64 bit windows 7~windows 11 64 bit 3ds Max 9 ~2024,3ds max 9 and 2012 need their respective SP2s
DON'T COPY the installation package into the root folder of 3dsmax or SYSTEM driver,you should place it in a safer place.
The name of the folder for storing the package don't start with lowercase x ,n,t or r.
Don't delete the package after installing TerrainAxe.
Installation
Drag and Drop UIMan.ms in TerrainAxe package into 3ds max(Or click menu MaxScript->run script to choose the UIMan.ms file ).
Dialog UIMan
Click"TheAxePath" button ,choose "AxeRoot" folder from the package ,then click "Install" to complete installation.
Set hotkeys Select"Customize->Customize user interface" command from 3dsmax menu , in the "Keyboard" tab , pick "TheAxeTools" from the "Category ",you will find all commands of TerrainAxe .
Activate
To use TerrainAxe,Both the Official and trial versions need to be activated .Before activation, you need to first register an account in www.flyingcfx.com.For official users,the email is required to be the same one that you used to buy TerrainAxe.
Set "License Type" to "Web" for the official version ,to "trial" for the trial version
Click "Active" button in UIMan, enter your email, password of your account and the product code(for offical users), then click "Activate" button to complete activation, close the activation dialog.
Activate Trial version
Activate official Version
Fixing Errors
If encounter errors on installing,please check options below:
For 3ds max 9 and 2012,you need install sp2 .
Don't place TerrainAxe at a network location.
If can't click buttons on TerrainAxe UI,please change current theme of windows 7 to classic theme.
In this tutorial,we will import an autocad file into max and make the terrain landscape.But the source data in the AutoCAD file is not ideal,so you maybe need to make some change on initial design.
Why topologize model?There are three main reasons.
Sufficient topology lines can insure roads be deformed correctly.
UVW Mapping need sufficient vertices and edges.
Watching a scene more fluently ,help to improve rendering speed.
The road in this file is an editable polygon converted from a spline shape ,the layout of vertices is not regular because original dwg file is not good,so CutByAgl is used a lot to cut road.If the number of vertices on bothside of road is same ,ConnectVerts is better.
Lay out topology lines for road
Smooth Road
In the Step,MoveVerts is used to conform the road to the terrain because of lacking level data,then SMRoad tools to smooth road ,at last conform faces covered by road to it.In the basic version ,SmoothRoad (which has a user interface) can be substitute for SMRoad tools,you can watch last video to see how to use it.
Smooth Road and conform it to terrain
Connect the road to terrain
In this Step, the road is attached to terrain,the holes are capped ,then StitchVerts is used to topologize new polygon.StitchVerts is unavailable in Lite version ,you can use AdvConnectVerts to substitute for it.
Connect Road to Terrain
If you are using basic version of TerrainAxe,you can watch the below video to complete tutorial.
