New model utilities

Discussion and information relevant to creating special missions, new ships, skins etc.

Moderators: winston, another_commander

Post Reply
User avatar
aegidian
Master and Commander
Master and Commander
Posts: 1161
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: London UK
Contact:

New model utilities

Post by aegidian »

http://www.digitalnervouswreck.com/ooli ... lities.zip (185.8Kb)
http://svn.berlios.de/svnroot/repos/ool ... onverters/

Three Python scripts and three Mac OS X drag-n-drop applications generated from the scripts. The apps or scripts are used to convert models from one format to another.

Mesh2DatTex.py
DropMesh2DatTex.app


Mesh2DatTex.app accepts Meshwork files with a .mesh extension dropped upon it and generates Oolite compatible .dat files as a result.
The Python script accepts any number of .mesh files as arguments, again generating .dat files as output.
Mesh2DatTex is quite old and there may be problems with textures being reversed, you're advised to check your models carefully.

Obj2DatTex.py
Obj2DatTex.app


Obj2DatTex.app accepts Wavefront files with a .obj extension dropped upon it and generates Oolite compatible .dat files as a result.
The Python script accepts any number of .obj files as arguments, again generating .dat files as output.
Obj2DatTex has recently been updated and should not present any problems.

Mesh2Obj.py
Mesh2Obj.app


Mesh2Obj.app accepts Meshwork files with a .mesh extension dropped upon it and generates Wings3D compatible Wavefront .obj and .mtl files as a result.
The Python script accepts any number of .mesh files as arguments, again generating .dat and .mtl files as output.
Mesh2Obj is new, and is being used to update old Meshwork models in Wings3D.

Edit: Changed to URL of current tools. — Ahruman
"The planet Rear is scourged by well-intentioned OXZs."

Oolite models and gear? click here!
User avatar
8bitapocalypse
Average
Average
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2004 11:12 pm
Location: Birmingham, UK
Contact:

Post by 8bitapocalypse »

Mesh2DatTex is quite old and there may be problems with textures being reversed, you're advised to check your models carefully.
ever since i did the supercobra i have been having major problems with getting my textures to work properly. basically i cant get mesh2dat to map the textures properly and have to 'edit' the dat file manually to get the textures to even appear (even this is a bit of a botch tho!!).

this is the first time i have had any problems.

i am running osX 10.4.2, and the latest v of oolite, is meshworks and mesh2dattex still compatible??

is there anything i can do?? (apart from moving to wings!!! maybe soon!) :wink:
...i have just folded space from ix...
User avatar
aegidian
Master and Commander
Master and Commander
Posts: 1161
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: London UK
Contact:

Post by aegidian »

8bitapocalypse wrote:
i am running osX 10.4.2, and the latest v of oolite, is meshworks and mesh2dattex still compatible??
Should be, although you may have an older version of Mesh2DatTex.

You could try running the Python version from a Terminal screen:- type python and a space, then drag the Mesh2datTex.py script file icon to the Terminal window, type another space then drag your .mesh file icon to the Terminal window and press return.

The script send some output to the screen as well as to the .dat file - which may help debugging the texture problem.

apologies if you're more au fait with the Terminal than this, I just thought I'd better put it in the easiest to understand way
"The planet Rear is scourged by well-intentioned OXZs."

Oolite models and gear? click here!
User avatar
8bitapocalypse
Average
Average
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2004 11:12 pm
Location: Birmingham, UK
Contact:

Post by 8bitapocalypse »

i will give the python version a try, thanks.
i'm not super familiar with the terminal so no need to apologise!! :D
...i have just folded space from ix...
User avatar
Selezen
---- E L I T E ----
---- E L I T E ----
Posts: 2530
Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2005 9:14 am
Location: Tionisla
Contact:

Post by Selezen »

Hey up everyone.

Murgh sent me a copy of his Wolf Mk 2 mesh that he converted to Wings using yer script.

It seems to create blank textures (single black pixel) and creates 2 extra ghost objects as well as the actual ship model.

Other than that, the model seems to come out fine!

Murgh, thanks for sending me the model...and damn fine work!! :D

Edit: after some playing, I found that the model seems to have some odd surfacing. Some faces are detached and have wierd inner faces tinged blue...

See the image below for what I mean...

