In the tutorial, we'll create a simple robot in 3dsmax, then export it and reassemble in Awakening.

Before starting, make sure install the Awakening Beta 4; and copy the correct plugins to the 3dsmax's "plugins" folder ( "max?triexp.dle" and "max?aniexp.dle", you can find them in the Awakening's "otherplugins" folder ).

We just draw some boxes by dragging:




and create a skeleton use Bone Tools:

Because the robot's body is hard, so every part just need one bone. For every box, apply a "skin" modifier, then add the corresponding bone.

Animate bones by setting keys for them, design a cool pose for our robot

For every box, first select it and turn off it's skin modifier:



then click menu: File > Export Selected...; in the file dialog appears, select "winds3d tri file (*.TRI)" in file type list, the type a file name, click the Save button. Do same except select "winds3d animation file (*.ANI)" in file type list this time. So for every box, there are two exported files: .tri and .ani .

In Awakening, select "Create > Skin Mesh..." from menu, then select a .tri file that exported from 3dsmax in last step.
A box should appear in viewport, in it's Mesh Properties Panel, there is a Bones Animation rollout:



click the long button in the top of the rollout, the Bones Animations List dialog will popup:



click the New button, then select the corresponding .ani file in File Dialog, a new BonesAni will be created.
Select the new BonesAni and click the OK button, so assign a bones animation to the skin mesh.

Do same for every exported box, then press F6 to run, the robot is dancing there.

You also can assign multiple bones to a mesh in 3dsmax; and the winds3d export plugin also supports the Physique modifier, so you can use the Character Studio in 3dsmax; but whether use the Skin or Physique, remember turn off the modifier when exporting.

The .tri file only contain static model data, and the .ani file only contain bones animation. The ani exporter only export the really used bones for a mesh, so if you works with Physique & Biped, the head mesh's ani data will not contain the foot bones.

For multiple meshs which explicitly used same bones, you can only export a single .ani file, then let them share it.

do you have a 3dsmax version 9 of these plugins?.. would it be possible to do Truespace ones?

you can export skin animation to D3D X files.
see: http://www.awingsoft.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=558

I have the same problem as the guy in that thread, i tried altering the "tick" and it still doesn't work.. TS is never good at exporting X files hence why i asked about the Max plugins
Or do you have the Lara model?.. I'm trying to get a character stood at the dock, facing the ship with idle animation

I've tried export skin animation to x file from tureSpace7.6, and import it to Awakening, it works well.
You can download the scene file to see: shark.
The Lara model is not good, and it's in 3dsmax8, if you really need I can email it.

That worked..
I'm doing something wrong with TS, i have problems with 7.6 so i tend to use 6.6, i'm just downloading the manual so i can figure out where i'm going wrong.. but t least i know the right settings to get the model into Awakening now