Torque DTS Plus exporter problems

#1 There should be a log in the milkshape folder, but for starters, make sure you do not have duplicate names on your objects. The exporter will crash if you do.

#2 Sounds more like the engine is choking on something, not the exporter....

Sometimes, not having a collision mesh will cause TGE to CTD....especially vehicles; could be the codeBase I'd been working...not sure. But I do know that if the engine is expecting to find a collision mesh and doesn't, the engine bails. If the DTS shape cannot be found to load, the engine bails...many things can cause TGE to CTD...a little more in the way of details will probably help speed things along.

Is it a player avatar? A vehicle, a static shape; exactly what are you trying to assemble?

I have been using DTSPlus! for quite some time and haven't really noticed the output file causing the engine to CrashToDesktop.....unless the engine is expecting to find some element of the shape....node, mesh, etc...

Good luck!

PS: what version of MS3d are you running? What version of exporter? Lot's of unanswered questions....it's very difficult to pick a reason out of the blue based upon, 'it didn't work'...hope you understand.

#3 I am making a wheeled vehicle. I don't define a collision mesh. How do you do that?

#4 For a super simple one; a simple box shape that encloses all the major geometry will do fine. You can get more elaborate, but not too crazy; not more than 20/so polys for the object. Name this mesh group, "Col-1" or "Collision-1", but make sure the appending number is NEGATIVE in value or I believe an underscore also equates to a negative.

That should do for a collision mesh, then export and retest in the engine.

#5 I added the collision box around the mesh, but the engine still crashes!

#6 Are you able to send me the file via email? @ my profile address? I'll gladly take a look at this pesky vehicle and see what I can do for you, neighbor...

#7 Looked at the file, Quentin, and all I did to it was make a box and have it surround the vehicle; name it "Collision-1" and export. That did it. I tried naming it to "Col-1", which 'seemed' to work in earlier copies; but perhaps not now. You will need the full string literal of "Collision-1" as a mesh Group name. NB: no quotes in 'name'....just Collision-1

Once I did that, the CTD, was removed. I thought perhaps the underscores in the group names may be affecting things...not entirely sure; but I doubt it. Although I generally try to keep 'special' characters out of naming conventions....

I have noticed, also, that the passenger rear view mirror has reversed polys[inside out], as well as the passenger door window. Unless it is intended to render this way; I would select those groups and Face--Reverse Vertex Order to make the backfaces on correct side of mesh.

I can get this file back to you, however; I think it may be a bit better to 'teach you to fish' than to hand over something you didn't setup and expect you to keep it working...hope you understand.

I also noticed the Scale was HUGE...compared to KORK or any 'normal' sized human avatar shape, again; might be intended, but you might want to work on getting things scaled to your mounting player or gameDesign. Might take some back and forth with Export Scale, or you could Scale the milkshape scene itself, but that sometimes leads to borked animations. Scaling the mesh to my target 'mountable' is the first thing I go thru with a shape, then I get the nodes in position, then finish by animating them....I feel this is a reasonable approach, that keeps frustration level low and desirable results high...lol. When the vehicle is added to the Scene...it appears somewhat buried, another possible cause of CTD...not sure again, hence; get everything in reference to each other shape, then continue.

This is perhaps my biggest complaint about shape Packs..the Scales seem to be all over the place. If I were intending to provide assets for the SDK crowd on a 'generic level'; I would at least provide scaled version for the KORK playerAvatar.

I also notice NO sequences whatsoever in the shape. Default SDK code for vehicles is kinda expecting to see some sequences named 'spring*'. If not, once this vehicle has tires mounted, they will NOT be in the position you expect. I 'think' if no spring sequence is found, the code mounts the wheels on the hubs at full spring extension...which will look odd, and will not function as a 'spring' and make things go up/down with terrain.

Hope this helps with some basic vehicle information from Ms3d. Oh, then the script comes into play....getting a vehicle 'shape'; working is one phase of the Vehicle Class; getting the scripting right for the shape is an entirely different phase...

PS: oh, more reversed polys in wheel well areas, not entire area, just 'some' polys are reversed. Nice looking low poly vehicle....

#8 Okay Rex. Thanks a lot for the help. Just to let you know, I didn't make that car. :P I really stink in 3d modeling, so I went to Tubosquid.com and downloaded that car.

Once again, Thanks :)

#9 Some mail on the way...have fun, I was driving around with it in 1.5.2 SDK just now...so it does work!