OpenCollada & Autodesk Collada export problems in T3D

#1 Hi Mack,

The Autodesk exporter is generally unreliable (especially for skinned meshes), so even though it seems like it is closer to the desired output in this case, I'd focus on getting the OpenCollada exporter working.

The mesh is all crushed up in the OpenCollada import because the nodes it is weighted to do not exist. I haven't seen a case of missing nodes before.......could you open the DAE file (it's just XML) and look for instances of the <node> element? If they are not present in the file, you may not have set the right export options in the OpenCollada exporter.

You should also check that you have the latest version of the OpenCollada exporter installed.

#2 Hey Chris,

Thanks for your quick reply. :)

I've found that the AutoDesk exporter has been pretty good to me so far. About 2/3 of my characters exported fine with it and I've only recently found out about the OpenCollada export tool after running into these export issues. As of such I don't know much about it or it's operations within Torque 3D. I have the Nov 2009 build of the OpenCollada export plugin, which looks to be the current version on the site.

When exporting with it I get this pop up, if anyone could shed some light on what settings they've selected for successful export that'd be great:


I've opened the *.DAE file in WordPad and found that the only nodes exported were the ones recognized by Torque 3D.

I've been working on this while writing and have found that if I remove the mesh from 3DSMAX and export that all the nodes appear in the *.DAE file. So it looks like the issue may be to do with the skin modifiers. The AutoDesk plugin reads and assigns most (but not all) and the OpenCollada plugin doesn't care for it much. This is odd seeing as all the bipeds use the same skeleton, some work and others don't.

#3 Hmmmm. I can't see anything in the OpenCOLLADA export options that could be at fault here. I haven't been able to find anything on the web that states definitively that this exporter does nor does not support the MAX Skin modifier.

Are you able to send me the two DAE files? I'd be interested to see the OpenCOLLADA output in particular - seems a bit dumb to export a skinned mesh without the bones! If all the other data in the OpenCOLLADA DAE is good, a possible hack could be to just copy/paste the bones from AutoDesk DAE in. Not very convenient I know, but might be enough to get you moving forward.

You may also want to send an email to the OpenCOLLADA maintainers, since the core problem here seems to be the exporter.

#4 I remember these issues with 2009 and have yet to see them with 2010 however that does not mean that this theory has any real basis.
- Send it over to me if you want me to give it a try from max2010. (I'll need the .max file. I have a few tricks I would like to try as well.)

#5 Thanks for offering to take a look at this guys.

You can find the files here, I've included the *.MAX file and *.DAE files created both by AutoDesk and OpenCollada.

If you require anything else please let me know.

#6 @Mack

Did you use CAT for this? I have seen similar problems if the CAT rig isnt centered properly between its pose and animate modes (ie. its in one position in pose, but centered right for animation).

Also here are the settings use when using OpenCollada:
- Bake Matrices
- Normals
- Triangulate
- Tangents/binormal
- Animation (if im exporting data with animation)

I agree that there are problems with the data contained in OpenCollada DAEs and how the data comes into T3D from Bones displaying as geometry to some odd normal results (though I have seen this with both the FBX and OpenCollada DAE exporters and DTSs, so its likely something in the Torque3D rendering code).

#7 Mack,
unfreeze and unhide everything, then export with opencollada.
- It worked for me. I'd upload the working mesh but I think you would rather have me email it if you need it. So, let me know if you need it..

#8 That worked perfectly, I can't believe I didn't think of that! Thanks Eric! :)

Thanks again for all your help guys!

#9 ..it's what I do & I'm glad to have helped ya.

#10 Daz3D works in much the same way for 'hidden/invisible' nodes; will not export them! You end up with all vertices at 0,0,0. This is what I've seen in many asset creation programs[I utilize several].....no bones/nodes with vertex attachment in the Scene but have weighted geometry...go to world origin[do not collect $200.00, lol].

I just ran into this over and over...lol, and over.

I have characters with several clothing geometry groups, each with it's own set of nodes, mimicking the original rig. By hiding the nodes I don't want to visualize in the UI, their geometry doesn't export[or Decimate]. Well, I kept getting a very stretched out figure in T3D[well Shape Editor, first]...because it had no lower set of nodes/joints/bones for the legs on down...could not figure out what what happening; till I saw missing components of the rig...go back and 'unhide' them in the UI...poof, fully articulated again!

3D is fun...but DAE; ain't! LOL FBX is pretty sweet and tasty, though, ;)!

Now, that second image I've seen only once, not a crumpled mess; but an offset in X of the rig...may I ask? What deforming Modifier has been applied to the geometry? Looks somehow the hierarchy got borked...as in having the "skin" modified object still inside the DTS hierarchy[for Max export].

#11 @Rex: It's just your standard skin modifier in 3DSMAX when you're rigging the mesh to the skeleton. When I unchecked exporting the skin modifier in the Autodesk Collada exporter the skeleton and mesh exported just fine, but of course they weren't linked together. :)

Even when I unhid and unfroze everything the Autodesk Collada exporter still messed things up (as you see in the second pic). So I'm going to assume it's the export script itself.

#12 If you like you can send me the offensive DAE file and I can see what I can do to give it back as a DTS....

#13 Ok do you guys have this OpenCollada working to export models from Maya2010?

I'm having trouble getting animations to work properly. Some things export but for some reason not all of the animations are coming out (like one arm is moving but the rest of his body is still)

Very strange..

#14 @logan
You just saved my day! the exporter messed up my models before, now they load OK
Though the normals ar still fubar...