Hopefully somebody can help me out here. I am able to easily import gmt files into 3dsmax, but when I export to a 3ds format and import into say 3dsimed the object appears but the texture doesn't show up. When I open the material properties the dds file name doesn't show up. Can anybody give me some insight.

Thank you in advance,
Dave

3DS files don't understand the gmotor materials. so it does not carry them over correctly it seems. I tried it now with a simple object, and the material name stayed with it, but nothing else. That was using the SimEd Demo to import the exported 3ds.

However, as I'm sure your aware, smoothing does not stay with a 3ds either, so your really best off to go get the 3DMAX tool, and then simply export the gmt...

I use Blender and Simed and have to always use 3ds to transfer between the 2. I have never had a problem with the 3ds keeping the material name and the texture as long as the texture is in the same dir as the 3ds. (although the material names get changed a bit, but thats a simple fix). I get the smoothing from Blender to stay with the 3ds by exporting more than 1 object at a time. I don't know how it would work with Max, but maybe try exporting multiple objects as 3ds, even if its just a box with a material on it, cause it might work with the material too.

I have had problems with importing 3ds's into Blender that have been exported from Max, so maybe its just he way Max exports 3ds?

I take my last post back, I was wrong, until yesterday (when I experienced something that made what I though was a 2 second job take 5 hours) I honestly thought that smoothing groups from blender stayed with the 3ds. But I was wrong, what actually happens is that Simed automatically adds smoothing to 3ds files when they contain multiple objects. Please forgive my noobness :*)

[ED] what I have done to overcome this is split every separate smoothing group into a separate object and export it as 3ds. Then in Simed, explode all > ctrl swipe copy all > ctrl swipe erase all > paste faces (create object) > open gmt containing the material data you want > ctrl swipe copy > back to 3ds project > paste materials > replace materials. Its a long hike, if Simed would import .obj it would be great :D