export a .c4d file into a format supported by MAX

[Logitek]

Hello,

 

NOTE: I have just posted the same question (but the other way around) in the 3dsMax section.

 

I am sure this question has been asked already, but I cannot find the answer (if there is one) anywhere. I've searched the forums here, I google searched everything that could come to mind about this topic, but no luck.

 

I anybody has the answer or can point me a website or another post, I would be very grateful.

 

thanks a lot in advance,

Matthieu DELARUE

[Frosty]

DXF, FBX, 3DS, OBJ all seem to fit.

[Logitek]

Oh, I probably forgot to mention that I would like to keep the most information (like UVs and triangulation at least) from one program to the other.

the .3DS format messes up my triangulation.

 

Frosty, thanks for your quick reply. Would you mind sending me the Max teapot equivalent of C4D (I don't know c4d at all!!) exported in DFX, FBX, 3DS and OBJ format for me to test?

I would really appreciate it and owe you one!

 

thanks

Matt

[Frosty]

C4D doesnt have Tea Pot object like max. However, I have translated C4D to Max with my co-worker many times. FBX works very well while keeping texture and material coordinates.

[Logitek]

Thanks Steve. But on my side, any object I try to import as an .fbx file crashes my max.

So far, to me the .3ds format works the best (along with a script to re-triangulate the objects)... But on a large scene, that might be too much work...

[Maximus3D]

If you wanna preserve as much data as possible from C4D to 3dsmax then FBX is the way to go. So far i had no problems with it.

 

/ Max

[Ernest Burden III]

FBX is the way to go. So far i had no problems with it.

 

I had a concern about scale with FBX, but I'm not sure where that came from. I seem to recall that there is an unusual multiplier for FBX vs what you would use with 3ds or dxf to keep units right. But even if there were an issue (and I'm not sure that there is) it would just be a matter of plugging in the correct multiplier (which usually is 1)

[Maximus3D]

Yes true, scale can vary but you can control that with the FBX importer. It usualy has a small box where you can put in the scale of your imported model(s) so it shouldn't cause too much trouble. A good suggestion is that you test this on your particular model to see what works best and which scaleunit you should use. Do as Ernest says.

[Logitek]

Thanks guys,

I installed the demo version of C4D to make export tests with my client's files... I'm quite lost to say the least

 

But I figured this:

Importing an object that was exported from C4D as a FBX 6.0 file always crashes my Max.

Importing a FBX 5.0 object works fine.

 

Triangulation seems to be better with FBX (than .3ds) although I still have problems on some objects. Especially those created using the loft tool and modified in C4D. It looks like each of these loft modifications appears as a different object in Max.

 

And yeah, I'll keep that in mind "Do as Ernest Says"

[Maximus3D]

Hehe, you can't get lost in C4D it's such an intuitive and easy program to work with. But if it's your first time with it, then you might be lost in paradise.

 

That's true, the FBX 6.0 exporter in C4D v10 is always crashing, but this should be fixed in the new 10.1 update recently released. Anyways the FBX 5.0 as you said works just as well.

 

As far as i know 3dsmax does some crazy stuff when you import FBX files there from other applications, it seems to toss and turn around the polygons as it wishes and split them here and there and not really care about preserving your model that much. ..so if you run into that problem when trying to port your model to 3dsmax i wish you all the good luck you can get. You'll gonna need it.

 

 

/ Max

[Ernest Burden III]

OBJ is one of the oldest formats there is, but it still works. I think it carries UV mapping and allows quad polygons, which 3ds does not. DXF does quads, but no mapping. VRML also carries UV mapping and does quads, so that could be an option in some cases.

 

The bigger issue is model structure. Whether your model goes from one program to another with the various parts and materials properly separated and arranged so the result is useful.