mesh/graffle in gnu/linux?

Simon B · Post by **Simon B** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 3:20 am

Expecting wavefront files, got mesh/graffle thingies - and have had no luck finding something to open them. What do you guys use?

JensAyton · Post by **JensAyton** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:29 pm

Both are proprietary formats (as is .sndbldr3). .mesh (Meshwork) is a simple 3D model format that can be converted to OBJ or DAT using our custom tools. Meshwork as a tool is obsolete; the recommended tools for Oolite are Wings3D and Blender, using OBJ as an intermediate format.

.graffle (OmniGraffle) is a custom 2D vector format for an outlining tool. Looking into it, it’s a property list which could be semi-easily translated to SVG, but I doubt anyone’s bothered. OmniGraffle itself can export SVG, but I don’t have it so I can’t do it.
Edit: On closer inspection, graffle files also contain embedded RTF documents. Fun.

Simon B · Post by **Simon B** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 12:58 am

Curious - I found these mesh and graffle files in the source for oolite.

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simon@indigo-prime:~$ ls /home/simon/oolite-dev/trunk/Asset\ Source/
adder2.mesh               icosahedron2.mesh
adder.mesh                icosahedron.mesh
adder_skin.graffle        krait.mesh
afterburner.sndbldr3      krait_skin.graffle

I see a bunch of tools in:
/home/simon/oolite-dev/trunk/tools/meshConverters

including a python script:
Mesh2Obj.py

which claims:

Code: Select all

This script takes a .mesh file from the Meshwork
and exports a .obj file containing the same trimesh.

A .mtl file is created for texture materials.

No surface normals are calculated.

I guess I've found it.

It occurs to wonder why the models and textures are distributed in proprietary formats...

BTW: I've had no luck opening obj files in Blender... select "open file" in blender and browse to the obj file, select open, and blender returns error "unknown format".

However - I'm using wings3D quite happily.

JensAyton · Post by **JensAyton** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 1:00 am

Simon B wrote:
It occurs to wonder why the models and textures are distributed in proprietary formats...

Because Oolite is not an exercise in ideology. The asset source files are the actual files from which the assets were generated. The assets were generated with whatever tools the author found convenient at the time.

Simon B · Post by **Simon B** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:45 am

At least the convertion tools are available in the same package - so accessability is just one hurdle away. Which was my main niggle.