Exporting 3D model into OBJ file
Ok, looks like we have been dragging on how to modeling 3d object for quite sometime. I will continue the rest of the modeling tutorial eventually, but it might be better if I skip it to how to export our 3d work into pepakura 3d designer known format for a while. I already complete that 3d boat, all is made in Gmax. Actually it is very easy to export a 3d work to pepakura known format, if you have 3D Studio Max, all you have to do is just exporting it to 3DS. But we are using Gmax, and that is a free version dedicated to edit a 3d game model, its format doesn’t have any compatible software. We’re going to use a Max Script to convert our 3d boat into OBJ file, which is one of pepakura known format.
In Gmax rotate the boat -90 degree on the red arrow axis (X Axis) like shown in the image below. We have to do this because there is a different XYZ orientation in OBJ file and while in pepakura. By doing this we will have normal 3d XYZ orientation imported in Pepakura. Many papercraft creators that are using Pepakura, add material first before unfolding the 3d model, but Paper Replika will add the color or material later after all parts are unfolded. Material will be drawn in Inkscape so we will have vector image in PDF like all models in Paper Replika.
Make sure you already have the Max Script file that I share in the Introduction. The script is gmax2obj, In Gmax : in top menu - MAXScript - Run Script...
Wait for a while the computer run the script then in top menu click again MAXScript - MAXScript Listener or F11. MAXListener window will open with a list of number, they are coordinates of dots that build up your 3d boat. Copy all the list and paste the list or script on a notepad and save it as boat.obj. In complex objects like our boat here MAXListener only allowed to copy a certain numbers of rows that can be copied, so you have to copy and paste them partially until all are copied to notepad.
Click Next in this page to continue to Setting up the scale
