3DS Max Batch processing help

Tools 3ds Max
1

Hi guys,

I have a folder full of animations in .max format that I need to open in Max and export to FBX using the same names as the max files. Now short of going through and doing each one individually, is there a way I can automate this, like the batch processing in Photoshop? Maybe with MaxScript? (I am a total maxscript noob…any help will net you SO many internet cookies.

Thanks in advance,

Jenna

2

This is totally doable. The only gotcha is that (at least in our case) Max sometimes just gets “tired” and needs a restart - I’ve made our batch export process to quit after exporting 20 times just to be sure. Let me know if you need more details how to do this.

SamiV.

3

maybe you could use the fbx-sdk to do this aswell, I know it manages .3ds files, not entirely sure if it can take .max files…

4

try using this tool:
http://joleanes.com/scripts_plugins/batch.php

5

Thanks alot everyone, that batch script is exactly what I need! You guys are my heroes <3

Edit: I have realised that I need to use the biped “convert>set a keyframe every frame” for each animation, but nothing shows up in the listener when I do it in Max. I have looked through the maxscript reference but can’t seem to find anything relating to this command. Otherwise I’d need to select all parts of the biped and set a keyframe per frame for the range oft he animation. Any ideas? Thanks again :smiley:

6

This one works like a champ… http://www.paulneale.com/scripts/batchItMax/batchItMax.htm
it makes it trivial to set up a couple small scripts to be run on each file individually

7

The latest FBX plug-ins should be able to bake the keys for you, you just have to turn on the flag for export, instead of doing it before hand in max.

8

[QUOTE=samivRMD;6771]This is totally doable. The only gotcha is that (at least in our case) Max sometimes just gets “tired” and needs a restart - I’ve made our batch export process to quit after exporting 20 times just to be sure. Let me know if you need more details how to do this.

SamiV.[/QUOTE]

Yes, Max can easily run out of memory. We ended up creating a .NET system for this that will open up a session of Max for each file. It has a fuse on the process, and will kill it after the fuse winds down. Any files it got hung up on are logged (along with errors if possible, skipped, and then re-tried at the end, until they work or the user intervenes. We had a system to queue up a number of files per session but decided we didn’t need it, as it made the code significantly more complex.

9

i definitely was just looking for the tool that i posted in this thread and i couldn’t find it, so i did a google search for ‘3dsmax batch tool’ and this thread was one of the top results. goddamn i love this site, and i’m glad i responded to this thread, haha.