FBX importing for 3ds Max and Maya that supports Mental Ray and V-Ray.

As of v6.2.3 we've attempted to streamline the process of exporting data from SpeedTree into 3ds Max and Maya. We use the 'FBX' format to bring SpeedTree models into these apps but that is not enough. If you export an '.fbx' from SpeedTree and import it with 3ds Max's or Maya's native importers the results are poor. The geometry is intact but the materials are not set up to implement SpeedTree effects like branch intersection blending. Nor are they set up for efficient rendering in Mental Ray or V-Ray.

To solve this problem we have employed the use of import scripts in these apps for quite some time. These scripts adjust the imported materials to implement SpeedTree effects and use materials native to the renderer. With each new release, more exporter options were added and the import scripts added options to match. The result may be unwieldy for new users.

We have attacked this probelm by adding preset options to the '.fbx' exporter that ensure the proper set of options are selected. On the import side we have developed new scripts written to expect, and work correctly, with these options. While these scripts are not as advanced in some areas, they are full featured in terms of implementing SpeedTree features into Mental Ray and V-Ray. For advanced and existing users, the previous scripts are still included in this release.

The workflow for 3ds Max users is detailed in The SpeedTree Pipeline > 3ds Max (including Mental Ray and V-Ray).

The workflow for Maya users is detailed in The SpeedTree Pipeline > 3ds Max (including Mental Ray and V-Ray).