I can't find information about this anywhere! How do you export .bsp files from max?

You can't. You map with Hammer.


Try exporting as dxf, and import into hammer as a dxf. You lose textures though

Now come on there has to be a way, I don't want to have to learn an entirely new program when I've just gotten used to max.

There HAS to be a way.

There isn't. Max is and should only be used for character modelling, or weapon modelling....

its do able....

well... oppositely though... If youw ant 3d terrain... try a good 3 terrain gen.

-Eagle

wtf did you just say?

BSP IS NOT A SIMPLE EXPORT FORMAT. That said, there are tons more rules that apply and techniques used than in other types of model files. BSP has to be compiled, depending on the level this can take anywhere form 5 seconds to a few days (sometimes weeks but only if your pc is really slow).

You cannot have a concave surface, only convex. You have to split a brush to make concave. You cannot have many detailed items that are used in 3dmax and simply export into BSP form. BSP is used for the main geometry, buildings, walls, streets, floors etc. The details, lights, chairs, cars, barbwire and whatnot are models.

Mapping takes a while to learn (mainly the rules of what you can and cannot do). Then there is all the errors in compiling to learn. If done right with some good tuts you can have a simple map running within the hour.

When you compile, the brushes are all chopped into squares, depending on what size you scale the texture. Higher = bigger squares less polys, lower detail. Lower scale = more polys better detail.

If a non entity brush touches another, it splits it and combines it into one. If you stick a cylinder into a solid brush (floor), it will split it into a bunch more polys. This is where r_speeds come in, you want to keep the world poly under 850. Otherwise the engine will lag out, even if the users system is superb. Epoly is the model files, they usually get up in the 30,000 easily.

BSP is a tree format, it renders in sections. When compiling, the program calculates all the chopped sections and says "Hey, the player cannot see this part", however, this system is pretty poor. It is not 100% true, even though you cannot see it, the engine may render it any way. So you gotta use hint brushes and learn to use VIS blockers, so stuff only gets rendered that needs to be.

Anyway that is the tip of the iceberg and I hope you understand its not a simple "Export to .bsp here" :)

and if kami wotn yell at you with more information I will.

There Hasn't got to be a way in the slightest.
<insert Kamis psot here>
plus another crap load i can say.

belive us a map is not just a simple pretty looking layout taken from a 3D modeling program.

This is a first. Usually mappers complain about how hard 3dsmax is, not modellers complaining about Hammer.

Well, if you can learn Hammer, you can probably learn max, though Hammer approaches things differently on a conceptual level.

Hammer really is one of the most user friendly editing programs out there.

And it has fewer buttons than Max...

I've used max for a few years and I'm getting pretty good at it. I just downloaded Hammer and the interface is very confusing.

I understand that BSP export is more than a simple file type. I was hoping there was some kind of plugin or dll for the compile project.

I know my way around max, but Hammer is just confusing, and there's all these unusual rules I have to follow.

Does HL2 use bsp maps?

Yeah halflife2 uses bsp. Only I'm sure it is updated.

Like I said, you cannot use max because it has more complex features that would never transfer over to bsp. You would get a billion errors and more.

Gotta learn hammer.

The plugin exists, its called tempest. It was written for Q3 and Gmax, however I've seen it used with Max and HL. You can try it by downloading it from www.discreet.com/products/gmax/

In the end you will still have to use hammer to complete the map, so whats the point?

Hammer is easy, give it time, read tutorials.

brushes are split into squares? I always thought it was triangles :P

Learn something new every day :)

hmm you never knew that! some mapper you are!

Originally posted by El Capitan
brushes are split into squares? I always thought it was triangles :P

Learn something new every day :)

Half-life uses squares (EDIT: And triangles, and a cylinders up to 32 sides). Though there is debate on if halflife can actually proccess triangles faster (IE split every brush into triangles). Though this would bring up the r_speeds to double, but it might still proccess faster or the same.

And there are different bsp formats. I don't think an exported bsp from max will run.

Kami its been proven that if you merge the texture properties of faces seemlessly across 2+ faces on the same plane they count as one to the engine(aslong as they arnt cocave)... So in theory making everything out of traingles with perfectly aligned textures should drop CPU speeds while maintaing r_speeds

PS n00bs, dont try this at all. this is purely theoretical, for all I know I'm saying pigs fly... gimmie time to look at this and DON'T use it as a building theory.

To the original question:

I don't know anything about 3dMax, but what you want to export from it is a MAP file (thats "*.map"). Half Life, Quake 1 + 2 all use (I think) the same MAP files.

Hammer/Worldcraft exports its RMF files to MAP format for compilation into BSP format.... Blah blah, a load of stuff said by AB and Kami...

MAP files are compiled using something like Nem's Compile Tools/Zoners Half Life Tools, which produce a BSP file.

Originally posted by Angry Beaver
Kami its been proven that if you merge the texture properties of faces seemlessly across 2+ faces on the same plane they count as one to the engine(aslong as they arnt cocave)... So in theory making everything out of traingles with perfectly aligned textures should drop CPU speeds while maintaing r_speeds

PS n00bs, dont try this at all. this is purely theoretical, for all I know I'm saying pigs fly... gimmie time to look at this and DON'T use it as a building theory.


That has never worked for me. I took 32 64x64 blocks, did the theory you said above, and had them chop at 64x64. No idea how it works for others.