How come my object won’t export its texture maps?

[Anonymous]

Please see these two threads for context:

What is the deal with the OBJ and FBX file formats? 

Trying to achieve a Full Export from 3ds Max to OBJ (or FBX) 

t turns out that many of the 3ds Max models that cannot be Fully Exported are based on V-Ray or Corona. This is fine. At this point I only care about the plain vanilla, scan line-rendered models.

I just found an excellent illustration of the shortcoming.

Nice House, But Won't Export 😞 

It is attached as well.

The number of maps in the last column is always zero, no matter what I do. No further explanation is provided.

How come?

TIA,

-Ramon
JFK Numbers

ps: I downloaded that model most likely from CGTrader. Can’t locate it again in their web site.

[10DSpace · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous 

I was able to export the file successfully with materials via fbx, by first doing the following:

1. Unlink all of the individual objects from the Dummy parent

2. Drag each of the objects from it's individual layer to the default layer (and then delete the now-empty individual layers)   see below.

I think the FBX exporter must not like objects being parented and/or multiple layers, but am frankly not sure why this works.  But it does.

I have seen some very strange parenting with multiple layers in files created in Sketchup for example, and I always start with cleaning this up as above.  It is possible that both steps (i.e., unparenting and delayering) are not always necessary depending on the file, but life is short and this usually works for me.

The OBJ export situation seems to be more complicated since this particular scene has 7 individual meshes each of which has been assigned the same multi-material with 9 submaterials, even though  each object only uses some of these submaterials.  When I exported via .obj the resulting file had all of the meshes but had lost all of the individual poly gon IDs. (all were now 1.)  I haven't had time to play further with this, but wanted to pass this along to you.  At least the fbx export should work. for you.  Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

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@10DSpace wrote:

I haven't had time to play further with this, but wanted to pass this along to you.  At least the fbx export should work. for you.  Hope this helps.

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It definitely helps. I will follow the steps that you have suggested.

Thanks!

-Ramon
JFK Numbers