.x exporter problem in Blender 2.40

Iaro · Post by **Iaro** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:30 am

Hello,

In Blender 2.37 I used the modified directx exporter ( from Vermeer's tools depot ) and it worked great. Now Blender 2.40 has been released, featuring a new animation system among other improvements. Unfortunately the default directx exporters still don't work well (at least when loading .x in Irrlicht).
When I tried the modified exporter I got the following error : line 1521 ,
SystemError : error return without exception set .
So does anyone know how this problem could be fixed or maybe make the default 2.40 exporters work well ?

Thanks in advance,
Robert

dhenton9000 · Post by **dhenton9000** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 12:10 pm

i share your pain.

they switched python versions and they also changed APIs which means AFAIK, all animation exporters are dead for the time being. They say on the web site that there is no guarantee that scripts will be compatible version to version.

I can't get the built in md2 to work either.

I'm hoping jox will update the x exporter, otherwise, I will have to try myself.

Electron · Post by **Electron** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 12:42 pm

I'm hoping jox will update the x exporter, otherwise, I will have to try myself.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I know some python, but I've never used the blender API, so I'm not really sure how hard it would be to fix. If you do get it working, let us know

vermeer · Post by **vermeer** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 4:47 pm

Ben is in the proccess of updating it. he has the api docs and all the stuff...

I dunno ho wmuch time wil it take it for him.

I really also hope Jox can update his, as I really like the plugin.

I have used both plugins. Yet though, Jox's is well adapated for Irrlicht.

Imho, one way or the other, an x exporter will come for 2.40...

@Dhenton

Hey, md2 is ugly. Precision problem in most engines, usually bad shading, smooth shading break whenever an UV island border is (in many parts of every model, unless u mapped it knowing that, but even so is painful and worse solution ) 4096 vertex limit, etc.

Anyway, Blender 2.36 and 2.35 worked with previous to latest version: md exporter 0.14. very recently 0.15 has been released. Which I have not tested, but I/O worked perfect with md2 and blender 2.36 or 2.35, can't remember fully well. I tested well.

i also tested certain not easy to find md3 exporter. MD3 exported as full piece is something good for low powered machines (*very* low powered: an x file well done flies in any machine, actually, just in case you aim at really outdated pcs )

That blender md3 exporter worked like charm. I tested the export in many viewers, and even did the full way: blender to md3-->md2-->gmax-->md3--->md2---> blender. Now you can say it: I'm a freak. As i do it only as an useless experiment...hehe.

I used other converters inbetween, but long story.Npherno md3 compiler can compile an anim in md3 from 3ds, or md2, or asc frames...

The easiest way for a blender user is just use those exporters. But sadly, one of the issues of an md3 (I never speak of tags, chunks..no, that's crap. Only a full piece model, with just mesh interpolation(but the spline one in md3! not the ugly linear in md2, another of it issues..) alla md2 style, but better as less limited and way nicer) , that is, you will see ugly seams of smooth shading at UV island limits, where ever they fall in the 3d mesh.You can uv map hiding the seams, like bellow the head in union with neck, in the interior of arms, etc...but this is never ideal. Besides a load of more work, and never same final quality. yet though, pretty interesting for low machines. Reason why I also ask from time to time bout md3 loader in Irrlicht. There was one from Arithon, I think. Dunno if kept updated.

You want me to upload md2 and md3 plugins? ( now that I am writting I dunno if I have em already at Bal's temp space, there at my signature link..)

BTW, Ben has said will update for 2.40 his exporter, and even has said that will send whatever is needed to Jox (the api docs, and dunno what more) as he thinks is good the irrlicht version keeps updated for us.

I've already tried to contact jox by email...

Iaro · Post by **Iaro** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 4:52 pm

Ok after some testing : using the directx8 plugin, and then resaving the file in mview I managed to import it .
The problems :
1.The normals are flipped but that can be easily fixed just by flipping them in Blender before export.
2. I wasn't able to export animations. Using the directx8 version from 2.37 gives a console error at export.

vermeer · Post by **vermeer** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 5:04 pm

iaro, don't use my tools depot one(the depot is useful for old md2 and md3 tools, as those never got updated anymore. there's not any of the md2 blender exporters,(there's only one, but several version numbers) now that i see, though I have em here as always in my hd (can upload to some temp space) and I see now I uploaded to the depot the latest md3 blender exporter...). I don't update that (as I dunno even if Bal's ok with that, as was a load of time since last time I talked to him, but the depot keeps there, and I guess been of use for some members that downloaded tools there) it is an old 1.21. While jox has made an 1.32 much newer one :

http://development.mindfloaters.de/Downloads.12.0.html

It is for 2.37....Wasn't it you the one to mention those 1.32 tests ?

The animation internals of Blender have strongly changed...I really doubt it can be done without the new api docs.

Ben is having it seems some quite effort to update, so I guess Jox version is not gonna be easier to update...

Maybe is easy for Jox

Or for anyone knowing a bit of Python...I can't even code a "hello world"...

the resave in mview is almost a must with irrlicht, while I have some tools (cfx , xsi, Ultimate unwrap) whose x exports looks to work directly at Irrlicht.

Iaro · Post by **Iaro** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 5:35 pm

Thanks for the link Vermeer, I was using 1.3.1 but 1.3.2 also doesn't work.
A bit offtopic : Why does Blender have two directx exporters ? Are they written by different people or are there two different formats of .x files ( directx and directx8 ) ?
When using the directx plugin -> animation I get "(no armature yet)" although I have bones linked to the mesh and animated.

vermeer · Post by **vermeer** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 6:26 pm

the "directx" one that appears at blender export dialog, I am almost sure is directx7, indeed, which did not supported weights and all...

If you refer on why there are two versions, Ben's original one, and it's modified: Jox version, well, Jox did it to fit better irrlicht needs...

Pilsowski · Post by **Pilsowski** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 7:04 pm

You were looking for un update of the md3 exporter for 0.14?

http://parsys.informatik.uni-oldenburg. ... /md3.patch

Voila.

Have fun.

PS: As i did not test it myself i can't comment it.

vermeer · Post by **vermeer** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 9:02 pm

Thanks!

I'll pass it to my friend coder.

vermeer · Post by **vermeer** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 9:07 pm

about x: people, don't worry, I think we'll have it for 2.40 soon...

Electron · Post by **Electron** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 1:02 pm

If ben does it for 2.4, shouldn't be too hard to go through Jox's version, diff it with the old 2.3x version to find the enhancements, and port them over to the new one. I'll be happy to do that.

dhenton9000 · Post by **dhenton9000** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:34 pm

Count me in to help if needed, I really want this thing to work , and Jox's adaptations have been dynamite.

vermeer · Post by **vermeer** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 8:11 pm

cool, I think there's gonna be x export soon