Ryzom

Bristle,

Please see this wiki article: ImportingMaxAssets

First thing that you should do is make sure your ryzom_assets.7z contents are in a folder called something like database. For example I have a structure that looks like this:

C:\ryzom_assets\database\Stuff

You see that what is in my database folder is what is in the ryzom_assets.7z archive. This is important because the next step is to map this as the "world database drive" or the W: drive.

subst w: c:\ryzom_assets

Now you have this:

w:\database\Stuff

Now go open a MAX file from your W drive, such as:

W:\database\Stuff\Fyros\Decors\Constructions\work\FY_CN_caravanserail_A.max

Confirm the dialogs that come up about obsolete data and missing textures. As soon as the scene is loaded go to: MAXScript -> Run Script... and choose nel_assets_png_database.ms - this will find all of the orphaned textures and correct them to be found through the standard "W" drive. Once this script is complete you will come back to your standard quad view port. In the Perspective view his 'z' to zoom extents and you should see a textured building.

Thanks,
sfb
/s

To open an asset, you just have to follow the related wiki:
http://dev.ryzom.com/wiki/ryzom/ImportingMaxAssets

Nel 3DMax is only needed to export some data.

i was afraid of that. i will work at this over the weekend. my first step will be to corectly texture the objects. i thought i had look for articles dealing with 3ds but i was wrong. so thank you both.

Bristle,

There are nearly 8k MAX files in the Ryzom asset repository. I can see why you're concerned. Kaetemi has written a script called nel_assets_png_batched.ms that performs the process for you. There are about 30-50 files that this process will not do automatically for you for one reason or another. Most of them need to be done manually using a similar technique described above (reset the scene, merge in the old MAX file, run the nel_assets_png_database.ms script, save) but the vast majority can be automatically converted to use the w:\ drive. Here's what you do:

1. Navigate to w:\database and create a new file called conversion.tag
2. Open up MAX and reset the scene.
3. MAXScript -> Run Script... and choose nel_assets_png_batched.ms
4. Choose "All Projects in a folder"
5. Click "Browse..." below "Source directory" and choose W:\database
6. Ensure that "Look in subfolders" is checked.
7. Ensure that "Test only, do not save" is not checked.
8. Ensure that "Backup files" is not checked.
9. Ensure that "Stop on error" is not checked.
10. And make sure that "Use tag" is checked.
11. Click "Go" and have patience. This process will take many hours.

When the process fails, and I say when because I promise you it will, MAX will completely crash. What you do next is go to w:\database\conversion.log and look at what the last file listed is. This is the file the process crashed while working on. What I did was create a new w:\dontwork folder. Whenever a file crashed, say, w:\database\Stuff\Fyros\Decors\Constructions\fy_cn_somebuilding.max, I would create w:\dontwork\Stuff\Fyros\Decors\Constructions and move this .max file there so that I can fix it later.

This is the part where making sure "Use tag" is checked is critical. The process will compare the modification date of any MAX file it is going to process with the modification date of the conversion.tag file and if the modification dates are greater than or equal (aka, newer) the process will skip these files thus saving you a LOT of time, and ultimately resume where you left off. You will have to do this quite a bit I'm afraid.

Once this is completely run what you need to do is go through the files that failed and convert them manually.

1. Open a new MAX scene.
2. File -> Import -> Merge and choose a .max file.
3. Select "All" and merge the scene.
4. Run nel_asset_png_database.ms
5. 'z' for zoom extents.
6. Save the file into its original location.

We're currently working on updating the Ryzom Asset Database so that it works correctly without going through this pain for all 3DSMAX 2010 users. I've completely converted all but the useless MAX files and am running through full builds of the build_gamedata pipeline. There are some quirks yet to work out but we're pretty close.

Thanks,
sfb
/s

i think i will wait for the conversion if it is close enough. i assume that the .shape file are for ryzom to use, so i can work with that for a while too.

I'm having problems with the models too. I've downloaded the NEL scripts and run them, which fixes most of the missing textures in the models.

However, there are some textures that don't seem to be present ANYWHERE in the zip archive; e.g. I have uk_marie_x3.png and uk_marie_x6.png, but 1, 2 and 4 are also required by the model, but are nowhere to be found.

There are also two "trame.png" files of different sizes - how do I know which to use?

Am I correct in assuming that some of the names of the textures have since been changed (e.g. there is no CA_casque01.png file, but there is a CA_HOM_casque01.png file, and all other textures used by the model have the HOM (hominoid?) prefix? Is there any way of knowing which files need to be used, e.g. there's no MarieGrandePorte.png, but a whole load of other "porte" and "door" textures?

Is there any more info on the models and textures than the link above (which I'd already followed last night, but doesn't deal with the textures not found by the script) - or am I doing something wrong? I'm a complete 3ds noob (downloaded the trial), and importing the models isn't working for me (but loading seems OK) - but that can't be the reason textures are missing, right?

Or, if someone is actually bothering to convert these anyway, what's the status? Is there a project somewhere to save having to convert the same files again? Has anyone actually managed to get the models working with all textures and can provide some insight into missing textures?