Hi,

I've just replaced using Pandasoft X exporter by KW X-port, which for sure works better for complex scenes (in my case).

What I don't understand is that when I export a material with specular level = 0, it Always export RGB 0.9 / 0.9 / 0.9 as specular color.

For now I've fixed this by setting materials without specular reflection to 1 (scale 1 - 100) and only send float arrays to the shader if the R, G or B is higher then 0,01.

Does someone know how to solve this?

Any help appreciated.

Hi Belfegor,

Thanks.

I've did some tests to see what 'comes out of max'.

1st test:

Gives me:

Material floor {
0.588235;0.588235;0.588235;1.000000;;
9.999999;
0.447059;0.419608;0.815686;;
0.000000;0.000000;0.000000;;

TextureFilename Diffuse {
"america001.jpg";

2nd test:

Gives:

Material floor {
0.588235;0.588235;0.588235;1.000000;;
9.999999;
1.000000;1.000000;1.000000;;
0.000000;0.000000;0.000000;;

TextureFilename Diffuse {
"america001.jpg";

Test 3:

Gives:

Material floor {
0.588235;0.588235;0.588235;1.000000;;
9.999999;
0.020000;0.020000;0.020000;;
0.000000;0.000000;0.000000;;

TextureFilename Diffuse {
"america001.jpg";

From this I conclude (just now though....) that the selected specular color, is what's in my output (see test 2 with the blue).

At the moment I only apply specular lighting when specular color R, G or B is > 0.0.

When I have a specular level other then 0, then the RGB seems to be divided by the level.
Test 3:

1,0 1,0 1,0 = white

2 = specular level

result = 0.02, 0.02, 0.02

I have to think of a good way to find out when a material 'has' specular reflections and when not.

Maybe I should use the power or RGB values, although power says more about the 'size' of the reflection.

I put the code on github if you want to read it: git@github.com:jwatte/kwxport

Here's how it calculates the specular color:

        matProp = theMat->GetSpecularData();
        if (!matProp) goto not_stdmat;
        matProp->GetPropertyValue(p3);
        type = matProp->GetType();
        assert(type == IGAME_POINT3_PROP);
        matProp = theMat->GetSpecularLevelData();
        if (!matProp) goto not_stdmat;
        matProp->GetPropertyValue(f);
        if (f > 0) {
          p3.x = f; p3.y = f; p3.z = f;
        }

Translation: If the specular level is 0, use the specular color, else use the specular level as grayscale. This is likely because 3ds Max has both grayscale and color options for the properties.

You could probably change it to multiply specular color with specular level instead. (Note that specular level "2" in Max comes out as "0.02" inside the application -- the UI multiplies by 100.)

Thanks hplusplus, that really helps.

So now it's either one of them:

A. you select a level, and that comes out Always, as grayscale

B. you keep level to 0 and select a color, then that comes out (without a 'level')

What you suggest sounds like a perfect option for me:

A. Always export selected color multiplied by level

Is it a possibility that you release a version 1.5.1 with this as a checkbox option?

Ps.; other then this the exporter works quite nice. Before I was using panda, but that got messy for my larger scene, normals we're being screwed up somehow, affecting my lighting terribly. That problem's completely gone now with your exporter.