[DexX]

Required Software: (tutorials are at the bottom of this post)
Free 30 day trial of 3ds Max
discreet.com/3dsmax (click the tab on the left when the page loads)
i'll take this opportunity to remind you this THIS download is legal, but warez is not!! read the forum rules for more info.

Plugins/Utilities
Max 3-
Renderware DFF exporter

.X file exporter
PandaSoft free .X exporter

Max 4 and newer-
Kam was kind enough to write some MaxScripts that allow DFF importing and exporting directly from max, as well as collision editing, animation editing, and import/exporting of maps. get his scripts here:
Kam's MaxScript Tools
Kam's GTAF Topic

Steve M created a couple maxscripts of his own; one for importing paths, and another, alternate script for exporting collision data. They can be found here:
http://www.steve-m.com/?lang=EN&page=2&act=cat&ID=5
Edit by Steve: A yet unreleased path exporter beta can be found here.

Texporter!
Texporter, invaluable tool for helping with texturing. No max install should be without it.

tool for doing any necessary conversions on dffs. (some from max 3 could use it)
RW Analyze topic

I don't want to lock this, as it could be very handy, so please, if you have any questions, make sure you have first read all available documentation, tutorials, readme files, everything. do google and forum searches, and pm the author of the tool if possible (in Kams case). Try to only post in this topic if announcing that a link is dead, or you have something useful to contribute.

Original Max topic by werre
Unpinned due to age, clutter, spam, incompleteness..

There are answers everywhere (as evidenced below), so Questions here will be deleted and not answered!!!

Tutorials:
(i threw this together kind of fast, there is nothing gta-specific in these tutorials, but they should help you get a better feel for the software and underlying concepts. may be sorted into categories later)

General:
Useful Selection of "Beginner" tutorials
Beginners Guide to 3ds Max - written for max 4, but most of the info is still relevant
General Info, misc tuts

UVs and Texturing:
UVW Unwrapping (aka texture "skinning", or just skinning)
Setting up UVs (texture coordinates)
Mapping and Unwrapping Basics
Waylon-Art.com - UVW Tut

Modeling:Bipeds
Modeling a Biped With Primitives (beginner)
Joan of Arc - one of the best human-modeling tutorials available anywhere

Modeling:Vehicles
http://www.3dtotal.com/team/Tutorials/fiat500/fiat500.asp
Box Modeling a Car (very good)

Modeling:Weapons
Poly Modeling a Gun

Other:
Modelling a city with Greeble

Remember, these tutorials show you general methods, and are not limited to the projects they show off! So for joan of arc, you don't have to model a female clad in armor, or for the Fiat 500, you don't don't have to model that particular car, the skills you learn can be applied to other projects. Its all about the learning.

And there are of course, a ton of tutorials and websites that i left out, but if you have some handy links, or you found something useful that i dont have here, by all means post it

Excellent 3d Sites in general:
http://www.3dtotal.com/ (Free stuff -> Tutorials)
http://www.max-realms.com/
OnnoVanBraam - Excellent place for vehicles, both tutorials and blueprints

Thanks to Augh for the following links:
very handy 3ds max plugins, to make poly modeling easier
http://www.maya3d.dk/Scripts/MJPolyTools/

Don't let the url fool you, these are good. one of the few legit reasons to register @ fileplanet (to read the tutorials, you have to)
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/tutorial/tutorial.htm

Bake Vertex colors into a texture
http://www.bobotheseal.com/tuts_vertex_bake01.htm

[JernejL]

QUOTE (ashdexx @ May 7 2005, 19:02)

.X file exporter (will add link when i find one that works)

there is one in microsoft's directx sdk..

[DexX]

QUOTE (Delfi @ Jun 13 2005, 04:21)

QUOTE (ashdexx @ May 7 2005, 19:02) .X file exporter (will add link when i find one that works) there is one in microsoft's directx sdk..

There's supposed to be, but i've looked hi and low in mine and don't see it (though i do recall seeing it before at one point). the one at Pandasoft was perfect; free, lots of export options, and small filesize. At any rate, i don't think its worth the 200mb d/l just for the exporter, unless there is no other option.

[DexX]

I updated the first post with general, non-gta specific 3ds max tutorials, a link to the official demo from Discreet (3ds max is NOT legally free except for the demo), and the bloody Texporter plugin, which i cant believe i forgot. Hopefully navigating 3ds max will be a bit easier now and some questions will be answered.

