This is just a quick tutorial for the ones, who already know about modeling and only need 3ds Max with NeL Plugins as an exporter
After you imported your model succesfully inside 3ds max (i recommend fbx for imports) you have to do:
FOR THE OBJECT
- check for material ID (Media:Outsider2.png)
- add 'Edit Poly' (not 'Editable Poly') from dropdown list, press (5) to enter the element mode, select all of your object (strg + a) and in the Material ID box the ID has to be between 1 and 100 in generell or it will not be supported well later, so change it to 1 when no mat ID is necessary
- auto smooth your object (Media:Outsider2.png)
- (still in element mode and with everything selected) scroll down to 'Polygon: Smoothing Groups' and select 'Auto Smooth' with a generell value of 45,0 - if this won't work fine enough for your model, use the numbers of poly groups
- resetting XForm (this is important to export your model as a .shape later) (Media:Outsider3.png)
- go to 'Utilities' (hammer icon) > Reset XForm > Reset Selected
- go back to 'Modify' (second icon) > Right click on XForm > Collapse All (this should now end in 'Editable Poly') (Media:Outsider4.png)
- You are done here :-)
FOR THE MATERIAL
(press (M) to open the material editor) (Media:Outsider5.png)
- right click in the view and add:
- Materials > Nel Material
- Bitmap > Your texture file
- combine your bitmap with the Nel Materials 'fTexture_1'
- Bitmap > Your specular file
- combine your bitmap with the Nel Materials 'fTexture_2'
- preparing Nel Material for ingame usage
- in Nel Basic Parameters:
- changing Ambient and Diffuse color to 'white' and Opacity to '100'
- changing Specular color to 'white', Level: '2', Glossiness: '9'
- in Nel Material
- change Shaders Type to 'Specular'
- unmark (disable!) 'Enable water splash' - Please don't ask me why it is autmatically enabled. Maybe they were just water junkies :-)
- in Nel Textures
- recheck that all texture files are fine
- check (enable) 'SpecularMap'
- make your texture/shader shown in 3ds Max
- right click on your texture or shader in the VIEW-Screen and select 'Show Shaded Material in Viewport'
- You are done here :-)
EXPORT
- go to 'Utilities'
- select 'More...' > 'Nel Export' (a new list appeared called 'Parameters')
- make sure you have your model selected and choose 'Export model'
- give your file a good name and save it as a NeL shape file (*.shape)
- Yes! You are finally done :-)