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models to others via the Web. It creates relatively small files that can be attached easily to an e-mail. You can use the Application Button⇒Export⇒Export to DWF menu command to export the current scene to this format. This command opens a dialog box of options, shown in Figure 3.18, that specify to Group by Object or Group by Layer. You also can choose to publish the Object Properties, Materials, Selected Objects Only, or Hidden Objects. Another option is to Rescale Bitmaps to a size entered in pixels.

Saved files can be viewed in the Autodesk DWF Viewer, shown in Figure 3.19. The Autodesk DWF Viewer can be downloaded for free from the Autodesk website. This provides a way for users without Max installed to view models.

If you want to view the exported files in the viewer, simply enable the Show DWF in Viewer option in the DWF Publish Options dialog box. The viewer includes controls for transforming the model, changing its shading and view, and printing the current view.

FIGURE 3.18

The DWF Publish Options dialog box lets you set the options for the exported DWF file.

FIGURE 3.19

The Autodesk DWF Viewer is used to view files exported using the DWF format.

Exporting utilities

In addition to the menu commands found in the File menu, Max includes a couple of utilities that export specific information: the Lighting Data Export Utility and the Material XML Exporter Utility. You can access these utilities from the Utilities panel in the Command Panel by clicking the More button and selecting them from the pop-up list that appears.

Lighting Data Export Utility

The Lighting Data Export Utility exports exposure control data for a scene's Illuminance and Luminance values. These files can be saved as PIC or TIF files, which you can select in the 2D Lighting Data Exporter rollout. You also can set an image's Width and Height dimensions.

Caution

Exposure Control must be enabled for this utility to be enabled. You can learn about exposure control in Chapter 46, “Using Atmospheric and Render Effects.” •

Material XML Exporter Utility

The Material XML Exporter Utility exports a selected material to an XML file format, where it can be easily shared with other users. After you select this utility, the Parameters rollout offers four options for selecting the material to export: the Material/Map Browser, the Object List, Pick Object in Scene, and All Objects in Scene.

The utility also offers several export options including Native XML, export to an Autodesk Tool Catalog, and using an XSLT template. You also can select to export the material with a thumbnail and along with its mapping modifiers.

Panorama Exporter Utility

The Panorama Exporter Utility exports a scene into a format that allows all 360 degrees of the scene to be viewed. Using this utility, you can open the Render parameters for rendering a panoramic scene or accessing a viewer for viewing rendered panoramic scenes.

Cross-Reference

More on creating panoramic scenes is covered in Chapter 23, “Rendering a Scene and Enabling Quicksilver.” •

Tutorial: Importing vector drawings from Illustrator

Before leaving this section, let's look at an example of importing a file for use in Max.

In most companies, a professional creative team uses an advanced vector drawing tool such as Illustrator to design the company logo. If you need to work with such a logo, learning how to import the externally created file gives you a jumpstart on your project.

Note

When importing vector-based files into Max, only the lines are imported. Max cannot import fills, blends, or other specialized vector effects. All imported lines are automatically converted to Bézier splines in Max. •

Although Max can draw and work with splines, Max's spline features take a backseat to the vector functions available in Adobe Illustrator. If you have an Illustrator (AI) file, you can import it directly into Max.

To import Adobe Illustrator files into Max, follow these steps:

1. Within Illustrator, save your file as Box It Up Co logo using the .ai file format by choosing Application Button⇒Save