Softimage T3D COLLADA automation tool in development
by Matt Summers · in Artist Corner · 10/02/2009 (3:47 pm) · 9 replies
I am currently working on a new Softimage automation tool for the T3D COLLADA pipeline. This tool will allow you to export COLLADA markup from Softimage that will contain all of the Torque specific markup such as sequence settings, visibility animation, material animation etc. This will allow you to do your complete shape setup from within Softimage using COLLADA.
I also plan to have this tool add PhysX information to the exported COLLADA file and to allow the PhysX data to be exported separately to a PhysX xml file. I will post additional info when I have something to show. This new tool will require Autodesk Crosswalk 4.0 or higher.
If you have any specific features that you would like to see automated please feel free to post them here.
I also plan to have this tool add PhysX information to the exported COLLADA file and to allow the PhysX data to be exported separately to a PhysX xml file. I will post additional info when I have something to show. This new tool will require Autodesk Crosswalk 4.0 or higher.
If you have any specific features that you would like to see automated please feel free to post them here.
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#2
1. Softimage spot lights are being rotated 90 degres in Y-axis and move a few units in the Y-axis upon import to T3D.
2. We have yet to figure out how tiling of a texture works.
3. We have yet to figure out how to set a normal map in Softimage so it will export to T3D. In particular it needs to tile also. BTW, we like Houdini's method of having a single DTS material node which allows us to set the properties like normal map, light map, diffuse map, and animated tectures.
4. Not clear on how to create collision meshes in Softimage. Would be nice to have more than one so we can create complex models (like a building) with simple collision meshes.
5. In a large scene like our restaurant, we might have 20 instances of a the same chair. It would be good if somehow this could be optimized (if not already) so T3D recognized that there is really only one model there to export, but 19 more to instanciate in the world editor.
Please count on us to help test this for you. Any improvements you make are making our lives so much easier.
10/10/2009 (11:00 am)
Awesome Matt, we are a fan of your work! We use Softimage mod tool 7.5 and love it. Right now we are having lots of trouble with the following:1. Softimage spot lights are being rotated 90 degres in Y-axis and move a few units in the Y-axis upon import to T3D.
2. We have yet to figure out how tiling of a texture works.
3. We have yet to figure out how to set a normal map in Softimage so it will export to T3D. In particular it needs to tile also. BTW, we like Houdini's method of having a single DTS material node which allows us to set the properties like normal map, light map, diffuse map, and animated tectures.
4. Not clear on how to create collision meshes in Softimage. Would be nice to have more than one so we can create complex models (like a building) with simple collision meshes.
5. In a large scene like our restaurant, we might have 20 instances of a the same chair. It would be good if somehow this could be optimized (if not already) so T3D recognized that there is really only one model there to export, but 19 more to instanciate in the world editor.
Please count on us to help test this for you. Any improvements you make are making our lives so much easier.
#3
10/12/2009 (2:02 pm)
@Matt: Have you though about selling this as an add-on? We would buy it if the price was right.
#4
As the tool progesses we'll see how things shake out. My guess is that even if we do release a for pay version, a free version with some level of the same functionality with also be available.
Regarding the points from your previous post...
2.) I have exported a tiling texture from Softimage via COLLADA that works fine from my test export. I believe that there are several ways to do this in Softimage so its possible you are using one that is not supported via COLLADA export.
3.) Up to this point I have been adding options like normal maps to the materials.cs either manually or via the texture editor in T3D. As I work on more automation tools regarding this it is one of the things that I plan to automate.
4.) There isn't really a limit to the number of Collision meshes you can have in your DTS. The real limit is only from a practical standpoint. Many people have increased the limit that was present in TGE and I would have to look to be sure what it currently is in T3D. I know that one of the updates also added support for non-convex collision meshes as well. The only major thing you need to do to get them work work properly is to name them correctly. DTS also has polysoup collision which will work for things like buildings walls, floors, etc.
5.) Dif had a feature that allowed instanced DTS objects to be stored as references that would be loaded into position when the DIF was loaded into the engine. This allowed you to use Torque Constructor to build DIFs and then use DTS objects as details to enhance the interior. To my knowledge this feature was not added to the new "everything is a DTS" pipeline.
