model maps in 3d studio max

[HL2-M34]

Hello All,

Today i got the urge to create some content for Half Life 2 and was wondering if i could use 3D Studio Max 7-8 to create maps (or objects to be used as such) to be exported as a brush and imported into Hammer. Or create maps fully textured (with the use of VTF plugin) and import them into Hammer. So far i have only come across how to create custom brushes with XSI but i have seen some post that seam like ppl are hinting at doing the same type of actions that i'm looking at doing, a direct MAX ---> Hammer import and leave XSI out of the picture. While i have XSI installed i would really rather use 3D Studio Max.

As for 3DSMAX i have only seen plugins that allow the import/export of SMD files.

You may ask "Why don’t you just use the Hammer editor?" Well the answer is; I find the Hammer editor clumsy and i have no idea how to create complex objects in side it. I am attempting to learn it. I'm really good at creating boxes that connect to each other, but i don’t really know how to create anything that has more than 4 sides. To me 3DSMAX is much easier to work in.

If this tipic has been discussed before i am sorry my search didn’t come up with any thing directly related to this subject. If there is one please post a link.



Thanks

 

[Shinobi]

as for making vis blocking bsp major geometry (say a skyscraper/building/cliff/etc... I'd say go with hammer... but if you want to make complex props, then go ahead and model them in max... that's what the prop entities are there for

 

[HL2-M34]

I just found this nifty little program Game Level Builder 3.0 from http://www.maple3d.com/MainFrameScriptsPage.htm and i must say that it works great.

It's a plugin for 3d Studio Max that will export directly to a .map file that can be imported into Hammer. Just what i was looking for.

 

[crackhead]

why not use hammer in the first place. anyway hammer imports a certain type of file i forget what its called so all u need to do is convert your model to that format. youll also need a hench collision model.