Deep Exploration

[ArtOS]

Thats correct you can import - export many formats

lightwave scene
lightwave obj
maya bin
xsi
and many other

although i have encounter some problems with xsi 2.5
it just didn't translated

it is very usefull if you are working with different programs:)

[MCronin]

For the anim export, I don't think it allows you to export skinning and skeletal info though, at least it didn't last I used it. It most likely just exports Object level transformations for animation.

[Gumboot]

It might pay to have a read of the product description page here (http://www.righthemisphere.com/products/dexp/index.htm).
There's a Deep Exploraiton forum too I think...where is it...ah yes...here (http://www.righthemisphere.com/forum/forumdisplay.php3?s=&forumid=16). There's probably more info there too.
:thumbsup:

[wedge]

i read the page before i posted here, but it didn't say what i was looking for "Import Maya scene data and export to Lightwave" :D

MCronin: but if all deformations are done in Maya (to the point where the only step is to hit "Render") will everything make it over to Lightwave okay?

[MCronin]

3D Exploration, like all other translation software, supports a lowest common denominator of features to transfer between packages. You cannot run a Maya scene through it and have a ready to render LW or Max scene pop out.

Object level transform animations will be transfered. This means if you have translate, scale, or rotate keys on the root level of an object, they will be translated. Smooth or rigid bindings, influence objects, and weight maps will not transfer. So, essentially. your skeletal animation could go through, but your skiing info could not. You'd have to re bind and re weight your skin in the other app.

Shader info. This is tricky, it obviously cannot export an entire shader network because most other apps cannot support or even emulate the properties of all of Maya's shading network and vice versa. So what goes through is a minimal set of shader info. Ambient Diffuse, and Specular color info, maybe material or shader names, and the relevant bitmap texture info. If you're lucky, maybe the software knows the difference between a phong and blinn shading model and can translate specularity settings, but I doubt it. Things like 2D and 3D procedurals and their settings won't go through because not all software has them or implements them the same way.

Lights, again a minimal set of lighting info. Light position, color, and type (ambient, spot, omni(point), directional). Attennuation settings, and other advanced lighting fatures do not go through.

Cameras. Pretty much just the generic camera and it's keyframe info, and maybe it's target will translate. Camera paths, camera types, and advanced settings like clipping, fstops, shutter speeds, lens curvatures, etc. probably will not translate.

Advanced features of Maya absolutely cannot be translated. Dynamics, Cloth, Fur, Paint FX, HSDS Edits, Custom Attributes, etc. I also don't think it supports particle systems a all.

I could go one forever, just suffice it to say, you can get all the basic low level scene info through, but you'll have to redo as much as 80 or 90 percent of your work on the other end to get it ready to render.

This software is mostly used to translate geometry info back and forth. It's really only for people who absolutely need to translate scenes from one piece of software to another. It's not a production tool, more like something for use in emergency situations. I wouldn't recommend relying on it to get everything from one package to another because, say, you like everything about Maya except the renderer. If rendering is important to you (this is just for arguments sake) and you hate Maya's renderer, you should know that it is currently impossible to transfer every feature from one piece of software to another. You cannot depend on a translation software to get everything you may do from Maya into LW or XSI or C4D or Max. If you'd like to use Maya and Lightwave together, you are going to have to look at all the transfer options available (3D Exploration, Polytrans, Kaydara, scripts, etc) take a look at exactly what features can be ported, and then plan your work accordingly. So say you're bent on using Maya's dynamics, and Lightwaves renderer. You can't get Maya particles with dynamics into LW. Either you have to render particles in Maya and composite, or bake your particles and export them as geometry into LW.

I'd just stick with one piece of software. :)

[CIM]

Try the Maya2LW scripts.

[CGTalk Moderation]

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.