Prim Composer
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a milestone in Second Life®’s evolution.
This is as seamless as it gets for interoperability with industrial-strength 3rd party applications.
Latest Version
- 1.4.0
- Released: 2010-08-02
- Download page
Description
Prim Composer is a complete offline building environment for Second Life® and OpenSim.
- Create and texture prims, sculpties, and linksets in 3ds Max®.
- Import and export builds from all three platforms: 3ds Max, Second Life, and OpenSim.
- Backup builds on disk using the fully-documented, cross-platform Hierarchical Prim Archive (HPA) format
- Build anywhere. Deploy everywhere.
Downloads and Support
Requirements
- 3ds Max: Max7 or greater
- .NET 3.5
- Windows
License
- Licensed under GPL3
- Copyright 2007-2010 Shack Dougall
- GPL FAQ
- Quick Guide to GPL3
Regarding SL’s Policy on Third-Party Viewers
Prim Composer is mostly compliant with SL’s Policy on Third-Party Viewers and fully compliant with the policy on Bots.
Click for full details about Prim Composer’s compliance with SL’s TPV policy.
This software is not provided or supported by Linden Lab, the makers of Second Life. Support for Prim Composer can be found on Prim Composer’s Documentation and Support Page. All questions should be posted to the Prim Composer Support Forums.
Privacy Policy
Prim Composer does not collect, store, or transmit any private user data except for the purposes of logging into a grid during import/export operations. User names and passwords are passed directly to the grid and discarded immediately.
Acknowledgements
Prim Composer is an extension of my previous work on SculptGenMax.
It incorporates and extends Darrell Duffy’s (aka Windyweather VanAlten) excellent SLPrims for 3ds Max which is based on Jeffrey Gomez’s pivotal Offline Builder for Blender.
It uses libopenmv (formerly called libsecondlife) for its integration with Second Life and OpenSim.
And, of course, this wouldn’t be possible at all without Linden Lab!
Disclaimers
Second Life® and Linden Lab® are trademarks of Linden Research, Inc. liferain.com is not affiliated with or sponsored by Linden Research.
3ds Max® is a trademark of Autodesk, Inc. liferain.com is not affiliated with or sponsored by Autodesk.
hey shack i hope you will finish this great exporter see you soon ^^
I know it seems like it’s taking forever, but the first beta is coming in the next month. I’m just finishing up some improvements to the website, including adding Trac for project management and bug tracking.
I have a question. Its compatible with the SLImporter by Trhaxis?
(will be a good feature 
)
And other question. With the other exporter for max “SLPrims” its imposible make copy of the prims (need created another new prim and copy atributes :\). Can this exporter copy prims?
Thanks for all work, you are nice to make this for all people
PD: Sorry for my english LOL
Prim Composer is not compatible with SLImporter. The file format has been changed to support new features such as sculpties, linksets, and hierarchical grouping. Also, when I looked at SLImporter about a year ago, it was an LSL-based importer. You had to copy/paste into notecards to do the import. Prim Composer has its own libsecondlife-based importer which logs directly into SL and imports the scene automatically without any additional steps.
I’m not aware of the SLPrims problem that you talk about regarding prim copying. But Prim Composer will support both copying and instancing. If you provide additional information (e.g., a link to a thread that discusses the problem), I’ll respond in more detail.
I’ll be releasing the first version of Prim Composer by the end of June 2008 (in about two weeks).
I cant wait more
DD
The end of june is now :3
Im nervious >.<”
THANKS THANKS AND ALL THANKS you are nice man (H)
Prim Composer Version 1.0 beta 1 has been released!
Thank you <—————————————— so ——————————————> much!!!
Wow, thank you Shack so mucchhhh!
yes! works great from non us locale, no more timeout. this is quite a significant step forward for sl content creation in 3ds max. I have been looking forward to this release. looking forward to texture upload. in advance, thank you Shack!
