New model utilities

aegidian · Post by **aegidian** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 9:10 pm

~~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

8bitapocalypse · Post by **8bitapocalypse** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 8:41 pm

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!)

aegidian · Post by **aegidian** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 8:55 pm

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

8bitapocalypse · Post by **8bitapocalypse** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 9:46 pm

i will give the python version a try, thanks.
i'm not super familiar with the terminal so no need to apologise!!

Selezen · Post by **Selezen** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 9:15 am

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!!

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...

8bitapocalypse · Post by **8bitapocalypse** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 9:34 am

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!

aegidian · Post by **aegidian** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:32 pm

Could someone email me the original Meshworks files and textures so I can have a go at this and apply my 'leet-debugging-sk1llz'.

Murgh · Post by **Murgh** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 4:06 pm

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

original paperwork coming up.

aegidian · Post by **aegidian** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 5:56 pm

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 ...

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.

Murgh · Post by **Murgh** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:07 pm

so sage-like

thanks for the education.

zimmemic25 · Post by **zimmemic25** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:45 pm

are there any EASY to use modelling progs for Linux? i run debian with KDE and oolite170

aegidian · Post by **aegidian** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:57 pm

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.

Selezen · Post by **Selezen** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:59 pm

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!

Captain Hesperus · Post by **Captain Hesperus** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:06 pm

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

Captain Hesperus

Commander McLane · Post by **Commander McLane** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:59 am

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)!

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