Modeling in Linux

#1 I'm using linux...i got map2dif working under wine...a problem is that no level editors exist for Linux that will work with torque.

I'm a programmer so I dont know much in the area of modellers or anything...I know Maya is on linux but it is very expensive.

-Tim aka Spock

#2 Rumor has it that worldcraft might work under winex? Wonder if the same is true of 3dmax.

#3 Worldcraft doesn't work with wine. I haven't tried wineX. I don't have 3d max to try. I couldn't get milkshape to work with wine.

-Tim aka Spock

#4 Again, we bump up against the modelling problem. I still think somebody should take up the challenge of building a good cross platform 3D shape and building editor specifically for low poly game models. Use WxWindows or some such cross platform gui maker. Start simply, and work up. Make it game independent by outputting to some kind of interchange format, and sell it via GG.

Somebody could make a very nice living doing this:)

Jeff Tunnell GG

#5 hmmm
if I were a really good programmer I would do that =)
but since I only know scripting I can't... anyways there ARE other windows emulator apps out there
Win4Linux is one... although I think it's just a distro with wine built into it =)

so if you poke around you can find the best ones.

#6 Jeff, not a bad idea. I'll look into it.

#7 Jeff, its interesting that you bring that up. I was thinking that Torque itself could be modified to be a cross-platform world/model editor. Sort of the unrealed approach. It seems feasible to me, although I don't know much about such editors.

#8 John,

Mark has suggested this. Might be a good idea for somebody to think about.

Jeff

#9 Here is some sites that you might like!

http://www.blender3d.com
http://www.linuxlinks.com/Software/Graphics/Modeling/

#10 Blender could use a .dts exporter =)

#11 I've gotten milkshape to work in moderation through winex. The installer doesn't work, but if I install it in windows, and then copy it over to my linux side it will start. It claims to open models, but never displays anything. going to the joints and groups sub-menus it does list the specific parts of my models though.

#12 Has anybody tried QuArK with Wine?

#13 I would be more than happy to write a dts exporter for blender. I'm currently working on a project that is going to require one anyway. If someone could point me to information on the dts file format, I'll get started on it right away. Our team is made up of Linux bigots, and we can't stand the thought of loading windows just to do the models for the project. Blender works on OSX, FreeBSD, Linux, Solaris, and Windows.... so this would give the community a multi-platform solution. Let me know, as I said, I have to write one anyway.

#14 Barry - yes, yes, yes, please. There is a blender exporter in the works by someone whose name I forgot, but it's making slow progress and could probably use a helping hand.

I'd also be willing to help out, though I know very little about both blender and the .dts format, but I'd be glad to do testing, bughunting, etc.


To answer the original question:

I use Blender for models, waiting for the exporter and meanwhile sending them to another team member with max to export them.

max does not work in wine, neither regular wine nor winex.

I've also done some interiors with GtkRadient. Works well, except that I have unexplainable crashes in the levels I use them in. No idea where that comes from (Rad, the tools, torque).


Blender definitely is the tool of choice, though. Once I know it well enough and an exporter exists, I would be more than happy to use it for all the stuff I do.

#15 I don't get it - Blender is opensource now and has a bones system, UV mapper and if you look at the GameKit that's being released now - http://www.blender3d.org/e-shop/more_info/gamekit.html - you can see that it can indeed be used for game creation nicely.

So why code something yourself if it would be just a matter of adding the right import/export functionality to Blender? Besides, Blender has two licences (not just GPL) and it seems like people are already adding useful stuff to it, so you'd have a much larger developer community that would develop the 3D editor and would not be dependant on one person only. I mean with Blender you can have game models and game cinematics in one package as well as game prototyping. Just because some people are to lazy to read up on Blender tutorials and complain it doesn't mean it's not a good tool for exactly what you'd need.

#16 Yeah, but I think a tool developed specifically for torque would rock.

#17 Yeah but a tool developed specially for Torque would take time. And if it takes time, that means time that the content people are without a tool. From a programmers perspective making a new tool sure can be very interesting, but it doesn't really help as long as it's not ready. Besides with existing tools you have a lot of knowledge you can point new users to, with a new tool (which maybe even changes trough time) you have the added work of writing tutorials and documentation and building the resources around it.

Sure, great idea to make additional money, but it's a lot of work. With a tool like Blender you have to keep the importers/exporters up to date and that's it.