What is a .3DS filetype?

SertorialSertorial Posts: 962
edited December 1969 in New Users

I found a prop on Share CG, but it's a .3DS file (whatever that is). Can I load it into DS4.5 and if so, how?

Comments

  • wancowwancow Posts: 2,708
    edited March 2013

    it's the 3D Studio exchange format. Very often the meshes are made up of triangles. Most often exported from 3DSmacks.

    DS has no import filter for it. You can use Wings3D to convert it, which is free, or Hexagon, which is inexpensive. Hexagon will allow you to get any materials into DS easier.

    Post edited by wancow on
  • SertorialSertorial Posts: 962
    edited December 1969

    wancow said:
    it's the 3D Studio exchange format. Very often the meshes are made up of triangles. Most often exported from 3DSmacks.

    DS has no import filter for it. You can use Wings3D to convert it, which is free, or Hexagon, which is inexpensive. Hexagon will allow you to get any materials into DS easier.

    Ok, I don't have any of those programs (and it sounds too hard for a newbie like me). But thanks anyway

  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited December 1969

    It is not hard and even a newbie can do it with enough patience and reading, I'm just saying. :)

  • wancowwancow Posts: 2,708
    edited December 1969

    download wings3d from wings3d.com

    Install

    Open Wings3D

    goto FILE/IMPORT

    look for your 3DS file, select and load it.

    goto FILE/EXPORT

    Select Wavefront OBJ, name the file whateverfile.obj

    save the file.

    open DAZ Studio

    Goto File Import.

    Locate whateverfile.obj and load it into DAZ Studio

    select the object in the scene tab

    zoom in on the object.

    Place and scale the object till is what it should be.

    Export the object to OBJ

    Re-Import the object at it's proper scale.

  • mjc1016mjc1016 Posts: 15,001
    edited December 1969

    Even easier...

    http://www.sharecg.com/v/47408/View/11/Poser/PropViewer-3.2

    It will load several different formats and allow you to save them as obj or even pp2 files (but I find saving them as pp2 to be pretty much worthless, unless they are already scaled and positioned).

  • wancowwancow Posts: 2,708
    edited December 1969

    that's one of the things I like about using Hex to do the conversion... I can get a decent scale before I get into DS and not have to export it again....

  • SertorialSertorial Posts: 962
    edited December 1969

    wancow said:
    download wings3d from wings3d.com

    Install

    Open Wings3D

    goto FILE/IMPORT

    look for your 3DS file, select and load it.

    goto FILE/EXPORT

    Select Wavefront OBJ, name the file whateverfile.obj

    save the file.

    open DAZ Studio

    Goto File Import.

    Locate whateverfile.obj and load it into DAZ Studio

    select the object in the scene tab

    zoom in on the object.

    Place and scale the object till is what it should be.

    Export the object to OBJ

    Re-Import the object at it's proper scale.

    You're a star! Thanks!

    1) But the object is all white and has no surface

    2) can I not save it as a DAZ prop of some kind (so I can see it in my content library)? I won't remember it's there if I leave it as an .OBJ (as they are invisible)

  • wancowwancow Posts: 2,708
    edited December 1969

    Save As/Support Asset/Figure Prop Asset

    You can edit the material groups with the polygon group editor in DS

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,842
    edited December 1969

    Assuming the item was UV mapped - it may not be. Do you have a link?

  • SertorialSertorial Posts: 962
    edited December 1969

    Assuming the item was UV mapped - it may not be. Do you have a link?

    http://www.sharecg.com/v/7486/View/5/3D-Model/BUCKET


    Does "UV mapped" mean it has a .JPG of a texture that comes with it to wrap around it?

  • Herald of FireHerald of Fire Posts: 3,504
    edited December 1969

    Sertorial said:
    Assuming the item was UV mapped - it may not be. Do you have a link?

    http://www.sharecg.com/v/7486/View/5/3D-Model/BUCKET


    Does "UV mapped" mean it has a .JPG of a texture that comes with it to wrap around it?
    If it came with a texture, then chances are it has a UV map. UV mapping is basically a way of 'drawing' a 3D object onto a 2-Dimensional texture, so that part of the image corresponds to part of the model.

