[Vasudan Admiral]

Yes indeed 1,2, the first part of 4 and 5 are all working fine now

Maybe replace the spaces in names with % or something unusual?

[Spicious]

% it is.

[Mahak]

This rocks.

I've been waiting for a better art conversion process for a long, long time, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one!  Taking a model through 4 different packages (by different developers, no less) just doesn't cut the mustard.

I'm available and eager to pitch in with conversion tests for Maya 8.5 and 3DS max 9.

Let me know if I can help - I will be eagerly awaiting release at any rate!

Great work guys,
Mahak.

[Spicious]

At this point, the most useful thing would be to try it. Find out what doesn't work the way it should. The only problem right now is the info on the wiki is out of date. You can use exported files to figure it out though.

[DaBrain]

I've loaded a POF  (Exported from the old Max plugin) to re-export it as DAE and take a look at the helpers.

Well, it didn't work.

I got this message:

Code: [Select]

"Oh my GOD ut's so HORABLE!!!"
-----------------------------------------
*ERROR*:Array out of bounds!
That's BAD!


30k polygons though...

Edit: Same happens with the Nahema (Shivan Bomber 02). With or without exporting helpers.

However, the turrets seem to work.

Looks like this when imported in Max:
http://i35.tinypic.com/iqv9z8.gif


I hope that doesn't mean I'll have to set up dummies for each property...
There is an extra tab in Max for properties for each model and helper.

Code: [Select]

        <extra>
          <technique profile="FCOLLADA">
            <user_properties>This is where I put in the Object Properties in Max.</user_properties>
          </technique>
        </extra>
      </node>
      <extra>


[Spicious]

Hmm, I'm going to say that untextured polygons are bad. So are thrusters not attached to any subsystem.

I can get it to interpret the contents of extra fields, but there is the question of compatibility with other programs.

[DaBrain]

Well, I think it would be best if both options worked.

PCS should look for the extra field first, if it's empty, it should look for the property helper, or whatever Blender exports the properties into, which should be children under the object.






Yeah, you're right, the models with thrusters don't seem to work.

[Spicious]

A slightly newer version should be able to cope with subsystemless thrusters. The importer will completely ignore them though...

Looking at extra fields on import shouldn't be a problem. The question is whether to use them as well/instead on export.

[Vasudan Admiral]

Try for 'as well' first I think. After a lot of searching and testing I never found any sort of user properties field in blender except for linking the object to an inbuilt script that was just text. Nothing of that script survived the DAE export though.

[DaBrain]

A slightly newer version should be able to cope with subsystemless thrusters. The importer will completely ignore them though...

Looking at extra fields on import shouldn't be a problem. The question is whether to use them as well/instead on export.

If Blender interpretes the properties as helpers, I'd go for the extra tab. I'll prepare a DAE for VA to test.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Spicious]

Nah, I'm converting properties into helpers on export.

And it should play nice with subsystemless thrusters now.

[DaBrain]

Ok, I'll try to write a Maxscript that puts the data back into the right place again, so the DAE files stay interchangeable between the programs.

Somebody should do the same for Maya, which should use the <extra> stuff as well.

[Spicious]

I can probably make it an option on export as to which format it uses.

[DaBrain]

Hey, that's a great idea. 

[Spicious]

It should now offer to export in either way. At some point this should be moving into the options instead of asking each time.

The thruster and path offset scaling should be fixed, and as an added bonus subobject scaling should be fixed too. So the turret barrels on test ship one are the right size and position now. (Why did no one complain about this?)

[Vasudan Admiral]

I was used to it from the COB exporter I think.

Speaking of COB exporter hangovers - I just noticed now - the DAE->POF conversion puts the ship back-to-front, because testshipone was back-to-front as per the COB exporter requirements. :\
Totally my bad sorry.

As for export options, might we be able to eventually pick what aspects we do and don't want to preserve from a list? I know I'll never want path and probably not subsystem data either, but exporting firepoints, eyepoints, glowpoints and thrusters I would use much more often. And it's already a bit of a pain to hunt down and delete all the individual path helpers while leaving the rest.

Finally, did you implement that glass separation technique Galemp described? If so I'll give it a test.

[Spicious]

I was used to it from the COB exporter I think.

Speaking of COB exporter hangovers - I just noticed now - the DAE->POF conversion puts the ship back-to-front, because testshipone was back-to-front as per the COB exporter requirements. :\
Totally my bad sorry.

It should be fixed now.

As for export options, might we be able to eventually pick what aspects we do and don't want to preserve from a list? I know I'll never want path and probably not subsystem data either, but exporting firepoints, eyepoints, glowpoints and thrusters I would use much more often. And it's already a bit of a pain to hunt down and delete all the individual path helpers while leaving the rest.

Yes, but it'll have to wait until I start fiddling with the options, unless you want to answer a heap of "do you want to export...?" questions every time.

Finally, did you implement that glass separation technique Galemp described? If so I'll give it a test.

Not yet...

[Vasudan Admiral]

Yep, right way round now, thanks.

[Spicious]

It should treat nodes containing "-trans" specially now.

[Vasudan Admiral]

It does treat them specially now in that it recognises the texture, and doesn't create a subobject, but it doesn't put the glass back either.

I've attached good old test ship one again with the cockpit glass separated from the model and called "Cockpit-trans".

[attachment deleted by admin]