posted 10-02- 02:24 AM               

These steps laid out are for creating a full set of new LODs, and is perfrctly fine for those of us using Max

first steps are obvious, open OPS and load your SM.

steps:
1. select the root object and Export it in LOD FORMAT (not obj or VRML), this will export EVERY part of your model as multiple LODs

2. starting where ever you want, but for me I start with the nose section: Select the part and in the LODs on the right, right mouse click the next free LOD and select Add LOD next give the LOD a large distance (i.e. greater than the one before it)

3. Make the LOD active

4. Save the SM

5. close OPS, reopen OPS and reload the SM

6. Select the part you added a new LOD to and make the new LOD active.

7. Import the new LOD, selecting the part from the large list of LODs where you exported them to in step 1. (You will find they are named in the same way as the parts)

8. Save the SM

Viola, LOD added

Now when you have the Low Detail parts done, you can open the SM up, make the 2nd level LOD active, and import your lower detail part into it. Another advantage of doing it this way is that your second and 3rd levels LODs will have exactly the same texture mapping as the first level.

NOTE! Make sure you backup the SM file before doing this, one wrong step and OPS likes to fry your SM file

****A note for Bryan, your LOD export plugin screws up the LODs, it inverts half of the normals for each piece exported (may be in the export or import****

At last whats for me a real breakthrough albeit a tedious route, I think it sounds easier than any other explination I've been given on how to add new LODs so far, so I really hope this helps others and not just me.

~Nat~