Image
User avatar
8bitapocalypse
Average
Average
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2004 11:12 pm
Location: Birmingham, UK
Contact:

Post by 8bitapocalypse »

im still having trouble with meshworks/dropmeshtodattex, is it just me or is anyone else having problems??

if someone has it all working you could really help me out by converting 3 mesh files to dat for me, a multi-entity ship i have been working on.

i have DLed wings and am gonna move to that after this ship is done!
...i have just folded space from ix...
User avatar
aegidian
Master and Commander
Master and Commander
Posts: 1161
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: London UK
Contact:

Post by aegidian »

Could someone email me the original Meshworks files and textures so I can have a go at this and apply my 'leet-debugging-sk1llz'.
"The planet Rear is scourged by well-intentioned OXZs."

Oolite models and gear? click here!
User avatar
Murgh
---- E L I T E ----
---- E L I T E ----
Posts: 454
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2004 6:19 am
Location: Terra Firma

Post by Murgh »

yes, I can't make it happen in wings either.

original paperwork coming up.
User avatar
aegidian
Master and Commander
Master and Commander
Posts: 1161
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: London UK
Contact:

Post by aegidian »

Right then.

I just got the .mesh file from Murgh and ran it through Mesh2Obj:

1. There are a pair of surfaces in the .mesh file that are contained within the model's geometry here ...
Image

That's what's causing the blue-tinged edges in the imported model. The blue material is the one marked _hole_ and indicates a surface that isn't to be drawn.

If you disconnect the four points concerned in Meshwork, then the revised .mesh works fine (no extra surfaces).

http://oolite.aegidian.org/wolfmk2.mesh

2. The scripts expect to find the textures referenced in the .mesh file (wolf_bottom.png, fang.png, wolf_top.png) in the same folder as the .mesh file. If they aren't there the resulting .mtl file will still reference them (and expect them to be in the same folder as the .obj file) but of course if they aren't there when you import the .obj into wings it has no texture to reference (and, I guess, creates the black pixel ones instead).

Copying those textures from the WolfMkII expansion pack into the same folder as the .obj file before importing into Wings solved this problem.
"The planet Rear is scourged by well-intentioned OXZs."

Oolite models and gear? click here!
User avatar
Murgh
---- E L I T E ----
---- E L I T E ----
Posts: 454
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2004 6:19 am
Location: Terra Firma

Post by Murgh »

so sage-like
Image

thanks for the education.
zimmemic25
Competent
Competent
Posts: 47
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:51 pm

Post by zimmemic25 »

are there any EASY to use modelling progs for Linux? i run debian with KDE and oolite170
User avatar
aegidian
Master and Commander
Master and Commander
Posts: 1161
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: London UK
Contact:

Post by aegidian »

zimmemic25 wrote:
are there any EASY to use modelling progs for Linux? i run debian with KDE and oolite170
Wings3D is as easy as you are going to get short of the not-very-useful SketchUp.
"The planet Rear is scourged by well-intentioned OXZs."

Oolite models and gear? click here!
User avatar
Selezen
---- E L I T E ----
---- E L I T E ----
Posts: 2530
Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2005 9:14 am
Location: Tionisla
Contact:

Post by Selezen »

This HAS to be a contender for the longest duration before a topic is threadomanced! 2.5 years!! Cool!!!

I use Wings3D, which comes in both Linux and Windows flavours. I run it on Ubuntu. I think Wings is one of the best and simplest 3D editors I have ever used. OK, it's not particularly advanced when it comes to rendering and can't do animations and stuff like that, but it's top notch for building models in. It's also Oolite compatible! :)
User avatar
Captain Hesperus
Grand High Clock-Tower Poobah
Grand High Clock-Tower Poobah
Posts: 2310
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 1:10 pm
Location: Anywhere I can sell Trumbles.....

Post by Captain Hesperus »

Nice to hear from you again, Giles. Hope all is well in RL. :D

Captain Hesperus
The truth, revealed!!
Image
User avatar
Commander McLane
---- E L I T E ----
---- E L I T E ----
Posts: 9520
Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:08 am
Location: a Hacker Outpost in a moderately remote area
Contact:

Post by Commander McLane »

I can only second Hesperus: Nice to drop in, Aegidian! Hope you still recognize your baby (and are a little proud of it and of how it's developing)! :D

@Hesperus: What's up with you, dude? No attempt to sell him a trumble? :wink:
Post Reply