Need help recompiling a plugin...

[michael_lawler]

Hello,

I’m posting here to ask for assistance in my attempts to recompile an older dotXSI exporter Sourceforge project so as to make some minor modifications to permit compatibility with an older game asset compiler from Raven Software called CARCASS. Regrettably, I have no C++ programming experience… (I plan on taking some formal classes soon).

The Sourceforge project is found here: dotXSI exporter for Max

The last fully working Max plugin for the game was the custom one Ravensoft made for Max 5 and released along with their game modding tools. The Sourceforge v1.7 Max6 dotXSI exporter plugin has a few issues that are causing the game compiler to vomit on exported animations.

The issues are:

1. CARCASS expects the root node to be called “model_root” not “MAXSceneRoot”

2. The v1.7 exporter does not export out the BASEPOSE transform data .

3. XYZ axis order may be an issue-- not sure… wanted to see if Issue #2 solved everything first.

Anyways, after updating the project to point to my Max8 SDK libs and Softimage|XSI 6.02 SDK libs, downloading zlib library (for zlib_static.lib) and some other necessary includes. I attempted to build a release version of the plugin project and I got the following warnings and error:

------ Build started: Project: MAXExporter, Configuration: Release Win32 ------

Compiling...
BipedChain.cpp
wm3_undo.cpp
wm3_subdlg.cpp
wm3_pick.cpp
wm3_material_pick.cpp
wm3_material_dlg.cpp
wm3_material.cpp
wm3_main.cpp
wm3_io.cpp
wm3_impexp.cpp
wm3_dlg.cpp
wm3_dlg-fns.cpp
wm3_core.cpp
wm3_channel.cpp
wm3_cache.cpp
XSIExportOptions.cpp
MAXHelpers.cpp
MAXHelpers.cpp(1099) : warning C4172: returning address of local variable or temporary
MAXExporter.cpp
MAXExporter.cpp(536) : warning C4101: 'str' : unreferenced local variable
MAXExporter.cpp(597) : warning C4101: 'fext' : unreferenced local variable
EnvelopConverter.cpp
dotXSIMapper.cpp
DllEntry.cpp
Linking...
XSIFTK_static.lib(SIBCString.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(SIBCString.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(SIBCNode.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(dotXSIParam.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(dotXSIParams.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(dotXSITemplates.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(dotXSITemplate.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(XSIParser.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(XSIParser.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(SIBCMatrix.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(SIBCUtil.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(SIBCUtil.obj) : warning LNK4078: multiple '.CRT' sections found with different attributes (40300040)
XSIFTK_static.lib(dotXSINativeTemplatesWrite.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(dotXSINativeTemplatesRead.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(dotXSINativeTemplates.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(MemoryFilter.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(BINFilter.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(LegacyFilter.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(ASCIIFilter.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(BufferFilter.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(COLLADATemplate.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(CXSIFilter.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored
XSIFTK_static.lib(EulerAngles.obj) : warning LNK4229: invalid directive '/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.VC80.CRT' version='8.0.50608.0' processorArchitecture='x86' publicKeyToken='1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b'' encountered; ignored

Followed by more LINK4229 errors regarding dotXSITemplates, and finally...

LINK : fatal error LNK1104: cannot open file 'sialloc_static.lib'

Build log was saved at "file://c:\Program Files\Autodesk\3dsMax8\maxsdk\projects\MAX8dotXSIexporter\Release\BuildLog.htm"
MAXExporter - 1 error(s), 34 warning(s)


---------------------- Done ----------------------

    Build: 0 succeeded, 1 failed, 0 skipped

I'm wondering if these XSIFTK link errors are because I'm pointing to the SDK libs that come with my Softimage|XSI 6.02 and not a xsi3.0 SDK set? Any help is gratefully appreciated... I've attached the build log in a file along with some compile notes I found on the Sourceforge page.

buildlog.zip

[Steve_Curley]

Your attachment didn't make it - please read this post for help with attaching files.

[michael_lawler]

Thanks Steve, the attachment is there now.

Also, I'm using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003.

One other modification I made to the project was to replace the morpher folder (assumed to be Max6) with the one from my Max8 samples and pointed to the already compiled morpher.dlm plugin.

Before tackling issue #2 (with the help of others) I just wanted to see if I could successfully recompile the project. Again, any assistance from the forum members is very appreciated.

[michael_lawler]

Ok... after following some guidance in the XSI File Transfer Kit v3.6.3 docs (for setting up projects), I've gotten rid of the "sialloc_static.lib" fatal error. My objects get created but it fails to follow thru with the linking.

Attached is my latest build log. Would someone please offer me assistance.

Thanks.

my_buildlog.zip

[michael_lawler]

I was able to get the plugin to compile after studying the Crosswalk source code and looking at the fix they made that appeared to deal with the same problem (in fact it did...). I also fixed the issue of the specific root hierarchy name where (changing the default name of "MAXSceneRoot" to "model_root" -- which the game compiler is looking for as root node name)... however, the exported files still don't compile well because the exporter does not export out the BASEPOSE data that the relative transforms of the animations need-- this is way above my head and I need help from the Max/XSI coders out there... is anyone willing to help?

Thanks.