luckybob9

Own/ purchase as in paying someone to do it or downloading from model sharing website (turbosquid, etc).

People might purchase models and then make the needed changes instead of starting from scratch but correct, plugins only allow for exporting, no importing or viewing within 3ds Max.

Oh, opening/ importing .edm files? No plugins support that

Plugins for 2008 are no longer supported; even if you found a version of it, they export into an older version of the .edm format

That tutorial was probably created when plugins for Max 2008 were available. I don't think Max 2008 has been supported for over a year now

For anyone else having this issue, my guess is that the newest ones are going through changes. Use version 115338 for now.

Because its not a simple DLL file. With each version of 3ds max the plugin format changes slightly; you cant run a 2010 plugin on a 2016 version of max and the plugins are not written for 2016. The installer is actually intelligent and contains plugins for versions 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014. It automatically detects what version you have and installs the corresponding plugin version in the correct folder.

right, the tools are ED's own and not available to the public

Do you have multiple layers? I would unlayer everything/ temporary delete any unused pieces You would have to make a Mod so you could add it as a static object in the mission editor. There is no way to have it 'automatically' be placed at a desired spot

1) In the world folder I think? I cant check on the PC im currently on. 2) .lsa4 - it is a specific format that only ED's engine can understand 3) Land textures are assigned to the mesh prior to exporting to ED's own format.

You might be able to do the same method as the guide. But the other way is pretty much identical, except you're just separating everything and the data in the ROOT LOD dummy, is what will be in the .lods file Im going off memory here, so for a model with 4 pieces, (tower_lod0, tower_lod1, tower_lod2, tower_lod3), you would export each one independently. Then you would need to make a .lods file which is just a text file. The information you enter should be in the following format: model={ lods={ {"tower_lod0.edm",250.000000}; {"tower_lod1.edm",750.000000}; {"tower_lod2.edm",2000.000000}; {"tower_lod3.edm",50000.000000}; }; collision_shell="tower_lod0.edm"; } The last part declares the collision file. Then numbers after declaring the model name is the maximum range in meters that the specific LOD will be rendered

In the past it is not just a different texture but, a different physical mesh AND texture. The mesh swaps out based on argument numbers using visibility tracks. It has 4 different levels. 0 = normal .01 -.25 - stage 1 .26 -5 - stage 2 .51 -.75 - stage 3 .76 - 1 - stage 4

Probably what Joey said. Make sure you have standard materials and have clicked the 'make cool' button in the ed plugins

I just wanted to clarify that while the tools might work, there is no support for them from the team and I would even say that most people have forgotten how they work

Lets put the brakes on this before it becomes a runaway train. The tools being talked about in this thread are old, outdated, unsupported, and have not been used in several years. The new tools are not available for the public. Please refer to Sith's post below: