For more advanced procedures with exporting from max, (See W3D in Max)

You will need these basic software installed on your system before you begin

A: 3d studio max 3.1 or above
B: W3D viewer
C: W3D update
D: "Max2W3D.dle" must be installed in the "plugins" directory of 3d Max.

Once these are in place, you may move on to the next step.

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Overview
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1. Create your model (3DS Max)

2. Create your map(s) (photoshop)

3. Applying maps (3dmax) W3D material in your Material/Map browser.

4. Create bones (3d max dummy objects)

5. Set up your bones (3dmax) W3D plugin under "space Warps"

6. Animating

Create a model in 3DS max, or if you have one created, move on to next step.

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Create your maps in photoshop (or whatever paint program you use), if you already made one, move on to next step.

{ "Mean_fish.tga"}

Step 1.
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Select your model, click open the material editor, pick an empty slot, click "assign material to selection"

Step 2.
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Click the default "standard" button to open the material map browser. Select the "W3D" or "W3D PS2" from the list and click "OK".

Step 3.
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Click the "+" (plus) sign next to "Pass 1" to Expand the rollout. Click on the "Textures" tab up top and check the box labeled "Stage 0 Texture".
Click the bar labeled "None" and Look for the texture you wish to apply, click on the file, then click "open". Now you've selected your texture map.

NOTE: The "show map in viewport" button will be ghosted. Well fix that right now.

Step 4.
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Click on the material/ map navigator button, and you should see your map file under the W3D texture.

Step 5.
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Click on the file name "Fish_texture.tga" then close out the box using the "x" close window button located in the top right hand corner.

You should now see the interface that resembles the "standard" max material and "show map in viewport" is now unghosted, click it so you can see the map in the viewport.

--At this point, your texture should be viewable on your model, in the viewport -- (see illustration)

Step 1.
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Create dummy objects that you will use to control the vertices of an area of the model and Position them in the areas of the vertices you wish to control.

Tip:
You can use the "affect pivot only" in max to reposition the pivot center of the dummy object for greater control in your animation.

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Setting up your bones
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Step 1.
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Click on the "Create" tab of the side toolbar in max. Click on "Space warps" and select from the drop down list "Westwood Space Warps."

Step 2.
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Click on the "WWSkin" button, (its the only one there) and Click and drag in an orthographic viewport to create the space warp.

Step 3.
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It will first look very tiny or not visible at all. You can use the "scale" Modifier on the main toolbar to enlarge it so that it is more viewable. The Space warp Icon looks like a set of crossbones.

Step 4.
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Next, you must "add the bones", do so by clicking the "Add Bones" button, located on the modify panel. Select the bones you want to add and click OK.

Step 5.
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Bind your model to the "WWSkin" space warp by first selecting your model, then clicking the "bind to spacewarp" button located on the main toolbar in Max. Next, position your mouse back over the your model and click and drag to the "WWSkin" (crossbones) Icon to bind them.

Step 7.
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Deselect the "bind to space warp button and use the select button to draw a rectangle around the vertices you would like to bind to a particular bone, then click the "link to Bone" button located on the modify panel under your "WWSkin binding", then Click the dummy object used to represent that bone.

Step 8.
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Continue doing the until you have assigned the vertices to the particular bones you want to be able to animate.

At this point you're almost done and about ready to animate, but the move,rotate,and scale tools will be ghosted and not selectable yet.
You must first click the "*WWSkin Binding" in the modify panel to gray the word "*WWSkin binding" then click in the viewport to deselect it, now you may select the dummy objects.

The dummy objects will not work unless you are on any frame other than frame 0 (zero) and you will also need to have the animate button depressed before beginning,

Step 1.
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Click the animate button and move any any frame (other than zero).

Step 2.
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Animate your model with the dummy objects (bones) and make note of the ending frame. When your happy with the anim loop, move on to next part.

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