Importing 3ds file format to daz
unknownmystery445
Posts: 414
in The Commons
Are there a way to do this? Without making the 3D model lose quality? If so how do you do it? I want the 3D model to be still pose able or if it's not possible what do you guys do first? Pose it in a program? Before exporting to Daz?
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I use 3DS Max to export it as an obj with textures. The conversion doesn't always go well and I frequently have to fiddle with the obj file in Blender (the worlds greatest program!). Materials/textures/shaders need a lot of work in Daz. Studio will not open Max files directly.
Can you import 3ds file directly to blender? Or what formats does blender accept?
I use Poser to import 3DS, and then save this as a Poser prop for import into DS. Obviously it would be nice if we could import 3DS directly into DS.
Greentoken is a free online converter that will convert 3Ds to obj. The obj file can then be imported into DAZ Studio.
Both Bryce and Carrara can import 3ds file format. convert and export obj.
Does Bryce and Carrara import 3ds with its rigs? Also does it import .fbx? Or other formats?
Does poser import 3ds file with its rigs? And what other formats can it import? Can it import fbx, c4d, and maya files as well?
The pro version can handle fbx, c4d and maya, but I am not sure about the normal version. I have only ever imported static 3DS props, so I am unsure if it retains the rigging, but I guess that it does not.
.max files are proprietary and can't be opened in anything but 3DSMax. Some older versions (3ds?) can be opened in other programs but Autodesk has tightened it up in the last few years and locked it down. This is why the studio I work for moved to Blender several years ago. We never have to worry about having our own work being held hostage by a company. Proprietary anything is evil, open source is good and sunshine and nice and just plain much smarter.
.max is a proprietary format - it was explained to me as a metafile, instrcutions that Max executes to rebuild the mdoel. .3ds is not proprietary, it contains actual mesh data that other applications can read. I don't have any great familiarity with Max but as far as I am aware both formats are still supported.
So blender can open any formats? With its rigs?
Poser has a plug in called "Poser Fusion 11 MAX", which I have never used, but I always assumed was for .max files. Do you know if this is true? It could be for 3DS format files, but that would be odd, since Poser can read 3DS files without the plug-ins.
The Poserfusion plugins are more like the bridges DAZ Studio has to Hexagon, Photoshop, Z-Brush etc. particularly the way DS is 'bridged' into Bryce.
They insert Poser into those other programs, no importing/exporting required.
OK, I see, thanks for that. So unless you own C4D, Maya, and/or 3DS Max, they are pretty useless.
,Max files can only be opened with 3DSMax as that is the proprietary format for 3DSMax, kinda like ,Duf is for DS. .3DS files can be opened with most 3d apps other than DS, which I find odd.
Blender can open most .FBX files and some Collada files with the rigs intact and with a plugin can also open mesh ascii formats which is XNALara files that have rigging, but that is it with files that have rigging as far as i know.
.Max files with rigging can only be opened with 3DSmax.
When it comes to characters with rigging, DS works only with DS rigging and while it will import FBX files, the rigging rarely works when imported. So your choices when working in DS are to use DS figures, pose figures in other apps outside of DS and import into DS as a .OBJ or use another program other than DS.
I have a ton of game figures from the games I play that are in .FBX rigged format and when I want to use then in DS, I usually import into carrara, pose them and then export out as .OBJ and then into DS. It's sad that I can import them into carrara and pose them, but not in DS.
The best solution I can think of is Autodesk's FBX Converter which is free - http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/item?siteID=123112&id=22694909
It can import .3ds into it and then export as FBX. You can then import the FBX file into Daz Studio and keep the rigging.
.3DS files don't usually come with rigging in my experience, did you mean .Max files?. I will have to try that converter as I have yet to have an FBX file import into DS with rigging intact. After trying over 100 FBX files all I ever get is the attached message in DS
You are correct, no rigging in 3ds files. I was thinking FBX files only as they will keep rigging but comming from a 3ds file there will be none.
Alright so you recommend Carrara?
I find it works fairly well for importing and posing rigged .FBX models, see attached image. It also has pretty good render capabilities and you can model with it also