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[Jon Watte]

> btw, I think there's a free version of 3DSMax

> it should be able to load/edit/render 3DSMax files, since it's a cut-down
> version of it (have read it doesn't support the 3DSMax plugins as is, may
> need some hacking if you want to use 3DSMax plugins at GMax)


I agree that it "should" just like I agree that beer "should" be free.

Actually, it doesn't. I believe Discreet is afraid that customers would 
use their free tool rather than their thousands-of-dollars tools to build 
content, so there are several limitations on Gmax:

1) It doesn't import or export 3dsmax scenes, and 3dsmax doesn't 
   import/export gmax scenes.
2) It will only export using certified, signed exporters that THEY sign. 
   They don't like something that would export "everything" I think.
3) You have to pay money to get the development kit for GMax, which 
   includes a version of the binary that WILL cross-convert between the 
   two formats.

At work, we are very satisfied customers of both 3dsmax (for our artists) 
and the GMax development kit (for our player/creators), although I'm not 
directly involved in this project so the above limitations come from 
vague recollection rather than authoritative sources. But I'm sure that 
easy cross-importing isn't part of the package.

Cheers,

			/ h+