Overview

The most important thing to keep in mind while preparing for export are naming conventions. If the described objects are not named correctly then the exporter will not work. Also be sure that you work with -Z as your front view as this is the front in-engine.

Sample File

An example Maya scene with the hierarchy setup for the static geometry exporting can be downloaded statictest.ma.

Preparation

All objects/folders containing objects must be placed under the root game folder, in the Game\Objects folder. Objects placed outside of the Game folder won't work in the engine.

Create an example object in Game\Objects\Testbox. Create a simple box, a meter or two (3-6 feet) in each dimension. CryENGINE uses the metric system for measuring distances so this should be adopted in your software as well

There are several important things that users should pay attention to as they create objects.

• The pivot of the objects group node in Maya corresponds to the pivot of the object in the engine.
• Make sure that the object has UVW mapping.
• be sure to delete history and freeze transforms.
• The more polygons the object has, the longer it will take to be exported; although, the exporting time is generally very quick.
• The object should either be an editable mesh or an editable poly.

Basic asset setup

1. Create a group called cryexportnode_@ replacing the '@' with the filename to export to.

2. Create a group under the 'cryexportnode'.
3. Name the new group #_group replacing the '#' with the name of the model you want to export.
4. Group the meshes to the group you just named '#_group'

Material Setup

This is the main window from which you will be adding, selecting and changing the order of your materials. It is located under the Crytek shelf icon as the following icon:

Some general tips to keep in mind while creating your materials:

• Use Phong materials.
  

• The Add Attributes button on the export window will add the physics options to the shaders 'Extra Attributes'. Use Maya's Attribute Editor to edit them.
• Be sure to Create a new material group then add your selected shaders accordingly.
• A scene can have no more than 32 materials.
• Use the Generate Material File button on the export window to create a material file in the same folder as the scene is saved.
  

Exporting Geometry

1. Click the export button on the Crytek toolbar to open the 'Crytek Export' dialog.
2. Click the Add Attributes button.

3. Select the cryexportnode group.
4. Select the file type from the drop down menu that appears in the Node Options section. You can also find this drop down menu in the Extra Attributes section in Maya's Attribute Editor.

5. Click the Export button on the Crytek Export dialog.