Prim Composer 1.0 Beta 4 has been released! Supports UV Maps for regular prims. Importing of textures to SL will be in Beta 5. Read the Announcement
Wow awesome shack, UV maps will allow us to automatically bake textures and such! This is absolutely incredibly, I am doing texture baking already for precision sculptying on large terrain projects such as at Salamis for a river flowing through a crevasse. But being able to do this on normal prims would be superb.
I installed the composer, but every time I’m trying to create a sculpted texture it tells me the objects are not selected.. Hmmm I did select it. I even select the basic non-complicated object like a box at first and tried to save it. It didn’t work. Does anybody know why?
The easiest way to create a sculpt is by starting with a pre-existing sculptmap. In the create panel, select “Prim Composer” from the drop down and then press “Sculpt”. Then, click in one of the viewports to create a sculpt. Once it is created, you can select and edit it into the shape you want. By default, it creates a spherical sculptie. You can press the “Change” button to load a different starting sculptmap. For more information, please refer to the section “Creating and Editing Sculpts” in the Prim Composer FAQ.
Prim Composer 1.0 Beta 5 has been released!
Supports Baking and Automatic Uploading of Textures for both Prims and Sculpts. Read the announcement.
Wow, this is seriously freakin’ cool! I’m playing with it now and having some trouble with the texture baking, probably since I’m such a Max noob, but I’m extremely impressed by this work. I’ve wanted something like this since the day I discovered SL, haha.
What a fine, fine thing you’ve done for the Second Life builder community!!!
works but not very efficient. but you can put the maxport command in a .bat file.
something like this:
maxport –firstname Test –lastname User –password test –main -i “%1″
start notepad and fill in this line (with your SL name and pass). for -i use “%1″ (including quotes)
a batch command to add a parameter. save this as, for example: maxport2.bat
now you only have to type an the command line:
maxport2 export.xml
it works, i did it this way…
thanks
Prim Composer 1.0 Final has been released. Read the announcement!
[...] letölthető 3D-s építő környezet, amely offline is képes prímeket készíteni. Ennek neve Prim Composer. Ez program lehetővé teszi, hogy a 3Ds Max-ban készült 3D-s tárgyakat közvetlenül [...]
[...] Prim Composer for 3ds Max: complete offline building environment for Second Life and OpenSim [...]
[...] Prim Composer promises to continue the revolution for how content is developed for Second Life, letting developers compose scenes in 3DS Max, import them to Open Sim for free testing, and then seamlessly import them into SL. [...]
Prim Composer 1.1 has been released. Export from Second Life to 3ds Max!
Read the announcement!
O.O OMG!!
Really? This fantastic!!! What is the next step? A fusion between 3d max and sl? lol
Thanks Shack!!, nice work ;D
lol, any hope for a Maya version of the plugin?
The greatest SL related app
You’ve changed my life!
ty
[...] Prim Composer is a complete offline building environment for Second Life and OpenSim. – Quoted from the Prim Composer website. [...]
Prim Composer 1.2 has been released! Major new features. Read the announcement!
Hello, I upgraded the primcomposer as usual, but this time when I tried to do the export, I get four errors.
** 4 Errors:
– (1) MaterialExporter -> exportBakedMaterials(): — Runtime error: Mesh map face index out of range: 1996: 1997
– (2) COMPOSITE SCULPTMAP FAILED in prim ‘Serval Ear’ -> — Runtime error: EPoly face index out of range: 1996: 1997
– (3) COMPOSITE SCULPTMAP FAILED in prim ‘Serval Ear’ -> — Unknown property: “vertColor” in undefined
– (4) COMPOSITE SCULPTMAP FAILED in prim ‘Serval Ear’ -> — Unknown property: “vertID” in undefined
I’m not even trying to create a composite sculptmap! Why is it trying to make one? As you can see there is just one prim. DO I need to roll back to the last one, as now I can’t even do an export.
Thanks.
I created a thread in the support forums. I will reply there soon. (Click Here)
Lance, take a look at the support thread that I created. I just posted a reply.
WOW this is really nice.
really want create animations from 3D max becuase is more easy adding controls and other aplications like qavimator or poser i dont like how work. Any people knnow any plugin to work with animations in 3d max and export to vbh files? Or maybe make the animation in max and export to other aplication that can export again to vbh files? O.o please is really important for me.
I have one question. Mr. Shack, are you thiking in introducing some new features to create animations in 3d max?
Thanks for all Shack ~_^
I don’t have any plans for animations, right now. Here are two threads that I bookmarked about SL animations in 3ds Max: thread1 and thread2. I think both refer to a BVH exporter by Abu Nasu.
I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet. Let me know if you find it useful.
Thanks!! I make some test animations and works greats!! of course, isnt perfect but is very easy to work with these plugins!
.
All you have is a script and a example scene with a body maked with boxes a little modeled and linked like a biped and one script that export a bvh file. So, becuase they are pieces in editable polys, you can attach to any rig or biped bones and make your own controls or import mocap animations
Really thanks
I’ve often talked to my mates about doing something with Lightmapping in SL, in fact for years I’ve thought it should be possible somehow, trying to manually create shadow enhanced textures, and now I discover you and your work !! Amazing. I’ve built a few game levels using light radiosity (e.g. quake, UT, Farcry?) anyway, my hat off to you, I am experimenting with your apps right now, looks well thought out and i love the idea of being able to import/export.. Keep up the great work!
Hello how can I do with the Prim Composer Second Life Prims from exporting?
So I with 3DS Max can handle?
Version 1.3:
when exporting to Second Life, i’m getting a error…
Login failed: Error retrieving the login response from the server.
Kan een object van het type System.Double niet converteren
naar het type System.String.
English tranlation:
could not convert object type system.double to type system.string
Andre, I have created a thread in the support forum to discuss this issue. I will reply there. click to go to the support thread.
hello shock ! when I fellow the steps in the tutorial that export buildings from sl, my maxproxy crashed when I login sl , could you give me some advise ?
His name is SHACK =_=
Try here, is the best way:
http://liferain.com/downloads/primcomposer/forums/
Yes, please ask for help in the support forums. More people read the support forums, so there is a greater chance that someone else will know the answer. Also, please include as much detail with your question as possible. At the very least, I need to know what error messages are being printed by the program.
I clicked the link to see the changes in the new version 1.3.2 but i dont see nothing. What is new?
UPS! sorry! i found the release notes :$
hello i was under the impression that you was working on making your prim composer compatible with Meerkat, the older XML wasnt compatible and now with the hpa files i cant see how this is compatible am i missing somthing? the meerkat exports and imports diffrent format of XML files as i can see.
The exporter to 3d max can read the old xml files, but not write. There isnt a problem, because you go to use the new importer to SL that already read the new xml format.
It is more accurate to say that I’m committed to having Prim Composer and Meerkat interoperate.
Initially, I thought I might modify Prim Composer to read Meekat’s format. After that I had some discussions with Patrick Sapinski on the Meerkat team. I created and documented HPA and he expressed a willingness to use HPA in Meerkat. So, I’m waiting now to see if that materializes.
In any event, I don’t think that it is possible for 3ds Max to read the textures that Meerkat currently exports because they are stored in the JPEG2000 format. The best that I could do would be to make a conversion utility.
But I am hoping that it doesn’t come to that. There are significant advantages to using HPA for the Meerkat team and I believe that Meekat support for HPA will come.
just downloaded the new meerkat viewer and it still doesnt support HPA, oh well, thank you for your wonderful work and hope somthing could be done to make it easier for us to import and export our work, sorry i just dont like the command prompt way it is too long. (maybe you could try with emerald people they seem more up to date anyway or make a windows version of the maxport.)
At this point, all of you can do much more than I can in terms of influencing other projects to use or support HPA. If it is important to you, then please suggest it to the viewer projects. If lots of people express their need for it, it would have a much bigger impact than anything that I can do alone. Be sure to point them to the HPA Homepage.
And Shack, what are the benefits of use HPA instead of the meerkat xml format?
Can be possible a “checkmark” to export to meerkat format directly? Then we can have dual mode, meerkat format and HPA format.
