Zero World Scale Check Failed?

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               What is a Zero World Scale Check Failed? error. I keep getting this whenever I export my carrion crawler model with NWMax. If I use the reset X-Form tool it goes away, but comes back the next time I import. HELP!!!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_OldTimeRadio]

               

Pstemarie wrote...
What is a Zero World Scale Check Failed? error.

It usually means the scale on one or more objects in your scene has been changed at some point and that you haven't performed a ResetXForms.  GMax/Max keeps track of certain transform operations on your objects, like scaling.  It's not really apparent that it keeps track of some of these transforms and it can bite you later when you export the model to NWN, usually in the form of a model which is differently scaled than you expect.  You get rid of these transforms by doing a ResetXForm.  That takes the transforms on an object, turns the data into a modifier on the object (in the modifer stack) and collapses the stack.  NWMax version is a "nicer" version of that because it doesn't collapse some modifiers, or copies then and reapplies the modifiers after collapse, I forget.. 

If you don't collapse these transforms using ResetXForm you can get a "Zero World Scale" sanity check.  Check  in the MaxScript listener window, I believe it will actually tell you which node failed the check.

I keep getting this whenever I export my carrion crawler model with NWMax. If I use the reset X-Form tool it goes away, but comes back the next time I import. HELP!!!

That's odd that it would come back on reimport.  I try never to import anything with NWMax that I don't absolutely have to.  I'd save it out using a Max file as I develop it, only exporting to a NWN .MDL when I'm done or want to test it.  So don't store models in .MDL format between editing sessions, if that is what you're doing.

With that in mind, If you're not getting the sanity check warnings on export after a ResetXForm and your exports are working in-game, are scale warnings after reimportation still important to you?
               
               

               

                     Modifié par OldTimeRadio, 10 décembre 2011 - 03:40 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               Moot point, but thanks anyway - I got ticked and wound up redesigning the tentacles from scratch. Overall the new tentacles will look and "work" much better than what I started with.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Pstemarie, 10 décembre 2011 - 05:46 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <keeping a straight face...>

It was *tentacles* you couldn't wrap your head around? Isn't it supposed to be the other way 'round?
<runs>

<...for about 10 seconds>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               LMAO
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_OldTimeRadio]

               I don't know how many frames and bones you have to play with but this is one of my favortie little free scripts for Max.  Tentaclicious!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               Thanks OT. Only 9 bones per tentacle and only eight tentacles to animate, so its not much of a job. I'm already finished with adding them to ATOM's anims and added in (i.e duped) six other anims. Its a pretty simple critter so not a whole helluva lot involved...

Thanks for the link though, that script will no doubt come in handy sometime or another.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Daijin]

               

Rolo Kipp wrote...

<keeping a straight face...>

It was *tentacles* you couldn't wrap your head around? Isn't it supposed to be the other way 'round?
<runs>

<...for about 10 seconds>

Haha that made me guffaw.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_s e n]

               thats the mysteries of nwn... i've got some similar weirdness too in a couple or three occasions
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Bannor Bloodfist]

               Pstemarie...

I am more than just a bit surprised that you are exporting and reimporting mdls into Max.  You of all people should know by now that doing the export/import is a BAD IDEA!

Save the max scene file, using File - Save As - first time, and add a namexxxxx_01 as the name.  From then on, just hit "Ctrl-s" to make max save the scene.  If you have added that _01 to the file name in the first save, from that point forwards, 3dsmax will automatically increment the saved file's extension to _02, _03 etc for you so you can always revert without loss of all of your work.  After you have saved the scene, THEN export using NWMax.  Test as you need to, and if you need to go back to edit things, just load the last saved scene file from max (found under "F"ile - Most recent.

Otherwise, that crawling rounding error will jump up and bite you.  Or sneak from behind cover and devour you entirely if you continue to ignore it!

(I know, I forget to do that myself at times, and it always comes back to bite me, and for a few months I then remember to use the scene save until I get in what I think is too much of a rush and try to get away without doing it. BIG MISTAKE!)

There are other advantages to using the max save scene too.  It also saves whatever textures you have assigned to the palette, saving you time and trouble attempting to find them again etc.

As to reset x-form, that is another thing you seem to be forgetting.  Don't forget any time you modify an object, most especially with scaling, but can also be afected when you just move and object, reset x-forms.  Anytime you add/remove/collapse from the modifier stack, reset x-forms.

I know that you have heard and already KNOW these things... but when you forget, you start getting weird issues, which is what was happening to you with this one.  Scaling is one of the worst problematic things you can do inside max, but so is anything related to animations, when you combine the two, you can wipe out hours of work.

Animeshes typically have issues on re-import, animations almost always have issues on re-import, emitters especially have issues on import, and the most problematic thing is linked objects, parent/children issues, if you are linking things together (which you must be doing with bones) then on re-import all sorts of data gets lost as the nwmax scripts, heck ANY of the import scripts including the default ones by bioware, have issues on import etc... use the max scene file!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               @Bannor

I do save as a max scene. The reference to export/import was solely because the error occurred on export. Thus I decided to try reimporting the model to see if it crashed - a method I've found that is quite handy at tracking down issues. When the model didn't crash I test ran the animations, tweaked them some more, saved as a max scene, and exported for testing.

I still have no idea what caused the export error. I did NOT scale anything - the geometry on the tentacles was made in the current scene. Thus, I deleted the tentacle and went back to the drawing board.

Presently, I have another issue - the tentacles render in the toolset, but not the game. I am working from a max scene. Any ideas?
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Pstemarie, 11 décembre 2011 - 12:10 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Bannor Bloodfist]

               Absolute first thing I would try would be a reboot.  I know I have had that sort of issue during development... Loading max, working in there with textures, etc, then loading toolset, having it load the game using F9 etc... anyway, sometimes the game won't show what I KNOW is there.  So, I just reboot, clears up the vid card memory that way, and try again.  Typically that works.

3dsmax has a nasty habit of not clearing ram, and if you are developing with toolset already loaded etc, you can get the same sort of error from NWN and toolset as well.  Just exiting everything, then reloading the toolset to test from, or directly load the mod will sometimes get past that sort of error.

Beyond that, no, not really, don't know what else might cause that issue.

Edit:  Ahhh... you didn't tell me that you did not have a texture applied!
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Bannor Bloodfist, 11 décembre 2011 - 12:32 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               Bannor, it threw me for a loop cause I've quite often tested things ingame without textures and had no problems. Maybe its cause the tentacles are small?