I've been using Max for years, and i might very well have missed some of the more "n00b-friendly" tutorials, so please post if these are useful to you or not, and why or why not.
posts like this;

QUOTE

didn't help at all

...will be flat out deleted. give reasons.

Updated with 3 news links from Augh..

QUOTE

very handy 3ds max plugins, to make poly modeling easier http://www.maya3d.dk/Scripts/MJPolyTools/ Don't let the url fool you, these are good. one of the few legit reason to register @ fileplant (to read the tutorials, you have to) http://www.poopinmymouth.com/tutorial/tutorial.htm Bake Vertex colours into a texture (very useful actually) http://www.bobotheseal.com/tuts_vertex_bake01.htm

thanks a bunch augh!

[pepperoniroller]

Here are a few of the most popular modeling scripts conveniently packaged into one file:
MeshTools3 WITH CSPolyTools. Some of the features include sliding edge loops, make poly from verts, and much more.

http://www.scriptspot.com/download.asp?ID=2432&inf=1

[DexX]

QUOTE (pepperoniroller @ Jul 25 2005, 17:46)

Here are a few of the most popular modeling scripts conveniently packaged into one file: MeshTools3 WITH CSPolyTools. Some of the features include sliding edge loops, make poly from verts, and much more. http://www.scriptspot.com/download.asp?ID=2432&inf=1

nice addition, i didnt know about these

[ModelingMan]

3D-Palace.com has a bunch of great video tutorials on making cars, guns and many other models. Note: Max download speed is 20KB/s, worth it in the end though.
XenosGames.com also has a few video tutorials on modelling heads, low poly guns and UV mapping.

All tutorials on both sites range from beginner to pro.

[BogdanR]

Add the latest kam script for SA:
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=218318

I went to his old gta site ,cuz I couldn't find links to the new one, and couldn't open any sa files.

This post has been edited by DexX on Monday, Aug 28 2006, 06:20

[Invader]

Hi,

I've made my car in Max, well edited using the plugin. I havn't done COL yet, so how do I do that? Also how do I export it back into a DFF format so I can insert it into the IMG?

Thanks

[BogdanR]

replace the link to the kam's filters with a link to his topic for the scripts.

http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=218318

[flammingfish]

i dont think i should post this here, but i dont know where it should go.
i am having i problem when i try to save a .dff file it says somthing about a more then one HIERARCHY link.
it says metions about it in the readme but im still clueless about what i should do to prevent this for future reference


EDIT: just noticed the link to a forum above, sorry

[Seida]

omg thank you after looking through the tuts for like 5 hours i just found the best one i could poss find as a noob needed that weapon modeling tut thanks a bunch guys hope to have one for ya soon
laters

[Chris_topher]

I cant download the rw analyze .. is there any alternate link? i have tried to find it by search engine but ..i failed.. can anyone give a link?

[kees1991]

i need the 3dr plugin's vor 3ds9

can somone help me whit this ??

[Seif]

Can you find another tutorial for Bipeds? Links are kinda down or something.

[MalR]

How do you put these into 3Dstudio max? Where do you exract em?

[KaZu0]

Uhm
67.15.36.49/
I cant open anything related to that IP, dont know, it just downloads for like 40-60 seconds, then shows me that there is a problem and the site cant be opened. etc.

Someone update them ?

[springsteen_fan]

Hi everyone,

I've tried to download the DirectX End-User Runtimes, which is needed for the Panda DirectX Exporter for 3ds max 2009. I reinstalled my computer a month ago and now it seems I can't download anything from microsoft.com. can someone help me with this problem, or do you have another link to those Runtimes???

Thanks!

[cj360]

Joan of Arc - one of the best human-modelling tutorials available anywhere

Modelling:Weapons
Poly Modelling a Gun
Don't load it says "page load error" or "___ is taking too long to respond"
Could you fix that plz

[DexX]

QUOTE (cj360 @ Oct 28 2008, 16:17)

Joan of Arc - one of the best human-modelling tutorials available anywhere Modelling:Weapons Poly Modelling a Gun Don't load it says "page load error" or "___ is taking too long to respond" Could you fix that plz

http://www.3dtotal.com/ffa/tutorials/max/j...rc/joanmenu.asp

All pages that link to 3dtotal.com should now be fixed.

This post has been edited by DexX on Wednesday, Oct 29 2008, 02:46