And one more thing. About to import our works to SL. I saw the exporter to max using maxproxy. Isnt posible do the same thing but inverse? for example:
we start the “import to SL proxy”, then in sl use a comand in chat like “/build c:\works\build01.xml”. Then the viewer load the project from the folder directly. Is just an idea, maybe isnt good
PD: I went to the HPA Homepage, but, how we can contribute? I dont saw something like “vote” or “comment” :$
Kitsune Shan ♥
Kitsune Shan wrote:
Good questions.
I’ll start with the last one first. Questions, comments, and suggestions about HPA can be posted to the HPA Support Forums. There is a link to the forum on the HPA Homepage.
Regarding maxproxy and uploads. Theoretically, it would be possible to make maxproxy go in reverse. I’ve considered it, but in practical terms it is difficult to implement. libopenmv’s support for proxy applications is much more primitive than for bot-type applications. To do this cleanly, I would need to change a large portion of libopenmv and submit a huge patch back to libopenmv.
If I had time to work on extending Maxproxy in this way, then my time would be much better spent in adding that support directly to one of the open source viewers.
As far as the advantages of HPA, They are:
All of this makes HPA much better for long-term archival purposes and as an interchange format between different tools.
hi i find a problem on the sculpt ojbect in 3d max, when i am going to mirror the ojbect , it fail and bring error too. my 3d max is 3d max 2010
Jonny
Short answer: use the Mirror Modifier, not the Mirror Tool. If you use the Mirror Tool, then turn off Size Limits while using the tool. This is discussed in this thread in the support forums. If you have additional questions about it, please reply in the forums, not here.
i found the maxproxy guied on your website i followed the the steps carefully (since i`m not the best with the “cd maxproxy –main” okay i managed to start sl with the modshortcut i created and it worked ! the line on the screen top where the land discription is turned red and as i fully logged in my running maxproxy was telliing me a Inventory code like ” your inventory root is now: xxjhs98947-92874673jkdhsu–0394742 whatever okay problem is i edit a linkset keep it in edit mode and write /save prim in the chat ! the viewer tells me in green lines that is saves the prims on the hard disk but nothing appears there ! than i went to the maxproxy progy stoped it with “crtl b” and changed the folder where it should save it to “project” as in the discription started the viewer again and build mode edit linkset –> /save prim —-> but the file didn`T apeard anywhere ! now i`m seeking for answers here in the forum i hope you guys can help me ! yay (sorry for tippos i`m not native english speaker)
Make sure that all prims are created by you or maxproxy dont work. Also check all text that appear with info on backup process, here you can see if something is wrong.
Kitsune Shan ♥
I tryed many times to see MAXPORT video tutorial online here:
So, I can’t see what in the next part of this tutorial.
http://liferain.com/downloads/primcomposer/tutorials/
, but on 8:20 min. it’s broken
Especially interested in a command line instructions. Very hard to study without this part.
Can anybody give me alternare link for this theme? Thank you.
The Maxport video plays correctly for me. It could be something related to your internet connection. In any event, you can download the file directly by right clicking on this link and selecting “Save Link As…” (at least that is what the menu says in Firefox).
If you need the download links to any of the other video tutorials, just look in the HTML source. Direct links are not displayed on the page, but they do exist in the HTML. In Firefox, go to the tutorials page and select View > Page Source. Then search for the name of the tutorial to find the correct section of the file. All of the files are .mp4 videos.
Hope this helps! –Shack
Shack, really thanx! Now is working great!!!
On SecondLife there is an IMPORTER u need to use, but how does it works on Opensim ?
Anyone else having an issue with prefs not saving? I’m unable to change any of the preferences. After a reboot of max they revert to what ever they were before. I’m using the 2009 x64 version of Max.
Refer to this thread for an explanation of the problem and workarounds. In addition to the solutions listed there, you could also install 3ds Max outside of “Program Files”, e.g., you could install 3ds Max in “c:\3ds Max 9\” instead of “c:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 9\”. This would also workaround the UAC problem.
