Time for action – installation of the 3ds Max exporter Plugin

The examples in this book will all use 3ds Max and Adobe Photoshop as the primary digital content creation tools, otherwise known as DCC tools. Since we will use 3D Studio Max for this book, let's install the tools we will need to open and export the sample models to the engine. The steps to do so are as follows:

1. Explore to the \Tools\CryMaxTools\ directory in the root directory of your build.

   Locate and run copytoMax.bat, which will copy the required tools to your 3ds max installation directory. For whatever reason, should the automatic installation of the exporter tools fail, you can install the files manually. Follow these steps to either manually copy or to simply verify that the tools have been installed correctly.

2. Locate the .dlu file that is matched to the 3D Studio Max version you will be using. The following files are found in the /tools directory of your build:

   • 3ds Max 9 32 bit use CryExport9.dlu

   • 3ds Max 9 64 bit use CryExport9_64.dlu

   • 3ds Max 2008 32 Bit use CryExport10.dlu

   • 3ds Max 2008 64 Bit use CryExport10_64.dlu

   • 3ds Max 2009 32 Bit use CryExport11.dlu

   • 3ds Max 2009 64 Bit use CryExport11_64.dlu

   • 3ds Max 2010 32 Bit use CryExport12.dlu

   • 3ds Max 2010 64 Bit use CryExport12_64.dlu

3. Once you have located the .dlu file that is associated to your installation of 3ds Max, copy this file to the /plugins directory of your 3ds Max installation.

4. Finally, we need to install the 3ds Max Cry Tools Max Scripts. To install them, simply copy the LoadCryTools.ms located under the /tools/CryMaxTools folder to the /Scripts/Startup folder of the 3ds Max installation.

What just happened?

The tools that we have just installed are used by 3D artists and some multi-role designers to create models and other content for use within games. These tools are essential because, later on in this book, we will want to make some custom assets for use within CryENGINE.