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Now Autocad 2007 comes with Mental Ray
It also have incorporated animation tools as well.
I wonder if the pluggin is being planned or built.
If not I wonder which is the problem...

Ernesto

I wonder about that too... Also can someone explain to me why an application like AutoCAD with a full API and with millions of users was not the first, or at least one of the first 3d apps to get a Maxwell plugin?

I have been trying the new autocad 2007, and found that the export option to 3DS is no longer available. It is logic! 3DS format is obsolete, and way limited for nowadays standards.

This simple fact makes Next Limit´s proposed workflow for Autocad Users, IMPOSSIBLE.

Now, there is an urgent need of a solution, that could be a new pluggin for Autocad!
I hope the people at NL will understand this in the same way.

Ernesto

IMPOSSIBLE.

Hi Ernesto, I'm not minimizing your request for an ACAD plugin, but in the meantime, also remember .dxf import...much effort went into that.

[edit: sorry, Ernesto...I was just notified about the problem with that solution...you're right, and something will need to be done about this.]

Ernesto, I've found a very hard workaround, but at least possible:

from autocad, select a 3dsolid object
right click on it
select "convert to mass element"
explode object
unfortunately you can't do this conversion selecting all the 3dobjects, so... one by one
export dxf

maxell will recognize this kind of objects (mesh).
...or better, stay with autocad 2006

I know it is POSSIBLE to render with Maxwell, a model created in Autocad 2007. I am not saying the oposite!

In an emergency or in case you have no other option, I am sure a way will be found to do so, and other more difficult tasks.

The matter is that the workflow should be smooth enough to make work easy, in comparison to other solutions.

For instance if you work in Maya: you create your model in any way, map faces assign materials, and save the file in the native format. In case of render open the file and render. In case of a change you perform the change and save again. In case of render again open the file and render.

To do this in autocad you could:
Model your object, with solids, meshes, blocks etc. Then if you want to render, you need to export to 3Ds, and then import into Maxwell, assign all materials and mappings, and render In case of change you have to come back to Autocad, perform the change and re export to 3Ds, to reimport to maxwell, check if everything was ok, add mappings materials and re render.

Between both workflows there is a diference: time and risk.

Ernesto