improve blender (2.42) ->irrlicht (1.3.1) integration

[paooolino]

Hi guys.
I think this it would be nice, and also it will "boost up" the number and the happiness of Irrlicht users.

Why Blender? Of course, because it is a good and open-source project (like Irrlicht is).

Well, I know the most popular formats used by irr users are:
.x -> good for animations
.3ds -> good for static objects
.my3d -> good for static objects and supports lightmapping

and others like
.dmf -> good for simple static objects (I think perfect for architectural low-poly models)
..and so on.

Looking at the first two formats, I did export from blender extremely simple models and import in irrlicht.

- I found .x works fine with textured models but when loaded in irrlicht there is some strange things happening with lighting probably due to normals. I'm sure it won't be hard to fix it, by the way.

- I found .3ds works perfectly with assigning materials but lacks of texture support. I searched a lot in forums and I found messy methods for letting the texture being displayed. I tried none of them because they're old posts and refer to older version of both blender and irrlicht.

- No built-in exporter for my3d is present in blender.

Due to the large number of people asking about this topic (I know people who abandoned irrlicht due to these problems) I'm here to propose:

1) the creation of a tutorial in which is described how to create simple objects in blender and making them work in irrlicht (like a texturized sphere or cube). And also how to smooth and light them. The tut should treat at least .x and .3ds format; also treating what kind of features a model should have to work fine with irr.

2) a sticky thread on the forum in which discuss issues due to new software version of blender and Irrlicht;

3) a collaboration with blender programmers, who could insert built-in exporters that work well for irrlicht. I don't know how the relationship between irr programmers and blender chiefs is, but I think it could be a nice deal for both

what do you think guys about it?

[vermeer]

well, the main idea on doing a tut for helping ppl getting content into the engine is good, with carries me to th emain point: most ppl here have very little knowledge about making artwork, specially in the nitty gritty side of things (formats, conversions) ...

And I'd agree should be sticky...

But I have some points to discuss, as doing about those formats, will cause some damage...

I've bee a great promoter of X (just look at my sig) by very very long...
Now not anymore.
because x was good as wasnt another so stablished bones and weights format for animated characters.

Now we have B3d format, even witha working blender exproter :

http://gandaldf.altervista.org/b3dexporter.htm

This should become, imho an all in one solution. Not the only one, surely, as md5, collada, etc, for sure look promising too (luke has worked a lot in a new animation system well all formats could be used) , but the fact is that it support both scenery and animation, and quite less problems exporting from blender than x.Besides, seems b3d is a game format from start, x was made as a general thing for applications and whatever...And told be great coders friend of mine, not very optimal for games.

So, in characters animated, if you want my advice, go for b3d, and if any day md5 format is done, that's also a great format. Each having strong points.

B3d supports lightmaps! That means once the exporter of bledner can get exported the lightmaps, you're done! One ring to bring them all.

Of course, probably md5 has more features for animated characters, like normal maps, but to me that for now, b3d is a round , great solution for irrlicht and blender, and we should concentrate in that.

there's a good number of lightampping tools, likke giles, slimshady, etc, etc, supporting export of b3d, too.

*.3ds ...please, dont use that.Recent discussions about that...I've said a lot of times, but this format does not support two uv verts per mesh vertice, so creates extra seams where you dont want em, and is terrible for smoothing normals in general...A good 3d mesh, a real time one, cares about normals creasing a lot, that's the artist work...

And no...no matter on the bake of high end mesh over low pol mesh...you still are loading a low pol mesh with a faked , baked bump ove rit (normal maps) , but underneath normals, UVs, and all low polygon issues are bellow, and will show...

That not considering some ppl target low machines (ie: shareware games, etc) where shaders 2.0 features are out.

Imo, tuts (like one explaining how to fix so simple thing like some threads already current) about OBJ and how to load well, and of course, B3D, would be nice. I have little time, though.

[vermeer]

btw, 2.42 ?

Why?

2.45 is almost out....

yet had no time to do a patient, full test of b3d exporter, neither see if works with 2.44 or 2.45 build/rc...

And am curious, 'cause the blender b3d exporter has got a VERY interesting state...

[vermeer]

the idea purpose is very good, tho I may had that different opinion on different points.

3) a collaboration with blender programmers, who could insert built-in exporters that work well for irrlicht. I don't know how the relationship between irr programmers and blender chiefs is, but I think it could be a nice deal for both

Is not easy that this happens.

First , I think Blender has an strong focus on High end 3d. I saw that as terrible in the past, now, I'd only good like a bit of attention on games, but high end features benefit all worlds, as game art is more and more high end.Now maybe with that open project of a game, some more attention, but I dont have the data, but I'd expect they'd focus on crystal space engine... To me, irrlicht is multiplatform, very open in it's way of going, and usually comunity is not made of fanatics, which imo is its greatest strength...I mean, Blender since the perfect thing in the art side for the engine.But i guess is gonna be mroe work of ppl interested on irrlicht.

Blender developers are "at full" making outstanding blender improve everyday....

The blender team seem to have a very controlled way of working, with its aprovals and all, which is also good. But I wouldnt expect em also going engine per engine helpping integration, their resources are limited.We're all humans

Also, beware Luke's work (and several other authors/formats) is already doing this. B3d exported, improved by some people later, is already making that through a universal free format, b3d, which also allows other tools, not only blender, be in the game.

[paooolino]

Thankyou vermeer for your reply. I must say I didn't know lot of things you said and I agree with you about format discussion.

2.42? woops, I missed some release

by the way, what about .dmf? I tried it and it seems to work well with lightmaps and all.