@Acki
That's the thing: Jox is coding a loader for the Lord Trancos lightmapper
@Trancos and Jox
I think is good to have support for the alpha version of Lmtools. There will be always problems with any solution, so , to have both imho is safer, mostly as the lmtools path in irrlicht is practicaly done now
BTW, for we all (including Trancos and his other projects
) is interesting also to see if it can be added too Fsrad.
Anim8or's 3ds file, as I posted before, does not export lights. So, the Anim8or--->3ds--->Fsrad route is impossible.
As you said, Anim8or route would be surely Anim8or->an8 native format-> etract the chunk you need only to load the mesh, uv, lights , into fsrad.
I always thought fsrad needs the intervention of a coder, as they say.
The problem with Blender, Trancos, is that besides I am not sure if the ase plugin is usable or export lights with latest blender (an issue of all what is a plugin) , the main issue is....Mainly the users in Irrlicht, for what i have been seing for long, are coders. Or as much level editors with some experience in Max. Very few are blender users.
Those who are blender users -like, somehow, me- would adore any plugin for Blender...indeed I already proposed it as a level editor for irrlicht (porting all scene, no need the complex thing (armatures) ...as that is taken care of , finally, by the x exporter) ... But...the people here being coders, not having even heard of a 3d tool, or just knowing some basic editing in max, or milkshape, or the like...
Well, Anim8or is a way easy software to learn for anyone...
And in this case, I proposed thinking in th fastest to learn tool to build an scenery , that provides a quick workflow.Is freeware, not open source, but at least, the format has been detailed and given. After all, we're wanting to use the scene output of that ascii text format.
Blender native format I think is like binary dump or something...
Of course, there are initiatives and many script for export but...
Well, indeed, for making cool character animations, people not buying softwares is gonna need blender, the x exporter, and a deep, hard to learn knowledge of good character rig making and animation in blender. Not as easy as in other packages. And could be a reason why don't fear here to make them use the same package for creating th elights to export to the lightmapper...
But...
Thinking myself now on the people who make an md3 with other tool, or an md2. There are several free ways for this, or already users of Milkshape.
Those wont wish another complex package to learn.
I personally would prefer for some reasons Blender. But for other, Anim8or. Is mor ecompact...it always comes with direct 3ds or obj import/export, plus its native format is ascii and documented...And sems easy to parse.
Even being a Blender user now, I still see Anim8or is easier. And I'm thinking mainly in the masses, the typical coder with no knowledge of Blender. In many cases, some artist would make him some animated models and pass them to him and goodbye, he will have to care for th elevel editing (even more in free projects) .So I'd vote to make things easy.
So, as you would have expected, freaking cool good be if Jox add some port Anim8or-->Fsrad, Trancos some solution (surely python , but probably you can use other language) Blender--->Fsrad. And you both share the part of the final export fsrad---> Irlicht.
That some people think maybe duplicating the works..but I'm long time 3d user, I know it would worth it. Anyway, I'd understand if is decided make only a loader for one tool only.
the profile of the 3d newbie would have benefit of a compact and easy tool like anim8or (can use in Linux with wine, been done)
the profile of the blender user, or simply the 3d freaky (ppl like me, hehe) would benefit from the blender solution, for its power. But even so...in Anim8or is REALLY quick to mount an scene.The newbie of above would have not only learn the basic editing in Blender (quite a barrier to many I have asked) but also know where are the neeeded plugins, how to install and run them. The more factors, more possibilities to get them stuck at some step. Is like if I wanted to code , and start with a complex language.
Of course, again, if the lmts for the alpha version of lmts is done, great too
I am not asking or demanding anything
Indeed, if I had to demand it , me having Gile[s] now, I'd ask for just support of two uv channels in x files, and lightmap render from there in irrlicht, reading just the x file with its asigned texture to channel 1, and asigned to channel 2, the lightmap tga. (that is, that the artist just would provide its x file(leaving to the artist asign well the lightmap and texture and creation of 2 uv channels) with texture)
But not even that, as I am gonna probably do as I said, a project with coders using a home made engine.
All my chat about this is for I like to see Irrlicht improving and have a solid engine/comunity here
PD: I am not sure if Blender 3ds exporter (you need to use the plugin from holocomb, or the io suite from scorpius ) does export lights.
neither if the latest unreal ASE (I dunno how much differ from an standard ase) , -that may load well in latest blenders... - is exporting lights. As looks to me may not be needed for his purpose, maybe.
There may be other ascii format export plugin from blender, but I don't know it. Seems it'd be best to make directly a python plugin to export from inside blender, like with any format plugin. Into something that FSRAD can read. the readme included in 004 fsrad is a must to read, as well as seing the sources, python-blender doc, etc...
that and/or parse the anim8or ascii format.