I just spent some time doing what I always do at my job where I work as a Visual Effects Supervisor. I trawl the internet for models relevant to the movie or tv commercial I'm working on.

I always have a lump in my throat when I see all those tons of models in either .3ds or .max format that I have no hope of reading into houdini. Why is this? Shouldn't this be a simple conversion? It still reads in .iges, .dxf and .rib, relatively obscure formats for model exchange. Why not let us read in the format that just about all models are stored in? Thank god we have a license of Maya around so we can convert those to .fbx or obj.

Please please add more file types to geometry import! thanks.

They cannot add .max, because you need a max license for that.

http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_forum&Itemid=172&page=viewtopic&t=15702 [sidefx.com]

protozoan
They cannot add .max, because you need a max license for that.

The ONLY 3d software witch can open a .max file is….. 3DSMAX (or okino polytrans IF YOU HAVE A 3DSMAX full licensed on your computer)

For the other format like .3ds, dxf, etc…

There is a FREE software from Autodesk for Mac OS X and windows platforms.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/item?siteID=123112&id=10775855 [usa.autodesk.com]

This utility enables you to convert OBJ, DXF™, DAE, and 3DS files to or from multiple versions of the FBX format. New tools are now available with the FBX Converter 2012.1. You can view FBX animation files in real time with the FBX Viewer, explore and compare FBX file contents with the FBX Explorer, and manage animation takes with the FBX Take Manager.