Anyone know if there is native support in Maya 8.5 or Maya 2008 for DEM displacement data, like there is in Vue? Or, do you know of any reference out there that’s updated for taking DEM data into maya for version 8.x ? I see an older tutorial floating out there for 6.x and 7.x, but I imagine over the years there’s been changes to the work flow.

Thanks.

Hello, I’ve recently been importing DEMs to maya8.5 and 2008. I use several programs. First I use 3DEM to convert the DEM to a Terragen terrian. I then use the Terragen plugin Fast Export Only to export an object file. Maya will not open this object file. I then use 3Dwin5 to import the object and then I export the object. Maya can now read this file. It seems like a complicated process but it only take a total of 3min to complete the whole process.

keith

I’ve been struggling with a similar ‘Ring of fire’ tactic. Currently, I used 3Dem to open the DEM, convert to a terragen terrain file, then I use a program called ‘Terraconv’ to convert the terragen terrain file into a usable 16-bit tiff for displacements. It works, but, we’re not able to use the full extent of the 32bits worth of data provided and we have to run through a couple of different programs and settings to get it to work.

I’m not sure if the final data is 16 or 32 bit, but the FEO plugin does export the terragen data to an obj. file.(the 1:50000 DEMS of the mountains and valleys in my area are visually accurate )I’m having difficulty with file sizes,1 Dem is over 2 million points, my computer crashes just deleting faces.  Now I’m editing the Dems in 3dem but it is difficult because i cannot snap or type in the coordinates of the area of the smaller pieces i cut out. ( in 3dem). My computer is relatively powerfull (quad 2ghz opt, 5 gig ram, xp64).  Do you have any suggestions for a workflow. Also would anybody know anything about getting Maya to multiprocess (use multiple processors) functions such as deleting, smoothing, reducing faces and other none rendering tasks.

thanks

keith

Max will import DEM data natively.

However I found a plugin that allowed better control, letting me step the mesh resolution up/down.  (I think it was called Dem2Max)

From there I take it into Maya.
(I would do most of my editing in Max because it appeared to handle the polys better.)

I actually avoid editing the DEM at all now in either program…choosing instead to carefully select and layer in my DEM data as different render passes.

-G luck!