Blender exporter

[johnwhelan]

If I was sarcastic then (but obviously I don't remember exactly what I said) then I didn't mean to be. I think that people who are already convinced that Blender is a good 3D program are not always to best persons to 'sell' it to others. If you had said then 'Blender can do texture baking and ambient occlusion' then I would have been a lot more interested sooner.

'It's free' or 'it's still being developed' are not things that would convince me personally to switch - after all GMax is also free. Finding out that what was left out of GMax is actually extremely important and useful and that Blender can do these things is much more of an argument.

I'll let you into a secret - Trainz doesn't give a tinker's cuss if the wheels of a loco were built in Maya, the coupling rods in Blender, the frames in 3DS and then the whole lot animated and exported in GMax. You can build the body in 3D Canvas as well if you wish, what's important is to get the job done with whatever tools you have handy and feel comfortable with.

Paul

I think different people have different requirements and different things are more important to some than others.

To me Trainz is capable of using much higher quality models than GMAX is capable of creating and if we don't get out of the TRS2004 / GMAX rut then I personally think Trainz will die as other SIMs will have better models and TRS2004 isn't selling in large numbers at premium prices. I don't know the technical details of what Trainz supports that GMAX will not produce, it would be nice to find out sometime, but I do know that some 3DS created models do have much better textures that match the quality available in other SIMs and that's what I'm after.

Hopefully Blender will allow the rank and file creator to produce better quality models and this will extend the life of Trainz. I have no issue with using Blender for part of the model and something else to create the bogeys, couplings etc.

From what I can see Blender has quite a few tutorials and some people find it easier to create than in GMAX. Also moving forward if Auran should collapse then models created in Blender rather than GMAX stand a better chance of being useful in another SIM.

I think one of Trainz biggest assets is the community and the way that ideas are picked up and worked on by a group of different people with different skill sets. If you notice that is what is happening here. There are a number of people with different skill sets helping in different ways to solve the overall puzzle.

Having been involved in software procurement for more years than I like to remember to me there is no "Good" software just a list of requirements that are better met by one rather than another and to be honest the only list of technical requirements we seem to have here has been teased out by decapod. when he was researching how to build an exporter for 3D Canvas. We have a few others like more reliable than GMAX, runs under Vista, cheaper or same cost as GMAX, ths can be in the learning curve or price, and is capable of better models than GMAX.

Cheerio John

 

[Barry]

Post edited as not relevant to thread. B
screenshot edited out as saves bandwidth
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B
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[Xanax]

John,
The program I have wades through the .im file and displays the contents in english, just the same as the original file viewer program written by Jack Emmerichs in 2001. (The Sourceforge stuff) I used his original code for MSoft C and re-hashed it to work in Delphi4. Jack has claimed copyright ownership so I don't think I can distribute my program, until I can get his permission. At this point I don't know how to contact him. (Late edit.. I may have found him on Google.. I have sent an email so we'll see how we go...)

I have updated it when ever I found data that it would not parse. (and there was quite a bit of that.. and some of it I don't understand)

Most of the stuff, particularly for .im files is fairly straighforward. Mind you how .pm meshes work is beyond me.

I can also look at the contents of the .kin animation files.

In this case the code itself is the key to understanding the structure of the mesh and animation files. It would be good to have the latest from Auran on the Jet .im and .kin file formats.

regards,

I had a program which did the same thing for trainz files (also based on Jack's work) back when I was working on the Fileviewer program. I very briefly posted a link to it and then was told that the Trainz file formats were proprietary and so took the link down. I believe at the time that may primarily have had to do with GMax though I am not entirely sure of that. The program worked for both .im and .kin files.

All the posts in that regard seem to be long gone when the board changeover was done.

I have changed computers both at home and work since then and so I am not sure whether I still have a copy of that, but if I do you are welcome to have either the source or the compiled code or both (it's written in C++), assuming no one from Auran objects, which it doesn't look like they are going to do.

I had a couple of unknown fields in there, but by and large everything was known. I was working on a program to convert DirectX files to trainz files when I quit work on this. I don't remember what the status of that was at the time.

When the Auran Jet programming thing was still going on, there was a fair amount of work done on the Blender exporter, and I believe another exporter as well. Some of that shows up on sourceforge but not all of it.

The old Auran Jet programming boards still exist, though there is no direct link to them. You can find them here:http://irc.auran.com/jet/forum/foru...stpost&sortorder=desc&daysprune=1000&x=13&y=7

There is no link anymore to the base of the boards, but you can use the 'jump to forum' box at the bottom to get to the programming section (and other sections), and of course you will have to change the 'show threads starting from' selection to the beginning to see almost anything on those boards at all, since there has been almost no activity in the last two or three years.

