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Softimage to 3ds Max: Supported Scene Elements and Attributes

 
 
 

| Geometries | Lights | Cameras | Hierarchies | Deformations | Animation | Constraints | Physics | Shading | User Data | File Referencing | Update Mechanism

The following tables list the features supported when exporting from Softimage and importing into a Crosswalk-enabled installation of 3ds Max using the dotXSI (*.xsi) format.

Geometries

Element

Softimage Export vs. Max Import

Comments

Mesh

Yes

 

Triangles

Yes

 

Polygons

Yes

 

Nulls

Yes

Converted to dummy objects.

UVs

Yes

 

Vertex Color

Yes

 

Normals

Yes

 

Splines

No

 

NURBS

No

 

Lights

Element

Softimage Export vs. Max Import

Comments

Omni

No

 

Directional

No

 

Spot

No

 

Light Common Shading

No

 

Cameras

Element

Softimage Export vs. Max Import

Comments

Perspective Lookat

No

 

Perspective Rotation

No

 

Orthogonal

No

 

Extra Camera Data

No

 

Hierarchies

Element

Softimage Export vs. Max Import

Comments

SRT Node Transforms

Yes

 

Advanced SRT Node Transforms

Partial

Support for pivot, neutral pose, etc. Shearing is not supported.

Object Offset Transforms

Yes

In 3ds Max, when a geometric object has an object offset, a null is created and replaces that geometry in the hierarchy, maintaining the relationship of the existing child objects. The offset geometry becomes a child of this new null and is called <name>_ObjOff. The geometry's local transform is set to that of the object offset. When re-importing, this hierarchy is detected and the null/geometry pair is imported as one object with its object offset transform intact.

Instances (model)

No

 

Instances (primitive)

No

 

Deformations

Element

Softimage Export vs. Max Import

Comments

Skinning (Envelopes)

Yes

 

Shapes

Partial

Support for morph targets only. No weight animation.

Bones

No

Converted to dummy objects.

Animation

Element

Softimage Export vs. Max Import

Comments

Fcurves (constant)

Partial

Animation is plotted as linear on import into 3ds Max.

Fcurves (linear)

Partial

Animation is plotted as linear on import into 3ds Max.

Fcurves (spline)

Partial

Animation is plotted as linear on import into 3ds Max.

Fcurves (hermite)

Partial

Animation is plotted as linear on import into 3ds Max.

Fcurves (per key interpolation)

No

 

Constraints

Element

Softimage Export vs. Max Import

Comments

Constraints

No

Plotted on export using Animation Resampling options.

IK

No

On export, Preserve IK Chains option must be turned off.

Physics

Element

Softimage Export vs. Max Import

Comments

Rigid Body Dynamics

No

 

Shading

Element

Softimage Export vs. Max Import

Comments

Common Shading

Partial

The specular component is not supported well. 3ds Max has an inversely proportional system.

DirectX

No

 

Cg Profile Effects

No

 

User Data

Element

Softimage Export vs. Max Import

Comments

Custom Psets

No

 

User Data Blob

No

 

File Referencing

Element

Softimage Export vs. Max Import

Comments

Model Files

No

 

Images

Yes

 

Shaders

No

 

Update Mechanism

Element

Softimage Export vs. Max Import

Comments

Update

Yes

Match and update scene elements in current scene on import into 3ds Max. See Updating Scene Elements.

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