Tried to start Maxproxy within vista right out of the box, even with administrator, I still get this issue, seems the forums say nothing of it…
c:\tools\maxport>maxproxy –main –export-dir=”c:\tools”
Unhandled Exception: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at GridProxy.Proxy.Start()
at #=q84_OZUZt$kr2Q2fUxcfmftnXSkJ2z8Gx$dmZghC4o3k=.#=qpfKkRo4c2AzUL3KmaVZYGg==(String[] #=q6f2TmiOS40sU7I4jOX4RZQ==)
Jay,
please post support requests in the Prim Composer Support forums.
Thanks!
[...] 3ds Max you do NOT need to use NURBS and in fact I would strongly suggest you not do so. Using Prim Composer [http://liferain.com/downloads/primcomposer/] you can use polygons and have much higher accuracy in your map generation. Using NURBS in Max is [...]
There are any new version since the last update and some fixes are required
I just think how really easy can be import and export between max and emerald and that make me really happy. Please, make a little update, just add slice option and Emerald xml compatible import/export :/
Slice still dont work in primcomposer and also can be nice if you make it 100% compatible with emerald (can have support for both, emerald files and hpa). Wait for emerald team to change to hpa files have no sense because there are too many users using the actual xml. Or maybe can be nice make a tool to convert between hpa and emerald xml files
as long you keep it compatible with hippo 0.6.2, but you can also use an other viewer to import, run opensimulator “Stand-alone” after import, link and texture everything and save/backup with IAR (inventory archive) if you run a region in grid mode, you can import iar to that….
The fact to make it compatible with emerald is to not use any aditional viewer or app between the process that make it all slow. If was 100% compatible with emerald can be easy with just one click. Never more command lines etc.. . Also you should know that maxport isnt a LL third party viewer compliant, so you can be banned for not using a 100% LL compliant app for log into SL. All retrocompatibilities can still. Jus need a option to select what type of file generate, HPA, or emeraldXML. Or at least a conversor.
“LL third party viewer compliant” this is interessting ! because it would be shit if someone would be banned for creating or ?
GonzuS wrote:
I dont know, but if for just using integrated in-browser client you are broking the rules of just using a non third party app compliant, I think that you are also doing it using maxport. Isnt a viewer, but is an app to log in illegally since isnt in the LL list and its 100% detectable.
I dont know why we still using the HPA files. Isnt bad, its nice, but if emerald xml can do the same (already do the same!), we can adopt the same format. Only only click to export, on click to import , can be really nice!
Now you not just need use the commands lines, also need import into opensin, use emerald to make the backup and re-import again (this time to SL grid) using again emerald. The worst part its that you cant use also maxproxy, so you need expor your thigns out of SL using emerald, and again import to opensim to finally export t max using maxproxy lol, its a pain!
So I usggest change all to emerald compatible file and then we dont have the necesity to break any rule to create our work ^^
Regarding HPA. The primary reason that it exists is because there are things that are important to me that other formats do not support such as hierarchical linking. I have no plans to support emerald. If that means that Second Life is poorly supported because of LL’s Third Party Viewer Policy, then so be it.
New version, thanks!!
I read all features in this new version, but i dont see nothing about the “slice” option. Its already implemented? If not, why? Isnt it a important feature? When I import my work from sl I have problems because all objects apear without slice :/.
Anyways, thanks for your work!, Kitsune Shan ありがとう！！（ ＾▽＾）/
Good question, Kitsune.
Slice was implemented in maxport and maxproxy in Prim Composer 1.3.5. This allows you to move sliced prims between grids. It has not been implemented in the 3ds Max plugin yet.
One reason is that Linden Lab has not fully implemented Slice. In SL, you cannot set the Slice using LSL (See JIRA SVC-5419). So, if Prim Composer allowed Slice, then the LSL rezzer (–lsl option of maxport) wouldn’t work properly.
If LL fixes JIRA SVC-5419, then I will definitely fix Slice in Prim Composer. So, if you want to see Slice, please vote for JIRA SVC-5419.
Shack Dougall wrote:
Thanks, i dont notice about that in scripts. I will vote ^^