Blender Exporting Model Help
by Zack Routh · in Artist Corner · 01/14/2010 (8:35 pm) · 9 replies
Ok, so I exported a model. It looks pretty nice from how much work I put on it, and yes it is of course from Blender. So I followed this guide, it showed me everything to do to export a object. It took a long while, but it is still worth it. --> http://www.biomassthegame.com/j20090721.html
So afterwords I exported it to the 'art/shapes' folder from within my folder project in the correct file directory. So once when I double clicked on it in the shapes folder in the
'Scene Tree' > 'Library' > 'Meshes'. There was a box, telling me the information on the object, everything looked like it was in the correct place. So I clicked "Ok". After it was set as an instance, there isn't anything there. I can click on it from within the Scene folder. But there isn't anything there, as if it looked invisible.
NOTE: I'm using Torque 3D
Any suggestions?.
Thanks in advance.
So afterwords I exported it to the 'art/shapes' folder from within my folder project in the correct file directory. So once when I double clicked on it in the shapes folder in the
'Scene Tree' > 'Library' > 'Meshes'. There was a box, telling me the information on the object, everything looked like it was in the correct place. So I clicked "Ok". After it was set as an instance, there isn't anything there. I can click on it from within the Scene folder. But there isn't anything there, as if it looked invisible.
NOTE: I'm using Torque 3D
Any suggestions?.
Thanks in advance.
About the author
When raised about 4 years old I started playing on a Atari. Then after a year or two I got to play the NES, until after that. My first Playstation game when the Playstation One Console came out, and so on. I'm a born Video Gamer and I love games.
#2
In Collada, units are significant, so T3D does the "right thing" when importing a DAE model, by converting whatever units are used in the model into meters.
If you (or your exporter) generate a model that is effectively 10 km (or a 1 mm) in size it will quite correctly be imported as enormous (or tiny) in Torque.
01/14/2010 (10:07 pm)
Quote:just remembered, T3D dae import can be "dodgy" about scale.
In Collada, units are significant, so T3D does the "right thing" when importing a DAE model, by converting whatever units are used in the model into meters.
If you (or your exporter) generate a model that is effectively 10 km (or a 1 mm) in size it will quite correctly be imported as enormous (or tiny) in Torque.
#3
01/14/2010 (10:08 pm)
@Zack: What does the model look like in the Shape Editor?
#4
01/14/2010 (10:34 pm)
Yeah, Steve you were right. It did import on a very small scale. Looks normal sized now. Although it looks kinda weird. Should the pipeline be able to stay with the 3D Model?. I used Blender built in textures from the 'Materials' selection. I'm going to get pictures up in a few.
#5
Here is the one that looks weird as an instance. -->
http://s839.photobucket.com/albums/zz313/ZeroPlasmaPulse/?action=view¤t=pic1.jpg
---
Here is the one that is in the Blender program -->
http://s839.photobucket.com/albums/zz313/ZeroPlasmaPulse/?action=view¤t=pic2.jpg
---
Here is the rendered version -->
http://s839.photobucket.com/albums/zz313/ZeroPlasmaPulse/?action=view¤t=pic3.jpg&newest=1
Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?.
01/14/2010 (10:39 pm)
@Chris, here it is.Here is the one that looks weird as an instance. -->
http://s839.photobucket.com/albums/zz313/ZeroPlasmaPulse/?action=view¤t=pic1.jpg
---
Here is the one that is in the Blender program -->
http://s839.photobucket.com/albums/zz313/ZeroPlasmaPulse/?action=view¤t=pic2.jpg
---
Here is the rendered version -->
http://s839.photobucket.com/albums/zz313/ZeroPlasmaPulse/?action=view¤t=pic3.jpg&newest=1
Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?.
#6
If I remember correctly when the import dialogue comes up, it's default is 0.01 scale and just needs changing to 1.0 --- with a Blender made *.dae anyhow ... Blender's not got the greatest COLLADA exporter ... but it does work (after some "jiggling").
@Zack
Check your normals.
Also way too many polys, your mesh might be truncating.
01/14/2010 (11:30 pm)
@ChrisIf I remember correctly when the import dialogue comes up, it's default is 0.01 scale and just needs changing to 1.0 --- with a Blender made *.dae anyhow ... Blender's not got the greatest COLLADA exporter ... but it does work (after some "jiggling").
@Zack
Check your normals.
Also way too many polys, your mesh might be truncating.
#7
Yeah, it seems to be that way. I'll just have to create an entirely new figure. Just wondering but do you know the maximum amount of polys that Torque 3D is able to cover on one object?.
I used the "Sculpt" tool in blender so that's why I got so many polys on too. Guess I won't be using the "Sculpt" tool anymore. =_=
01/15/2010 (7:37 pm)
@SteveYeah, it seems to be that way. I'll just have to create an entirely new figure. Just wondering but do you know the maximum amount of polys that Torque 3D is able to cover on one object?.
I used the "Sculpt" tool in blender so that's why I got so many polys on too. Guess I won't be using the "Sculpt" tool anymore. =_=
#8
... Actually... I figured out I didn't use polygons. I used Nurb's from looking at the Wireframe. Would Torque 3D read Nurb's instead of polygons?. Or are they even different from each other?.
01/15/2010 (8:27 pm)
@Steve... Actually... I figured out I didn't use polygons. I used Nurb's from looking at the Wireframe. Would Torque 3D read Nurb's instead of polygons?. Or are they even different from each other?.
#9
You can have high polycounts - but only with multiple mesh objects - but games really only use high poly models for taking a normal map from and then stick it over a lowpoly model. There are plenty of games that don't go over 10k polycount for the character models you see on screen. Nvidia has a program called "Melody" which strips a hi-poly normal to a low-poly model (though I ain't ever used it).
Also, Torque uses tris not polys, so any 4-sided polys get sliced, thus doubling your overall polycount.
Depending on how familiar you are with Blender and modeling in general, you might want to check out the drop-down menu on every webpage: support->documentation->artists.
And for general game design info (like polycounts in modern games) I usually just google it (though remember that when they start talking about the 100,000+ they tend to mean for the normal map model, not the one actually in-game).
01/15/2010 (10:38 pm)
Nurb bad - at least for games. Try using meshes in edit mode (plane, cube, etc), deselect "double-sided", watch which way you normals are facing.You can have high polycounts - but only with multiple mesh objects - but games really only use high poly models for taking a normal map from and then stick it over a lowpoly model. There are plenty of games that don't go over 10k polycount for the character models you see on screen. Nvidia has a program called "Melody" which strips a hi-poly normal to a low-poly model (though I ain't ever used it).
Also, Torque uses tris not polys, so any 4-sided polys get sliced, thus doubling your overall polycount.
Depending on how familiar you are with Blender and modeling in general, you might want to check out the drop-down menu on every webpage: support->documentation->artists.
And for general game design info (like polycounts in modern games) I usually just google it (though remember that when they start talking about the 100,000+ they tend to mean for the normal map model, not the one actually in-game).
Associate Steve Acaster
[YorkshireRifles.com]
As I figure you're using a dae/COLLADA, I'd reckon you messed up the heirarchy and have exported an empty object --- is it a small filesize?
... oh hang on ... just remembered, T3D dae import can be "dodgy" about scale. First, try select it in the world editor and then change the scale to 100 100 100 - for some baffling reason T3D wants to shrink everything ... you can change this in the importer on a fresh import (delete the relevant cached.dts to force reimporting) but I can't quite remember how. It's probably default set up for max and not Blender.
Also check that your normals aren't pointing the wrong way in Blender.