ViSTa to X3D, so much fun! Options

[MaxSt]

I'll post the converter soon (later today), I need to clean up the code a little...

Meanwhile, try this model.

You'll need the PNG texture from here:
http://anserver1.eprsl.wustl.edu/navigator...FL0500P1800L0M1

And X3D viewer. I used this one:
http://www.web3d.org/x3d/applications/xj3d/

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I knew it would be fun, but playing with these models is much more fun than I expected!

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

Attached File(s)

 x3d_model.zip ( 344.7K ) Number of downloads: 382

 

[djellison]

Woo yay, that works

The format isnt great w.r.t getting creative - it's more an exported format more than the sort of format that gets imported into other tools - but I had a look with that java based viewer and it works a treat. I guess that's the highest LOD, I think that the lower LOD's would offer probably the same level of actual detail, but without the excess polys. Imagine a 'ring' of 8 or 9 of these for a full Nav-Pan and it'l going to be 2 megapolys

Much kudos for getting it working though - it's been 2 years to get here, but now we're nearly there, the potential is utterly huge.

Doug

[MaxSt]

OK, here is the converter itself.

The model I posted isn't the highest level of details.
The highest level for this .vst file is LOD 6, which is like 50 times bigger - almost 1 megapoly!
Unfortunately, that Xj3D viewer is very RAM-hungry even for smaller LODs...

I hope 3DS Max can import X3D files.

Attached File(s)

 VST2X3D.ZIP ( 23.88K ) Number of downloads: 302

 

[djellison]

I hope 3DS Max can import X3D files.

No - it can't, and infact I'm yet to find anything that can It's just one of those formats that you can find dozens of exporters for, but no importers for.

I'm going to have a play with this though - find some interesting ones to have a hack with

Doug

[Pertinax]

As for X3D, this file format is, in basic terms, an XML version of the VRML 2.0 file format (levels 1 and 2). To import X3D files, first convert the XML file (levels 1 and/or 2) to VRML 2.0 format and then import via Okino's VRML2 importer (which can handle all nodes of level 1 and 2 X3D files, as noted below). Okino presently does not provide or can recommend any X3D to VRML2 converters; such converters should become available in the future.

http://www.okino.com/conv/imp_vrml.htm

http://www.okino.com/conv/conv.htm?0 (PolyTrans Home)


I this does not look to be free, but wanted to note it on the off chance any may be interested.

-- Pertinax

[djellison]

I've used Polytrans quite a lot at work - but unfortunately, it doesnt do the job in this case. (I've tried alread

As I understand it - X3D is a derivative of VRML 2. PT can import VRML 2, but not X3D natively.

Their website says "Okino presently does not provide or can recommend any X3D to VRML2 converters; such converters should become available in the future."

Another tool to google for is Accutrans - but the same rules apply.

Doug

[Pertinax]

I've used Polytrans quite a lot at work - but unfortunately, it doesnt do the job in this case. (I've tried alread

As I understand it - X3D is a derivative of VRML 2. PT can import VRML 2, but not X3D natively.

I didn't fully appriciate the difficulty of X3D -> VRML2. Hopefully MaxSt can find a happier intermediate format.

-- Pertinax

[djellison]

Hopefully MaxSt can find a happier intermediate format.

I hope so - having them not viewable at all was bad - but having them viewable but not editable is even worse



Doug

[MaxSt]

I'll try to find some other format.

3DS is limited to 64K polys per object, DXF is only for meshes (no texture mapping info), what other formats can 3DS Max import?

[djellison]

Looking at the help file.. Max can import...
3D Studio Mesh (3DS)
3D Studio Project (PRJ)
3D Studio Shape (SHP)
Adobe Illustrator (AI)
AutoCAD (DWG)
AutoCAD (DXF)
Autodesk Inventor (IPT, IAM)
Initial Graphics Exchange Standard (IGES)
FiLMBOX (FBX)
LandXML /DEM /DDF (DEM, XML, DDF)
Lightscape Solution (LS), Lightscape Preparation (LP), and Lightscape View (VW)
Motion Analysis Hierarchical Translation-Rotation (HTR)
Motion Analysis TRC (TRC)
Stereolithography (STL)
VRML (WRL, WRZ)

(BUT the WRL importer is bloody terrible - it couldnt handle the point clouds, anything more than 12 polygons gives it a minor heart condition.)

But let's not just limit to 3ds max, there must be Ligthwave/Blender/Maya/Bryce fans around - anything that Accutrans ( which is sort of free ) can do would be sensible, then as many people as possible can use them...
http://www.micromouse.ca/fileformats.html

Doug

[Guest_Richard Trigaux_*]

Hi Doug and all

I did not knew you were in 3D too. Great!

VRML2 and its newest version X3D have the immense advantage of being non-proprietary standardized 3D languages. It is when learning this that I decided to go into 3D.

If I remember well the free blender 3D modeler can import X3D... but not VRML2!

I did some 3d landscapes and scenes, related only by far to spaceflight. Enjoy: http://www.shedrupling.org/hallrose.wrl with Cortona VRML browser or any standard VRML/X3D browser
(With blacksun VRML browser use http://www.shedrupling.org/hallrosb.wrl instead)

I suddenly remember that I made a tremendous sky simulation, with sun motion, night/day depending on latitude, horizon haze and sunset colors, rotating planetary ring, planet shadow on the ring, moving planets and all. The 3D itself works fine, but there is still some work ahead to put it on line with the ground scene. The scene is real size, understand that the planets are at one billion kilometres, and the star sphere is 10 light years wide, real dimention in the 3D scene. Sorry I could not do it larger, as the browser don't accept it. But it is enough as the paralaxes of stars are not visible with the naked eye.

[djellison]

Hi Doug and all

f I remember well the free blender 3D modeler can import X3D... but not VRML2!

I've tried that - no luck yet. I'm a totally newbie with blender, and I went thru what was seemingly the obvious menus to import something, without any luck.

( http://people.mech.kuleuven.be/~pissaris/m...blenderx3d.html might help - having a look now )


Doug

[djellison]

OK - trying to use the x3D importer for Blender......

http://www.blender.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=51299#51299

I hope there's as much genius-per-member there as there is here, should have it sorted in a flash.

But - it'd be nice to have something that's not going to involve wads and wads of blender-loading-and-exporting



Doug

[MaxSt]

OK, I tried OBJ format, because its syntax looked very simple.

It's not as efficient as X3D, so files are even bigger (!), but it appears to be very common.

Take a look...

Attached File(s)

 vst2obj.zip ( 23.5K ) Number of downloads: 269

 

[djellison]

Woo yay - I'm getting wedges.

I dont think they're retaining their orientation when imported into Max - it might be different with different importers. For now - I'm trying some single image sets etc.

Doug