
Mike R

[RobbyD]

A common question, or questions.

3D is extremely complex, and the amount of flexibility 3D modelling programs allow users to have is fantastic. That said, TW uses a pipeline of 3ds MAX -> TW. What this means is, providing you can get your artwork into 3ds MAX, you can export it into TW. 3ds MAX supports FBX, OBJ and 3ds formats, allowing other 3d modelling packages to be used to create artwork initially, then export to one of the three industry standard formats.

In terms of 3ds party assets, they will have started the hard work for you (such as turbosquid). They will have done most of the modelling and texturing. This does not mean you will not do any work in house before you can export. Things to check are; polygon count and textures being supplied. On the whole most assets on Turbosquid are in good condition, but you generally have to modifier the scale and make a few other amends within the material editor.

For a fee Caspian offer assistance with art creation, and could also assist in getting Turbosquid models into TW. Keep in mind polygon counts etc when looking on Turbosquid

Thanks, Rob.