The other possibility regarding this would be to add an export option from Softimage that would store the name of each DTS object and its position/orentation in the scene. Then to add an import option to the T3D world editor that would read in the file and load the DTS objects into the world editor at the positions/orientation present in the exported file. This would allow you to import an entire set of objects as it was setup in Softimage. It would also be possible to just create an entire mission file that could be exported from Softimage as well, rather than just a scene object exporter/importer. I could see uses for both.
10/12/2009 (3:33 pm)
@Scott: Yes, its something that I have considered. There are often times that the support of purchased products eats up all the profit in selling it in the first place, although the same thing can happen even when something is free. :)As the tool progesses we'll see how things shake out. My guess is that even if we do release a for pay version, a free version with some level of the same functionality with also be available.
Regarding the points from your previous post...
2.) I have exported a tiling texture from Softimage via COLLADA that works fine from my test export. I believe that there are several ways to do this in Softimage so its possible you are using one that is not supported via COLLADA export.
3.) Up to this point I have been adding options like normal maps to the materials.cs either manually or via the texture editor in T3D. As I work on more automation tools regarding this it is one of the things that I plan to automate.
4.) There isn't really a limit to the number of Collision meshes you can have in your DTS. The real limit is only from a practical standpoint. Many people have increased the limit that was present in TGE and I would have to look to be sure what it currently is in T3D. I know that one of the updates also added support for non-convex collision meshes as well. The only major thing you need to do to get them work work properly is to name them correctly. DTS also has polysoup collision which will work for things like buildings walls, floors, etc.
5.) Dif had a feature that allowed instanced DTS objects to be stored as references that would be loaded into position when the DIF was loaded into the engine. This allowed you to use Torque Constructor to build DIFs and then use DTS objects as details to enhance the interior. To my knowledge this feature was not added to the new "everything is a DTS" pipeline.
The other possibility regarding this would be to add an export option from Softimage that would store the name of each DTS object and its position/orentation in the scene. Then to add an import option to the T3D world editor that would read in the file and load the DTS objects into the world editor at the positions/orientation present in the exported file. This would allow you to import an entire set of objects as it was setup in Softimage. It would also be possible to just create an entire mission file that could be exported from Softimage as well, rather than just a scene object exporter/importer. I could see uses for both.
#5
you can bring softimage lights into T3D?
10/15/2009 (11:07 am)
Quote:1. Softimage spot lights are being rotated 90 degres in Y-axis and move a few units in the Y-axis upon import to T3D.
you can bring softimage lights into T3D?
#6
@Matt: #3) Do you have normal map tiling working to match a tiled diffused map? Just wondering. #4) Any pointers on how to add a collision mesh to Softimage for export via collada? Is it as simple as using a naming convention for the collision mesh?
Man, we really need a set of videos dedicated to how to use Softimage for importing into T3D. I would not mind creating them, but I am a long way from understanding all the settings needed just yet.
Thanks again!
10/19/2009 (3:01 pm)
@James: You can bring the lights in using the collada route. We have not check the DTS exporter route for that function yet. However, the lights do not import correctly (v1.0.0) and when you click them, they seem to go a little crazy. This feature was added to the Collada import screen in T3D. If you figure out how to get them to work, please share.@Matt: #3) Do you have normal map tiling working to match a tiled diffused map? Just wondering. #4) Any pointers on how to add a collision mesh to Softimage for export via collada? Is it as simple as using a naming convention for the collision mesh?
Man, we really need a set of videos dedicated to how to use Softimage for importing into T3D. I would not mind creating them, but I am a long way from understanding all the settings needed just yet.
Thanks again!
#8
12/12/2009 (11:51 pm)
Any updates??? 
#9
10/26/2010 (2:15 pm)
Matt, quiet long time passed without notice of progress, so I supposed this is no more WIP, right? :-( 
Torque 3D Owner Barry(dance)Smith
Here is the current Supported Scene Elements and Attributes for COLLADA