Question about skin modifier

#1 You are indeed correct that any object with a skin modifier on it must be unlinked from the DTS hierarchy that you have setup. The reason however why you are getting the "no details to export" error message is that you haven't associated any detail information to the node with the skin modifier either through a trailing number or the multires modifier (as outlined in the DTS Exporter Docs).

#2 Here are my procedures to export character mesh with skin modifier...

1) Build the model (named 001) with 3DS Max 7
2) Add Bip
3) Set up Skin Modifier
4) Include all Bip (skeleton) to Skin Modifier
5) Select the skinned model and clone it by Snapshot in Tools at frame 0
6) Renamed the cloned mesh to MultiRes::001
7) Linked MultiRes::001 to skinned mesh 001
8) Apply a MultiRes Modifier to MultiRes::001 and hit the Generate button
9) Export MultiRes:001 to DTS file, but got the error message "No details to export"
10) I also tried to export 001 to DTS file, got same error message...

Here is the schematic picture...

I also tried to add LOD and register details, but also got the error message of "No details to export"


What's wrong to my procedures...? Anyone knows how to solve it...? Thanks!!!

#3 The image doesn't show up for me, can you post it somewhere else? (or email it to me, you can find my email in my profile).

In either case, you have two issues with your steps, and one step missing:
First of all, don't call your mesh 001. Anything with a number at the end will be seen by the exporter as a manual LOD.
And the second problem is 4. You generally don't want to include all the nodes, at least leave out Bip01 and all the "Nub" nodes.

Then you also have to set up the multires model to export the various LODs you need (this is probably why you're getting the "no details to export" thing). Go into the "User Defined" tab in the properties for your multires snapshot and add something like this:

MULTIRES::DETAILS = 1.0,0.7,0.35,0.18
MULTIRES::SIZES = 128,64,32,2

This assumes you have detail markers called detail2, detail32, detail64 and detail128. The first line tells the exporter how many polygons to remove at each level 1.0 is 100%, 0.7 is 70% etc.

And I'm not quite sure what you mean with the 9th and 10th steps, you should export the whole file to DTS not just parts of it.

#4 You have watched the tutorials at smdlabs.com, correct? These may help to clarify as well.
http://www.smdlabs.com

#5 When I opened the player.max (included in the TGE SDK) with 3DS Max7, I found followings shown in Schematic View

1) the details level are linked to Bip01
2) an "unlink" node (dummy) linked to Bip01
3) MultiRes Mesh linked to Skinned Mesh

Then, I export the sample max file to DTS and named it as player1.dts, no error message... However, when I tried to open player1.dts with ShowTool Pro, it said some mesh crash... If I pressed "continue" to open it, my computer hanged...

What is the correct way to export player.max to DTS? Do I need to select anything (multires mesh, skinned mesh or original body?) in player.max before I export "whole shape"...?

If I follow the schematic of player.max and build my model, I can export my mesh to DTS, but I only see some lines (skeleton) without any body mesh in ShowTool Pro. Why........?

Thanks!!!

#6 Have you tried to run unmessdts.exe on your model? I think that should help with that warning in showtool.

#7 And as far as no mesh showing up on your model, that usually means you set something up wrong. (usually you forgot to add the MULTIRES::DETAILS lines in the user properties for your multires snapshot).

#8 It is necessary to run unmessdts on the model, and I can now open player.dts in ShowTool Pro.

Thank you!!!

#9 Where are your screens? I can't see any of the snapshots.