collada replaces quake formats

[ultralazor]

It'd be nice to have 3D formats that didn't die ~4 years ago. Even pro tools don't export .mesh or .bsp without dated plugins.

AC3D, Zbrush, and 3d World Studio would be nice to use. The collada format is open too so it would work on "All".

[DarkDragon]

.mesh isn't outdated guy! Ogre just supports .mesh and many people are using Ogre. Blender has relatively new exporters: http://www.ogre3d.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=45922

BSP was never common. The license forbids everything unless you have enough money. But who needs BSP these days with PB 4.6? Static Geometry is enough.

Nevertheless, you are right if you say that Collada is going to be the standard format for all 3D scenes in the future (or it seems to be so), and it would be nice if we could support it. Here is one Plugin for example: http://www.ogre3d.org/tikiwiki/Ogre+COLLADA+Plugin

[PMV]

Are we able to use OGRE-Plugins like we want? I think no, it needs Fred to be implemented in the PB-OGRE.

MFG PMV

[DarkDragon]

Are we able to use OGRE-Plugins like we want? I think no, it needs Fred to be implemented in the PB-OGRE.

I meant it that way .. dunno what you misunderstood again in my text.

[ultralazor]

.mesh isn't outdated guy! Ogre just supports .mesh and many people are using Ogre. Blender has relatively new exporters: http://www.ogre3d.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=45922

BSP was never common. The license forbids everything unless you have enough money. But who needs BSP these days with PB 4.6? Static Geometry is enough.

Nevertheless, you are right if you say that Collada is going to be the standard format for all 3D scenes in the future (or it seems to be so), and it would be nice if we could support it. Here is one Plugin for example: http://www.ogre3d.org/tikiwiki/Ogre+COLLADA+Plugin

When it comes to real 3D game development, workflow can make and break projects; extremely true with independent development. There are literally no decent tools for .mesh and .bsp. I'm sure 3DS, Maya, and Blender have exports, but having used all of them I can't imagine having to produce content for a game(meshing, textures and rigging) with any one of those(over-redundant and fragmented UIs galore).


AC3D, 3DWS, Sketchup, zbrush are real indy game-dev tools. None export .mesh or bsp. Actually outside legacy tools and major studio tools, nothing exports those formats.

EDIT: Can't wait for 3.60, the canvas gadget alone is going to open up some really important functionality.

[DarkDragon]

When it comes to real 3D game development, workflow can make and break projects; extremely true with independent development. There are literally no decent tools for .mesh and .bsp. I'm sure 3DS, Maya, and Blender have exports, but having used all of them I can't imagine having to produce content for a game(meshing, textures and rigging) with any one of those(over-redundant and fragmented UIs galore).

What about Milkshape? There are also exporters for Ogre.

[ultralazor]

When it comes to real 3D game development, workflow can make and break projects; extremely true with independent development. There are literally no decent tools for .mesh and .bsp. I'm sure 3DS, Maya, and Blender have exports, but having used all of them I can't imagine having to produce content for a game(meshing, textures and rigging) with any one of those(over-redundant and fragmented UIs galore).

What about Milkshape? There are also exporters for Ogre.

I've started with ac3d for modeling because of the UI and features, but still haven't found anything but legacy tools for bsp; quark seems to totally lack texturing features, maybe lighting too, on top of having a top-down schematic based UI.

[PMV]

If you need to use a tool that does not export to .mesh, you could
try to export it to a format of your choice and then use one of the other
.mesh-supporting 3d-tools to convert it to that.

Not very handy but it is a solution, if you doesn't want to change to
another 3d-tool. You only need to find a loose-less import + export and
to learn how to work with the .mesh-export plug-in

Btw. there exists a XML-Format of the ogre-mesh-files and a command-
line-converter to get the .mesh from this XML-File ... if you find another
converter for a format, that your tool can export, you could make a script
to automatically get the .mesh without another 3d-tool.

(if you find something, please report it here. )

MFG PMV

[J. Baker]

Milkshape works fine for me!

[ultralazor]

Milkshape works fine for me!

I can't imagine doing levels with it though. I like tools that allow me as a single entry-level content creator to do a fast pipeline, cause I could easily use 25 character models, 12 vehicle models, and various entities like street lamps and dumpsters, then still have a landscape and buildings to do(weeks or months of texturing). Each of those character models needs animation sets too with generic bones. Milkshape has all low-level tooling; which works if you're a veteran artist like most studios have, but kills independent devs without a team of talents.

This is why I use tools like 3DWS, AC3D, and zbrush, super fast results that look pro, and clean UIs(something big names have been persistently failing at since the 90s despite big budgets)..

It looks like converters are the key to the castle, hope they aren't as buggy as topology/poly reducers ^^

EDIT:Makehuman will be epic..one day

[PMV]

öhm ... you are using AC3D? ... i just went to google to find there
product-page and looked for the featurelist: http://www.inivis.com/features.html
I see a row with .mesh and a marker at the column for "Export"
Outdated huh?

Hm, i think i will give it a try if you really prefer that 3d-tool, i'm still looking
for a cheap and usable 3d-tool with .mesh exports, too.

MFG PMV

[ultralazor]

öhm ... you are using AC3D? ... i just went to google to find there
product-page and looked for the featurelist: http://www.inivis.com/features.html
I see a row with .mesh and a marker at the column for "Export"
Outdated huh?

Hm, i think i will give it a try if you really prefer that 3d-tool, i'm still looking
for a cheap and usable 3d-tool with .mesh exports, too.

MFG PMV

Thus why I use it.. now go google for a level editor that does bsp, even with 3rd party exporters..I did, quark and bulky studio tool plugins are all that exist. Most would agree though that bsp and mesh aren't that indy-dev friendly, or as supported. Collada seems to be future proof and is open licensed and extremely well documented for full implementation.