LOD Setup Questions - HELP!

#1 Here is the cfg file I used.

AlwaysExport:
eye
cam
//mount0
//mount1
//jetnozzle0

NeverExport:
Bip01
//Bip01 L Finger*
//Bip01 R Finger*
Dummy*
//Bip01 L Toe*
//Bip01 R Toe*
start01
mountpoint
DELETE*
//Ski0
//Ski1
Light0
Light1
//Mount1
//Mount2

+Error::AllowEmptySubtrees
+Error::AllowCrossedDetails
+Error::AllowUnusedMeshes
-Error::AllowOldSequences
-Error::RequireViconNode
-Param::CollapseTransforms

//=Params::T2AutoDetail 200

#2 I think there a problem with MAX5 exporter. The only way I can get them to work is is I animate my lower detail models. I just collapse the Multires and add a skin. If your using MAX4 then I am not sure. Make sure you Multi res'd objects are linked up to skinned object.
Also if your using 5 you can replace the max5 multires with max4's and use the Max4 dts exporter. That one still works good.

Not much help sorry
Matt

#3 I am not using multires. I have 5 models with different levels of details.

#4 Check your dump.dmp file that is generated in the directory where you export a DTS or DSQ file to, it will tell you a lot which can help you troubleshoot your problems.

As for why there are no additional details data available in show, it would be because for some reason or another the data is not being written out via the exporter. This could be caused by a lot of things such as your CFG file, how you have setup your models with modifier and custom properties, or how your hierarchy is setup within your scene.

Your CFG file seems to be pretty normal so I would guess that it's something that you have setup incorrectly within your scene. Upload the file somewhere and I will take a look, I suspect though that it is with your hierarchy setup.

Logan

#5 Oh well thats simple. If your not using multires on them they need to be linked up in the heirachy. You said they are all at root. If you don't have them in Heirachy they get culled out by exporter as uneeded geometry.

You might try naming the "MultiRes::.
Since you got the detail markers in the scene its generating levels of detail but it just doen't have any corresponding geometry.

Matt

#6 Thanks for the the replies.

I thought that when you have seperate models for LOD they SHOULD NOT be in the heirarchy and that the detail markers should be linked to bip01 and the exporter will collect all the meshes.

Why would I name it multires if I am not using multires?

#7 I wasn't sure but I thought it might try to pick them up as multires. I have never tried it though so i don't know. I know the docs say somthing about naming them like that and linking them to the skinned mesh. But thats with the multires modifier on top of the stack.

Matt

#8 Thanks for the help. I have tracked down the issue that was causing the problems.

I still have not solved the manual lod setup issue, but I have been able to get LODs out using multires. I had to use the max4 exporter and multires in Max 5.

The resource I got the max5 dts exporter from boldly claims it works but it sure did not for me and I killed myself for 2 days trying to get it to work.

Once I changed the exporter and multires version everything worked like a charm.

Multires that is. I am still interested in using my own reduced models for the LOD as they are lower poly and maintain a better look than multires. I use a plugin called Polygon Cruncher from Mootools that works really well.

But until I can figure out the heirarchy setup I will have to use the multires.

Thanks again.