FBX Review

[Patrice Terrier]

I have installed the Autodesk FBX Review, but while it can deal with several format it doesn't allow the reading of .max format   

Does there is one free software that allows to read .max file ?

[Michael Lobko-Lobanovsky]

Unfortunately no, Patrice,

You can only read (or even view!) a .MAX/.MA, .C4D, .LWS/.LWO (and some other pro-grade proprietary) file if you have an original full install of 3ds Max/Maya, Cinema 4D, and LightWave Layout/Modeller, respectively.

The internal format of those binary files is so complex that it takes months if not years to hack/reverse engineer them. But the vendors update and modify their file formats every year so basically that it becomes impractical to hack them at all, only to have to start it over and over again with every passing year.

[Patrice Terrier]

OK, here is the Zeppelin.max file that i would like to compare with the one i have done for ObjReader.
See if you can convert it to .fbx or .c4d or .obj or .dae.

I am especially interrested to see how they render the body lighting/reflection compared to what we do.

Thanks !

[Michael Lobko-Lobanovsky]

Hey Patrice,

Catch the converted files. Read the included Readme.

The zip contains 3ds Max renders for your reference.

[Patrice Terrier]

OK, thank you very much.

Same errors in the .max version, and missing mesh parts than in the obj/fbx version from turbosquid.
And the resulting material quality doesn't come close to what they show here
https://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm/ID/732984

I thought the max one would produce better result than the obj/fbx i had, but obviously not. 

Thank you again.

[Michael Lobko-Lobanovsky]

And the resulting material quality doesn't come close to what they show here
https://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm/ID/732984

Absolutely.

1. Many authors would, for obvious reasons, deliberately deteriorate their models before they release them for free.

2. The renders they display following that link have all been made under completely different -- much richer -- scene lighting and with the reflective/refractive materials enriched with respective textures that are missing in the distro.

[Patrice Terrier]

deliberately deteriorate their models before they release them for free

Fortunatly we have a 3d art restorator among us.