[RandomTiger]

Hi there, Im looking for a 3D MAX model maker to help me in an investigation. DX8 is coming along and when it finally gets done it may provide some interesting potential benfits.

One thing I've started thinking about is x files, this would allow people to port their 3D studio stuff into x file which then could be used inthe game.

This wont be something that we could do soon because we will still need HT&L to be done for that, but for the moment I would like someone to work with me and investigate how difficult this would be to do and what problems we might face.

Send me an e-mail if you are interested.

[Sandwich]

Stickied For Great Justice!

[Riven]

Truespace 5 supports .x files too

[RandomTiger]

OK, if you want to talk about that as well contact me.

[Stryke 9]

If you mean .3ds format, I suppose it'll work (I guess), but it's really rough on the textures.

Me, well, we all know what I'd say. Because it's still one of the best programs ever made, and now it's abandonware, and thus free.


What about whatever format Blender uses? You can import stuff into Blender pretty well, last I recall...

[RandomTiger]

Remember if no-one comes forward to work on this with me it will just stay an idea.

[Ryx]

I use MAX 5 instead of 4.2, nowadays.

You should probably get some more people with the other common versions (3.0, 4.x), as well.

[RandomTiger]

5 would be better than nothing.
Anything that can great x files without problems is of interest.

[HotSnoJ]

Lets not forget blender. It has an exealent file system. I, if I ever start to learn programming have great ideas on how it could make a great FS format. Or conversion format.

[mikhael]

RT, what are you trying to accomplish with .x format files?

I ask, because so far as I can tell, they're just structured text files, rather like Wavefront OBJs.

[wEvil]

the .X format is useless compared to something like .XSI

[RandomTiger]

Originally posted by wEvil
the .X format is useless compared to something like .XSI

Come on, lets be realistic.

mikhael: If we could use x files to display models then we would be subject to its limits on vertices and polygons and possibly make use of some of its higher level functionality.

Perhaps its not a good idea, we'll never know unless someone actually looks into it. I thought it would be a good way to give people a way to make models in other packages, mainly 3D MAX. Given the response I guess I'll drop the idea.

[wEvil]

i am, the .xsi format is piss easy to use and they give out the sdk for free!

Its far more flexible than .x will ever be plus theres exporters already available for max, maya and of course XSI itelf.

Trying not to sound too much like a brochure, but i beleive it's simply a better format to use.

[RandomTiger]

That is very interesting, really I had no idea theres an SDK but do the MAX and Maya exporters to a perfect job? Maybe it is worth a look.

Perhaps X isnt perfect but I think it could be done a hell of a lot faster than anything else. I believe using D3DX you can load an X file ready for use in one line of code.

Hold out for XSI if you believe its the right choice but remember that we dont 20 coders working full time, we have a handful of people working when they can. Your wait for XSI may be a very long one.

[wEvil]

im under the impression its not hard to do, all im saying is take a look, and if it looks good, thats great, if not, well then we havent really lost out on anything except about 30 minutes of time spent reading up on the format.

i've only used the 3dsmax exporter but it seems to do a good job

[RandomTiger]

No, my point is if we use XSI I have to use the SDK to load the data into a format the game can understand, that will be difficult and take a fair bit of time.

If we use x then we might be able to bypass all that and just chuck it straight into the vcard with minimum processing.

[wEvil]

i was under the impression the X format was just rather bad at its job, thats all.

[RandomTiger]

Originally posted by wEvil
i was under the impression the X format was just rather bad at its job, thats all.

Really? Where does that come from? You could be right, thats why I want someone to help me investigate.

Perhaps your right and we should investigate other formats but if no-ones willing to work with me its all talk which will lead to nothing.

[wEvil]

i can do CG but im not and will probably never be a good coder.

btw - just submitted a bug report, hope i did it right

[mikhael]

Originally posted by RandomTiger


Come on, lets be realistic.

mikhael: If we could use x files to display models then we would be subject to its limits on vertices and polygons and possibly make use of some of its higher level functionality.

Ignore wEvil. He's obsessed with XSI. Perhaps not unjustifiably, but obsessed no less.

You answered my question though, in this and subsequent posts. I don't know much about file formats in general.  However, X and OBJ do have that whole flat textfile thing going for them, and I for one like that a lot. I could be wrong, but I don't think you have to worry about poly/vertex limits in the file formats, but in the engine itself. I can lay down a 3 million poly object in my modelling program, but there's not a realtime 3d engine--nor consumer grade hardware-- that's going to load and/or handle it, even with HT&L.

Of course, I could still be misunderstanding you. Are you intending to add support for unbundled POFs, such that the model can be loaded on the fly without having been converted first?