readme file for w3d->gmax converter version 1.16 beta
read the licence.txt file to see the licence for the converter.

to use the converter, press the "import a w3d file" button.
reference for controlls in import dialog:
item				what it does
file-select w3d			select a w3d file for import
file-select from mix		open a mix file and select a w3d from it to import
file-exit			exit the dialog
edit-preferences		edit preferences (everything here should be self-explanitory)
help-w3d importer references	loads the help file (not written yet)
help-about			about the converter
meshes selection		select meshes to import
proxies selection		select proxies to import
aggregates selection		select aggregates to import
dazzles selection		select dazzles to import
animation			select to import animation or not and how many frames to import
level of details		select which LODs to import
bones				select to import bones
bones in selection only		select to import only bones in selection
create origin bone		create an origin bone. Use this if you are dealing with vechicles 				and things that have LODs but things like terrain and building 				parts dont need it
import selected			import selected objects
import				import everything
cancel				cancel import

notes om importing:
1.make sure that if the model file you are importing points at other files (such as a skelleton) that it is in the same folder/mix file as the w3d you are importing
2.the converter doesnt do wwskins (whatever they are)
3.the converter probobly doesnt get materials completly right (someone with material skills will have to try it on some w3d files with complex materials and see how it works, anything it doesnt handle should be reported as a bug)
4.the converter doesnt do surface types, no clue why.

what to do after import:
first, select all objects in the scene, go over to "w3d tools" and uncheck Export Transform and Export Geomerty.
Then press set w3d tool flags.
Push Export Transform in that dialog. It should select some stuff. Then click on Export Transform in the w3d tools dialog. Do the same for Export Geomerty, the Geomerty options and the Collision options. Basicly, this saves all the work of re-setting the flags manually by hand.
After this is done, select each object in turn, press "renegade material editor" then press "get renegade material". Do this for all the objects. Some wont have materials to get (things like bones etc). If something is missing a material and it in fact should have one, its a bug and I want to know about it :).
After you have done this, you should get something thats reasonably close to a usable gmax file for the w3d file.

bugs I know about:
a bug with worldboxes not being put in the right place (affects com_lift.w3d and ref_lift.w3d and other lifts that are the same general model and also affects ref_barrels.w3d, thats what I found so far)
a bug with some materials not importing properly, probobly something to do with multiple materials per mesh. (affects dr0_c.w3d so far)
another materials bug with materials not being imported properly
a bug with animation not being imported properly for some files (affects dr0_c.w3d and door0.w3d so far)

bugs I dont know about:
if you find bugs I dont know about, let me know.
also, if you find files other than the ones I mentioned that are affected by the bugs I do know about, let me know.
also, if you have any insights into what might be the cause of any bugs, do let me know.
I especially need people with good gmax/w3d skills to take w3d files from the game, import them and see whats "missing" or "not imported properly" or whatever.

I also want to know:
1.if any files are being mis-identified (e.g. as Terrain instead of Heirarchical model or whatever)
and 2.if there any problems with flags, i.e. stuff being marked with a particular flag if it shouldnt be or vice versa.

where to report bugs:
report all bugs to me, Jonathan Wilson
email jonwil@tpgi.com.au
AIM jonwil2002
Yahoo jonwil2002
MSN JonathanWilson623@hotmail.com
ICQ 77572975
or see me on IRC at #RenEvo on radiantx.net

**************************************************************************************************************************
Previous Version Info

W3D Importer version 1.12


Files included in the package:
------------------------------

where (..\gmax) is your gmax base folder

- (..\gmax)\ui\icons\gmax_24i.bmp					-- Using these 2 files for now...
- (..\gmax)\ui\icons\gmax_24a.bmp					   this will be changed

- (..\gmax)\gamepacks\Westwood\RenX\ui\RenX.cui				-- Added the W3D icon in the main tool
									   bar. This is bound to change too...

- (..\gmax)\gamepacks\Westwood\RenX\Plugins\dazzle.ini			-- Suplied in case you dont have the
									   right one (from Always.dat)

- (..\gmax)\\gamepacks\Westwood\RenX\Plugins\W3D-Importer.ini		-- Importer now supports the ini file
									   (half-way)

- (..\gmax)\\gamepacks\Westwood\RenX\Scripts\Startup\W3D-Importer.ms	-- The Importer plugin script itself
 



Installation Instructions:
--------------------------

- BackUp the 4 first files specified above before extracting (if you already haven't previously get the Importer)

- Extract the content of this package to your gmax base folder




Implemented / not implemeted so far:
------------------------------------

- Terrains and Hierarchical models will mostly all import. Some of them might get RenX to crash, I have localized
  one of the reason this happens, and I will rewrite the converter's part of the code to get the chunks as they
  come then deal with them instead of looking for specific chunks that might not be in same order for all models.
  

- You can now import character's skeletons. Soon you'll be able to import any character file and selecting
  a character file will show you wich files it relies on and will include them on import. Also you'll have
  the possibility of applying a skeleton to it.


- You can now choose exactly wich meshes, proxies, aggregates and dazzles you wish to import and have the option
  to import only the bones wich what you selected depends on. Clicking the Full Import button will ignore your
  choices and will import the full W3D file as it is.


- for now, no bones for meshes exported with both geometry type (geometry and bone transforms) will be created
  just the mesh itself and it will act as a bone in the hierarchy, so if you select to import all or only the
  bones of the selection's hierarchy you might get meshes you didnt select if the modeler checked the bone
  transform box for some meshes. 


- LOD is fully implemented, no bugs found yet


- the last 5 imported models are now shown in the file menu (Untill gmax is closed)


- Now have a preferences dialog with customizable profiles, these are the settings found in W3D-Importer.ini,
  most of them are fully implemented, here's those that are not yet fully implemented:

		- Use Dazzle's texture found in dazzle.ini
		- Create Bones for meshes exported with bone transform
		- Use specific profiles for the type of model


- Since gmax does not allow scripters to write files, I have made a temporary dialog where you can copy and
  paste the content of what the new W3D-Importer.ini file should be when applying changes in the preferences.
  There is probably some work arround for that, and I will work on it later


- Now that this importer as become a part of a bigger project (W3D Modeler's edition of RenX), the Title
  in of the main Gmax windows now displays: (opened file) - RenX - W3D Modeler Edition, instead of just Gmax



- Materials still needs work, I havent work on it for a while, this will be the biggest chalenge.


- Still having problems with animations... I've got so close a few times to get it to work right, but then
  the more I try the worst it gets.


- fixed some few small bugs, still there are more to fix.


- Also, since I have almost completly rewrote the script since previous versions, I have flushed all comments
  in the script, I will write comments later... sorry about that, I do better when i dont get influenced by my
  comments ;) and also I found scripts to be a lot more easier to read without any comments.
  (Despite what computer programming teachers might tell you)





I've got lots more stuff coming, and I would like to be done with this converter by the end of the week,
but it might take an additional week or two before the Importer is finaly first released to public.

Hopefuly, Greg will be able to point me in the right direction for animations.


Eric






Credits:
--------

-- Main Concept and programming:		Eric Morin (Abjab)


-- Help system (coming):			Thomas Anderson (Dante)


-- Programming Cleanup/Debug			Jonathan Wilson (jonwil)