    If you put the bucket texture into the 'Diffuse Color' as a texture map, it should display correctly. You might have to tweak additional settings to get it to your tastes, but that will cover the basics.

  • MedzinMedzin Posts: 337
    edited March 2013

    3ds does not support UV mapping, only MAX texture coordinates.
    They can be used with procedural shaders, but you need to UV map the object before applying a texture map

    Post edited by Medzin on
  • mjc1016mjc1016 Posts: 15,001
    edited December 1969

    No, UV mapped means that it is mapped to take a texture map.

    It only has one material zone set up and no materials specified. That's why it's loading as a solid white object. Also, when I did the conversion, there were lots of unwelded vertices, so it didn't want to play well with smoothing in DS. After welding the verts, converting to quads, UV mapping and assigning a couple of material zones, I came up with this....

    bucket.jpg
    800 x 1000 - 294K
  • SertorialSertorial Posts: 962
    edited December 1969

    mjc1016 said:
    No, UV mapped means that it is mapped to take a texture map.

    It only has one material zone set up and no materials specified. That's why it's loading as a solid white object. Also, when I did the conversion, there were lots of unwelded vertices, so it didn't want to play well with smoothing in DS. After welding the verts, converting to quads, UV mapping and assigning a couple of material zones, I came up with this....

    Wow! That looks pretty good. Can you upload the file for me, so I can use it? (As I have no idea how you did all that)

    So if I understand this correctly, applying a texture to an object that hasn't been UV mapped would just make a flat silhouette of the particular view of the object, but filled in with just the flat texture?

  • mjc1016mjc1016 Posts: 15,001
    edited December 1969

    Since there is no readme or EULA with the file, I'll have to assume the most restrictive terms apply and won't be allowed to upload it. I will, though drop the original uploader an email, through ShareCG and see what he says. Because since I've got it that far, I may as well finish it out as a prop.

    As to not being UV mapped...all sorts of things can happen. Depending if the texture you are adding is an image based item or a procedural one. Image based have the most problems, especially if tiled. A plain color will usually work. Procedurals....most may work, but some won't. Displacement probably won't work, bumpmaps and normal maps may work, sometimes (again often depends on whether or not it's tiled). It's not just what you've described...a lot more can happen/not happen.

    UV mapping is what tells the renderer to use a particular part of the texture on a specific part of the mesh.

  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634
    edited December 1969

    Ok I will take it back not so easy with this one for a newbie...I apologise.

    Nice work mjc.

  • SertorialSertorial Posts: 962
    edited March 2013

    mjc1016 said:
    Since there is no readme or EULA with the file, I'll have to assume the most restrictive terms apply and won't be allowed to upload it. I will, though drop the original uploader an email, through ShareCG and see what he says. Because since I've got it that far, I may as well finish it out as a prop.

    As to not being UV mapped...all sorts of things can happen. Depending if the texture you are adding is an image based item or a procedural one. Image based have the most problems, especially if tiled. A plain color will usually work. Procedurals....most may work, but some won't. Displacement probably won't work, bumpmaps and normal maps may work, sometimes (again often depends on whether or not it's tiled). It's not just what you've described...a lot more can happen/not happen.

    UV mapping is what tells the renderer to use a particular part of the texture on a specific part of the mesh.

    Thanks for the info on UV mapping. I think I am beginning to get it.

    But please don't go to any trouble on my account with the prop. I am sure I can find another easily enough.

    Post edited by Sertorial on
  • BWSmanBWSman Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    another converter that's easy to use and free is called PoseRay. It can convert from several formats to obj with out too much issues and keep the material zones.
    https://sites.google.com/site/poseray/

  • SertorialSertorial Posts: 962
    edited December 1969

    BWSman said:
    another converter that's easy to use and free is called PoseRay. It can convert from several formats to obj with out too much issues and keep the material zones.
    https://sites.google.com/site/poseray/

    cool! Thanks

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