How to export physics properties with 3dsMax and COLLADA

[Prompt]

Hi there!

I read many things about COLLADA-DOM, COLLADA Physics and bullet. I have in my game engine implemented bullet and now im trying to do a bullet test with COLLADA for to have complex geom with physics.

I read COLLADA demo in bullet is not used any more, I know dynamica plugin for Maya exist and the format for to load physics info is throw .bullet file.

I have installed in my 3dsMax 2011 OpenCOLLADA and AutoDesk COLLADA plugins and my question is:
¿How can I add to my 3D models in 3dsMax custom physics shapes like standard way?
¿3dsMax plugins export .bullet file, How?

In my current job I assign a special name to some mesh, we parse geom and add to bullet engine this custom shape. Is not the best way because I want a totally support for to do complex things. Maybe, need I to export .dae to Bullet RT Viewer and edit in that tool?

[Erwin Coumans]

There is currently on 3ds max export to the .bullet format. One way is to use the NVidia PhysX 3ds max exporter to COLLADA .dae, and then convert COLLADA to .bullet.

Another way is to replace PhysX by Bullet in that 3ds max plugin, and then directly export to Bullet.
Both methods are possible. I copied the 3ds max plugin source code into the dynamica project under Extras/3dsmax: http://dynamica.googlecode.com

Are you interested in helping out with this?
Thanks,
Erwin

[Prompt]

Hi Erwin.

I'm studying COLLADA 1.5 specs in reference of physics export format, Chapter 6. Additionally I'm adapting the source code of COLLADA RT for my engine, cleaning dependencies, not using CG and so on, clean Crt! with no support of COLLADA FX, only geom and calc Skinning, Morphing, etc. So the objective is, load and play COLLADA .dae and get the configuration of COLLADA Physics for configure Bullet physics.

Use NVidia PhysX in 3ds max and export to COLLADA is good for me. The best option is obviously to use Bullet in this plug-in and export to .dae or .bullet.

The most common use of Bullet in my games are to use custom meshes. I create btBvhTriangleMeshShape when I need collision map, ramps for rolling games, etc. For example:
- I create visual object, a ramp with some holes
- Then I create collision object with name "ground"
- I create an Actor with LUA script, CreateActor("ActorPhysic", { ..., node = "ground" }
- When actor is initializing I use the object of node for create btBvhTriangleMeshShape

This way is really useful, work fine for me. The best is support all COLLADA features and all bullet possibilities. This is my objective custom collision meshes and triggers with Bullet primitives.

I want to create complex meshes with Bullet directly in 3ds max, create ropes, rigid bodies, attachments. So I suppose the first pass is to support COLLADA to Bullet using PhysX plug-in and the next step change PhysX by Bullet and collaborate with Bullet scene and help you as possible. Your source code of this plug-in is huge! I don't know if in my free time I will do that quickly or if I have the experience needed to port that.

PhysX plug-in to COLLADA Physic is up to date?
Thanks!

[Erwin Coumans]

A preliminary version of the 3ds max plugin for Bullet is here: http://code.google.com/p/dynamica/downloads/list
It is precompiled for 3ds max 2009, 32bit. The source code is in Extras/3dsmax of the Dynamica googlecode repository.

It is based on the latest open source release of the NVidia PhysX plugin for 3ds max, distributed under the MIT license, where Bullet replaces PhysX. It can export to the .bullet binary format.
It is still very early stages and help is welcome,
Thanks,
Erwin

[Prompt]

Ah! OK... just now can export to .bullet! I will compile it for 3ds max 2011 with VS2010 ASAP when I'll finish my COLLADA Run Time.

Thanks so much!

[Erwin Coumans]

There is a 3ds max 2011 binary here: http://code.google.com/p/dynamica/downloads/list

It also exports names into the .bullet format.
Can you try it out?
Thanks,
Erwin

[Prompt]

So fast Erwin! but I'm in the beach until the next Thursday. I started my holidays yesterday, so when I will have my PC I will check your new binaries.

Before that I need to know some things. When you say "It also exports names into the .bullet format.", What is exactly the functionality of the plug-in right now? Which bullet properties export the current version of the plug-in?

Thanks for all Erwin.

[Prompt]

I just tested the plugin for 3ds max 2011 but I can't create complex scenes.
I need to practice with PhysX plugin more but I agree to help you with 3ds max plugin with Bullet engine

Where is documentation of PhysX plugin for 3ds max?

Thanks.

[Erwin Coumans]

I just tested the plugin for 3ds max 2011 but I can't create complex scenes.
I need to practice with PhysX plugin more but I agree to help you with 3ds max plugin with Bullet engine

Where is documentation of PhysX plugin for 3ds max?

Thanks.

What do you mean exactly by 'complex scenes'? One remaining todo is support for generic 6dof constraints. The 3ds Max plugin supports a small subset of constraints, such as btPoint2PointConstraint and btHingeConstraint.

The original documentation of the PhysX plugin for 3ds max is included in the installer and source repository. We just modified it to reflect the changes to Bullet and removed cloth/softbody/fluids.
See also http://code.google.com/p/dynamica/sourc ... 0Guide.doc

Thanks,
Erwin

[Prompt]

Ok. I have the doc and I know the current state of the plugin.

I'm under development of COLLADA viewer. Just rendering models exported with 1 diffuse texture at the moment. I have many things to do yet before to start collaborating with bullet plugin. ASAP I will try to export physic properties with COLLADA but I have no idea how do that yet.

I know Bullet plugin can export to COLLADA in "Bullet Control Panel".

My objective is to export meshes from 3ds max with physic information like rigid bodies. For example to make 3D scene with static and dynamics collision objects.

At this moment when you export with 3ds max COLLADA plugin include Geometry, Animation, Cameras and Lights. In Geometry section is not included physics objects, so I believe the current way to export all I want is in 2 .dae

In my current job we have our exporter for 3ds max. All objects named TActorPhysic:... are created like Bullet rigid bodies, it's really good way to export rigid bodies. But if I can use Bullet plugin for create more physic interactions with constraints as you comment before, etc.

How can I do all of that I want? FBX plugin have no support for COLLADA physic and I want only 1 .dae file
Thanks !

[Prompt]

I test Artistic Style. Really good tool!

My configuration is:

[gersen]

I would like to test it, is there a binary version for 3ds max 2010 x86?

Thanks,
Thomas

[cyrfer]

Can this be compiled for Max 2010? I am interested in using the exporter and I only have 2010.

[cyrfer]

I am interested in improving the Max -> Bullet export process.

I have tried to make it work with Max 2010. I am stumped at the moment. My help request is over here:
http://bulletphysics.org/Bullet/phpBB3/ ... f=9&t=7439

[james90]

Thanks a lot i was searching for this for very long time, actually i recently join this forum and i hope got lot of such useful information in future.