I think a good point without too much problems to send the data of the mesh... It´saving from the 3D Suite a .txt file or .dat... I think from .obj or .3ds or another format can be a tedious works... Make a "plugin" for export the data could´t too much complex, the standar in the 3D industry now it´s python... I don´t touch too much, but all the people say it´s easy... and after whit a function material properties, read whit some tag the correct material, whit an special name or something...
I´m not sure 100%, don´t look too much, but I think when I export from 3d max, the geometry remenber the material I did in 3DS max, the specular shinnes , amount etc... not sure 100%.