Blender export problems...
by Joseph Martin · in Artist Corner · 03/07/2010 (7:38 am) · 10 replies
I've started trying to take a model from blender to Torque 3D (Demo version), but the textures/materials are not getting exported right. In blender, I've uv unwraped my model and textured it, with simple textures, but when I export it, to collada, The collada export loses the uv unwrapping (edit: not mapped correctly). If possible I would like to get the collada export working since I'm using blender 2.5 (alpha1) which will not work with the dts exporter. Does anyone have any Ideas about what is going wrong?
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#2
03/07/2010 (2:53 pm)
The texture is displayed, but is not mapped correctly.
#3
03/07/2010 (7:56 pm)
There's been a couple of fixes in that area (UV mapping, and collada import in general). Are you able to send me an example model that shows this issue? As a demo owner you won't be able to make source code changes, but you might be able to hand-edit the collada file (it's just XML) if it is something simple that is wrong.
#4
Anyway, I plan on buying a copy of the binary version of torque so I'll re-export and try it in the binary version, and if I have the same problem, I'll post here again.
03/08/2010 (6:29 pm)
Ooops.. I seem to have misplace the collada file...Anyway, I plan on buying a copy of the binary version of torque so I'll re-export and try it in the binary version, and if I have the same problem, I'll post here again.
#5
I have been using blender 2.5 alpha 1 also and was able to export a model and texture and all that and get it into the engine fine.
What I did was exported the model as .3ds and used the Autodesk FBX SDK tool to conver the .3ds to a .dae which worked fine when I got it into Torque 3d. (Link to FBX SDK - http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?id=6837478&siteID=123112)
Another thing that I would try would be using a different version of blender, I'm not really sure if that will help at all but there has been a bug with Blender Alpha 1 "March 3 update: 2.5 alpha 2, this version fixes a bad bug in "2.5 alpha 1" causing texture images to not save in .blend files." (http://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-250/) I'm not sure if that will have to do with anything but if all else fails try Blender 2.5 Alpha 2.
03/09/2010 (7:08 pm)
I hope this will helpI have been using blender 2.5 alpha 1 also and was able to export a model and texture and all that and get it into the engine fine.
What I did was exported the model as .3ds and used the Autodesk FBX SDK tool to conver the .3ds to a .dae which worked fine when I got it into Torque 3d. (Link to FBX SDK - http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?id=6837478&siteID=123112)
Another thing that I would try would be using a different version of blender, I'm not really sure if that will help at all but there has been a bug with Blender Alpha 1 "March 3 update: 2.5 alpha 2, this version fixes a bad bug in "2.5 alpha 1" causing texture images to not save in .blend files." (http://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-250/) I'm not sure if that will have to do with anything but if all else fails try Blender 2.5 Alpha 2.
#6
Does anyone know how to export colladas from alpha 2?
03/10/2010 (12:30 pm)
Thanks for the advice. For some reason, I can't find an option to export collada files, and I can't get Alpha 1, which did have the option, any more... (I recently installed Windows 7, was running the RC before, so I don't have alpha 1) I'll Look into the FBX converter though.Does anyone know how to export colladas from alpha 2?
#7
03/10/2010 (3:38 pm)
I think they removed that feature between alpha 0 and alpha 1, it was the first thing that I noticed when I downloaded alpha 1.. the converter was the best (free) way I could find that worked but if you can find something better that is free send me a message or post it here :) 
#8
when i unrap my uv mesh and then go to scripts there is no options to export it?? get back to me wen ever
03/13/2010 (3:36 pm)
hey guys i was having some problems with my blender uv exporter when i unrap my uv mesh and then go to scripts there is no options to export it?? get back to me wen ever
#9
To start with, I have an animated model made in blender 2.52. Just to simplify things, I reduced the model to a single mesh and a single texture. I have a long 619 frame bone animation attached to my mesh. The model has roughly 3400 faces and 1700 verticies. Higher than most, but should be very easy for torque to handle. The texture is a PNG with no alpha mapping. So a pretty straight forward model.
I then export it to Collada. No errors, and the file looks good. For testing purposes, I load the Collada into Maya. Everything looks great in Maya. UV Mapping and Animations are all great.
Next, I load the model into T3D v1.0.1. The model appears. The mesh is correct. However, the UV mapping is completely gone. It does load the proper texture, but it appears that torque is using some default UV system if it can't figure out the UV in the Collada(maybe?).
Out of the 619 frames of animation, I would estimate that 50+ frames are butchered. i.e. The model's head flops around randomly for a few frames, then one of their feet flops around randomly, etc. Looks a bit amusing but clearly not right ;)
So, in short, exporting a collada model from blender into Maya yielded a perfectly UV mapped and animated model in maya. However, importing that same collada model into Torque is far from working properly (both UV mapping and Animations are flawed). Any of the devs care to weigh in on this?
05/15/2010 (1:58 pm)
I can confirm that Torque3D's Collada import does loose UV mapping. It also messes up some frames of animation.To start with, I have an animated model made in blender 2.52. Just to simplify things, I reduced the model to a single mesh and a single texture. I have a long 619 frame bone animation attached to my mesh. The model has roughly 3400 faces and 1700 verticies. Higher than most, but should be very easy for torque to handle. The texture is a PNG with no alpha mapping. So a pretty straight forward model.
I then export it to Collada. No errors, and the file looks good. For testing purposes, I load the Collada into Maya. Everything looks great in Maya. UV Mapping and Animations are all great.
Next, I load the model into T3D v1.0.1. The model appears. The mesh is correct. However, the UV mapping is completely gone. It does load the proper texture, but it appears that torque is using some default UV system if it can't figure out the UV in the Collada(maybe?).
Out of the 619 frames of animation, I would estimate that 50+ frames are butchered. i.e. The model's head flops around randomly for a few frames, then one of their feet flops around randomly, etc. Looks a bit amusing but clearly not right ;)
So, in short, exporting a collada model from blender into Maya yielded a perfectly UV mapped and animated model in maya. However, importing that same collada model into Torque is far from working properly (both UV mapping and Animations are flawed). Any of the devs care to weigh in on this?
#10
05/31/2010 (1:58 pm)
I just started with Torque 3D Demo 1.0.1, for modeling used 3ds max,and a had the same problem with collada export- UW missing...for texture files i used TGA, then i tried the .tga texture files replaced with .jpg textures and no more UW problems,everything correctly mapped. 
Associate Chris Robertson