3dsmax/Getting Started

You'll need to get a copy of 3dsmax v7 somehow. (v8 is also reported to work, but some things may be different.) The company that sells it (Autodesk) does not sell this version anymore, but you may still find a copy somewhere. Perhaps try asking some friends for help finding it.

Here is Cyan's plugin for 3dsmax:

• http://cho.cyan.com/bahrowings/MOULaPlugins871.zip

How do I play my ages?

After you have exported in 3dsmax, use Drizzle's "The Art" tab to convert that into your offline Pots. There is more information in this article: 3dsmax/Dustin's Quick Tutorial.

Troubleshooting

I get an error upon startup about DLLs

If you get the following error on startup:

Loading DLLs 
DLL <C:\3dsmax7\plugins\PlasmaMax.gup> failed to initialize. 
Error code: 126 - The specified module could not be found. 

It is looking for some of the .dlls that it needs. They should be in the main directory of where you installed MOULagain (binkw32.dll, Nx*.dll, OpenAL32.dll, PhysXLoader.dll and maybe others). Copy these .dll files to 3dsmax's main folder, selecting "no" if it asks you to overwrite the msvc* dlls.

I get an Application Error

If 3DS Max produces the following error message:

Application Error 
An Error has Occurred and the Application Will Now Close

There is a file in the \3dsmax\plugcfg called PlasmaMAX2.ini, which you must modify to look like this:

[Menu] 
Version=10 
[SceneViewer] 
Directory=C:\PlasmaTest\ 
[Export] 
X=0 
Y=30 
Dir= 

Replace the "Directory" field with the location of an actual directory on your C drive. The plugin won't function if this directory does not exist. You may also need to create a dat folder inside this folder. ( E.g. C:\PlasmaTest\dat )

I get an error when I click on Age Description Manger

If you access the Age Description Manager and get the following message:

Application Error 
An error occurred and the application will now close. 
Do you want to attempt to save a copy of the current scene?

This is due to the Age Description Manager trying to connect to a server which does not exist. Fortunately, you don't need it!

So, do not access the Age Description Manager. Instead, create your age file manually - see 3dsmax/Dustin's Quick Tutorial.

I get an "unknown error" or plConvert error when exporting an Age with physics

Make sure you have PhysX installed. The installer "PhysX_Setup.exe" comes in Moul's main folder.

Tutorials

• 3dsmax/Dustin's Quick Tutorial
• 3dsmax/Dustin's 3dsmax Cookbook
• Andy's Great Tutorials
• TheMagician's Video Tutorials