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im trying to use 3ds max design automation api to generate lightmap UVs and bake AO (using the flatiron plugin) Few questions regarding that before I dive deep.

  1. does max support svf import directly in max for the design automation api? (I know it supports svf export). I tried looking at the docs and this was not clear.

  2. For the svf export option, does svf support a second set of UVs ? If there is a spec for this format that would be great.

Thanks

Anupam Das
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  • I would like to get more information on what you are trying to do. I would not typically expect someone to try to import an SVF file into 3ds Max. (These files are usually only used for 3d web display/preview) – Jeremy Dec 07 '20 at 19:38

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Hopefully this can help.

  1. 3ds Max does not support SVF import. Only export.
  2. There is no public spec for the svf format as far as I know. See this previous question/answer here: Is there a specification available for the Autodesk SVF format?.

Note: I am not familiar with the flatiron plugin but it seems like a commercial plugin with its own licensing system. You might have a hard time repackaging the plugin to making it work on Design Automation because of the licensing.

If you aren't aware you might want to take a look at the new bakeToTexture feature that was introduced in 3dsMax 2021. Here are some useful links about it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2iZhmrNwwU&ab_channel=KemetCorporation

http://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2021/ENU/?guid=GUID-B67A2495-89E4-464A-8913-35C957E950EB

http://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2021/ENU/?guid=GUID-BC5AE8EA-A88C-4CF3-AF63-4C45FB48EEB5

Jeremy
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  • this is very useful information and will work for my needs. Since the storage bucket will have the original unconverted file anyway, I will feed that into max. One question that remains unanswered, does SVF support a second UV set? I would like to bake AO to a second UV set and keep the first as for textures..etc.. – Anupam Das Dec 09 '20 at 05:22
  • Right now LMV only support one set of UVs as far as I can tell. The 3ds Max svf exporter should pick which UV channel to use by looking at the Map Channel specified by the diffuse texture. – Jeremy Dec 09 '20 at 13:43
  • thats too bad SVF does not support a second UV set, which essentially makes using lightmap uvs with the SVF format impossible. – Anupam Das Dec 18 '20 at 03:25