The Import / Export feature allows to import and export whole levels, or level parts in different formats. It is only present when import or export filters are found in the wed_plugins folder. This way the level can be partially or completely designed with external model editors (see External File Formats).
| Export to ASE | Exports the selected level blocks with textures to a MAX ASE scene. |
| Export to FBX | Exports the selected level blocks with textures to the FBX 2006 format (not all WED versions). |
| Export to MDL | Exports the selected level block with textures to a Gamestudio MDL file. |
| Export Lights to ASC | Exports the lights. This way, several alternative light sets can be created for the same level, or a level can be split into several parts that use the same lights. A7.79 |
| Import from ASE | Imports level blocks with textures from a MAX ASE scene. |
| Import Level from FBX/3DS (2010) | Imports level blocks with textures from a 3DS, OBJ, DXF, DAE, or FBX file. Not all DAE versions are supported. |
| Import from MDL | Imports a level block with textures from a Gamestudio MDL file. |
| Import Lights from ASC | Imports lights from an external file and places them in the root group. A7.79 |
Current Group Only |
Exports only the group visible in the current Scope level. |
Selection
Only |
Exports only the selected objects. |
Add
WMB Entity |
Exports WMB entities as single meshes. |
Add
Model Entity |
Exports MDL entities as single meshes. |
Merge
All |
Merges all blocks to
one single mesh on export. Please note that most editors don't support
meshes with more than 65536 triangles and vertices. |
Merge
Groups |
Merges all groups to single meshes
on export. Please note that most editors don't support meshes with
more than 65536 triangles and vertices. If no Merge option
is selected, blocks are merged to meshes on export. |
Faces
Separation |
Duplicates vertices belonging
to different faces on convex blocks. This option prevents Gouraud shading. |
Exclude
Untextured Faces |
Prevents exporting untextured
faces. |
Exclude
Untextured Blocks |
Prevents exporting completely
or partially untextured blocks. |
Save
Textures |
Stores the textures in external image files (always for FBX). |
| Object | FBX object to be imported - mesh or texture. For importing the object, its import flag must be checked. |
| Info | Number of vertices of a mesh, and file name and path of a texture. |
| Add Mesh to current Group | Adds the imported meshes to the currently selected group of the map. |
| Create new Group | Creates a new sub-group from the imported meshes |
| Import Block Mode | Auto: Check whether the block is concave or convex. Concave: Mark all imported blocks as concave. |
| Add Textures to Folder | Adds the imported textures to the given folder. |
| Add Textures to WAD | Adds the imported textures to the given WAD file. |
A7.10 The Import Level feature allows to create and edit whole levels in external editors such as MAX or MAYA, and convert them in a WMP level plus MDL entities, camera positions and light sources. The importer handles automatic updating of the level from an FBX file exported by the external editor. At importing or updating an FBX level you'll see a tree structure with the meshes, textures, camera positions and light source that are to be imported. The parts of the FBX tree can be expanded or collapsed by clicking on the nodes.
The import filter decides automatically which mesh or mesh group was changed in the external editor, and which entity in the existing level belongs to which mesh or mesh group in the FBX. Every mesh has a three-state flag assigned that tells the filter to import it as level geometry mesh, as model entity, or not at all. By default, only changed meshes are imported at all and only meshes that do not match a model name are imported as level geometry. FBX or ASE levels don't contain information about whether a model is just an instance of another model, therefore the importer attempts to automatically detect model instances in the import file. Meshes that begin with the same name and have the same number of faces and vertices are treated as instances of the same model.
| Reset import flags | All objects are flagged for imported as block groups and meshes. |
| Reload previous flags | Restore the block/model states of the last import. |
| Reload current flags | Autodetect whether an object should be imported as mesh or as model. When multiple instances of an object are detected, the object is flagged for import as model. |
| Object | FBX object to be imported. Meshes, textures, lights, and camera positions can be imported by checking the import flags. |
| Info | Object details: Number of faces and vertices for meshes, and size and color depth for textures. |
| Import As | Flag the object as model instance or as block mesh. |
| File | If the object is flagged as model, its file name is displayed here. |
| Scale Factor | Sets the scale factor for import. The "Bounding Box" coordinates give the size of the imported object at the current scale. A7.79 |
| Import At | Imports at the current camera position, at the level origin, or at a custom position. A7.79 |
| Add Mesh to current Group | Adds the imported meshes to the currently selected group of the map. |
| Create new Group | Creates a new sub-group from the imported meshes |
| Import Block Mode | Auto: Determine whether the block is concave or convex. Concave: Mark all imported blocks as concave. Only convex blocks can be used for building the BSP tree. Concave blocks should be marked as Detail Blocks when compiling a BSP tree from the level. |
| Import Models Mode | Save skins extern: Skin textures or imported models are saved as external files. |
| Check faces level | Determines the thoroughness of the detection of degraded polygons. Small faces levels import even degraded polygons that only consist of a single line. Such polygons give error messages when compiling a BSP tree from them, and can't be lighted properly when they are too small to contain light sample points. |
| Add Textures to Folder | Adds the imported textures to the given folder. |
| Add Textures to WAD | Adds the imported textures to the given WAD file. |
| Model folder | Adds the imported models to the given folder. |
The current import flag for every mesh is displayed in the FBX tree in the Object and the Import As column. It can be manually toggled by clicking on it, and can be predefined through import rules. The MDL name is displayed when a mesh is imported as model, and can be edited. The import flags are stored in the levelname.imfl file in the work folder, so you don't need to manually set their states when importing the same level again. In the Object column the textures are indicated with different icons depending on whether they are used for models (As Model) or for geometry (As Mesh). If a texture is only used for a model, it is imported to the model but not selected and thus not added to the level. The texture import state changes automatically depending on whether the mesh that uses the texture is selected or not. The buttons at the top allow to Reset the import flags (all meshes are imported as geometry), Reload the previous flags (the state of the last import is restored) or Reload the current flags (repeats the autodetection of the import).
You can enter rules in the levelname.imfl file for automatically deciding the import flag state depending on the mesh name. The keyword as_model="name"; determines that meshes with the given name are imported as model entity. The keyword disable="name"; determines that meshes with the given name are ignored on import. Wild cards '*' or '?' can be used in the name, f.i. the lines
as_model="cactus*"; disable="stand.00?";
determine that all meshes beginning with the name "cactus" are imported as model, and all meshes from "stand.000" up to "stand.009" are not imported.