Hi Guys,
I just started using 3Ds Max for my interior designing business. Its been pretty useful for workflow visualization but I'm just wondering if there are any tools to move .3d files onto the iPad or a similar kind of device?
This would help well especially when I can get to show my clients how their space is going to look like. I just hate lugging my laptop around.
Any ideas?
Might also want to consider putting the content in Navisworks NWD format, for which there are a few online options. There's also AutoDesk Remote for connecting to a remote computer with the appropriate software. Regardless, you're probably going to need a rock-solid wireless connection first.
It's another software to learn, and might take you some time to get it up and running the way you want - ie. it's not just export and show it off - but I would highly suggest looking into the Unity game engine.
You will literally be walking your clients through the environment with a game controller, or, in your case, the iPad touch screen.
I've used it myself for walkthroughs, and it's so impressive, especially for clients - it's a real big "wow" type tool.
The great thing about Unity is that it reads .MAX files and converts them into FBX in the background for you. I tend to try to break my scenes up into a few different import files, just so that I can make updates go a little faster; there's no need to re-import the entire file if, for example, the building isn't changing much, but perhaps the furniture layout is in a constant state of flux.
There are a few housekeeping type things in Max that you should figure out in order to make the process into Unity easier, but overall it's an easy process.
Depending on your business, you might even be able to use the free version of the software, assuming that you get the features you need: http://unity3d.com/unity/licenses
The other great thing is that you have multiple platforms that you can export to in case you ever want to branch out beyond your iPad - Windows, Mac & Linux standalone files, a web-based player, iOS, Windows Phone & Blackberry.