There is considerable information in there about the work on the exporters and perhaps even some links, as well as information on Jet File formats, though you will have to dig for it.

Best of luck to you.

Xanax

Edit to add: By the way, I was never entirely able to understand the .pm information in a mesh file, but I can tell you that if you simply strip the pm chunk from the end of a mesh file and then adjust the total length in the header, you can then save it back as an .im and it works fine.

 

[AHSAN]

.
Just to mention if Ahsan reads this.
Load texture in UV window.
In the mesh window in edit mode, bottom row triangle tab, face select and right click on the face in mesh window.
Bottom window with UV image click the dots next to the triangle UV vertex select mode and pull the vertices over the part of the texture you want.
Use the up an down arrows to put the texture on.
Rotate, scale to shape etc.
When finished don't forget texface tab. buttons window black sphere tab otherwise when exporting mesh may be white with no texture.
I think that ties up it except then explore the functions with U over mesh window for smooth texturing etc.

Thanks all.

Will update my site again eventually .

Barry

Thanks barry for that information, I have noted that.

I think different people have different requirements and different things are more important to some than others.

Cheerio John

I agree with that john.

-----------------------

This is just to finalise the details for the 2.46 update of Blender.
I have updated the texturing tutorial on the inn tutorial on my site and created a new page with the details.
The select face works with no problems and the U function over mesh.
http://www.barandshe.clara.net/blendertut05.html

This is one of the images to show the image put on 2 faces and the U function to show the actual shape of the object.

Barry

Also thanks Barry for the Texture Tutorial update for 2.46, this helps a lot.

To All, Guys come on lets take blender forward and work together and forget the past.

I had a program which did the same thing for trainz files (also based on Jack's work) back when I was working on the Fileviewer program. I very briefly posted a link to it and then was told that the Trainz file formats were proprietary and so took the link down. I believe at the time that may primarily have had to do with GMax though I am not entirely sure of that. The program worked for both .im and .kin files.

All the posts in that regard seem to be long gone when the board changeover was done.

I have changed computers both at home and work since then and so I am not sure whether I still have a copy of that, but if I do you are welcome to have either the source or the compiled code or both (it's written in C++), assuming no one from Auran objects, which it doesn't look like they are going to do.

I had a couple of unknown fields in there, but by and large everything was known. I was working on a program to convert DirectX files to trainz files when I quit work on this. I don't remember what the status of that was at the time.

When the Auran Jet programming thing was still going on, there was a fair amount of work done on the Blender exporter, and I believe another exporter as well. Some of that shows up on sourceforge but not all of it.

The old Auran Jet programming boards still exist, though there is no direct link to them. You can find them here:http://irc.auran.com/jet/forum/foru...stpost&sortorder=desc&daysprune=1000&x=13&y=7

There is no link anymore to the base of the boards, but you can use the 'jump to forum' box at the bottom to get to the programming section (and other sections), and of course you will have to change the 'show threads starting from' selection to the beginning to see almost anything on those boards at all, since there has been almost no activity in the last two or three years.

Best of luck to you.

Xanax

The Jet forum main page has been taken off by Auran.

Regards

Ahsan

 

[paulhobbs]

To me Trainz is capable of using much higher quality models than GMAX is capable of creating and if we don't get out of the TRS2004 / GMAX rut then I personally think Trainz will die as other SIMs will have better models and TRS2004 isn't selling in large numbers at premium prices. I don't know the technical details of what Trainz supports that GMAX will not produce, it would be nice to find out sometime, but I do know that some 3DS created models do have much better textures that match the quality available in other SIMs and that's what I'm after.

Hopefully Blender will allow the rank and file creator to produce better quality models and this will extend the life of Trainz. I have no issue with using Blender for part of the model and something else to create the bogeys, couplings etc.

Well said John, my sentiments exactly. Trainz can indeed use higher quality models than GMax can produce as TC3 will demonstrate - the secret is texture baking and ambient occulsion (and probably other things I haven't found out about yet), these produce a shadow effect on the textures that help to bring out the details. Models produced by GMax tend to have a 'flat' appearance unless the creator has the skills to do this manually.

Paul

 

[Barry]

I have edited some of the content out of my posts as decided they were not relevant to this thread which is Blender and it's exporter so Google will now find relevant posts.

Sometimes when searching for solutions I often come across my own posts

B

 

[AHSAN]

I have edited some of the content out of my posts as decided they were not relevant to this thread which is Blender and it's exporter so Google will now find relevant posts.

Sometimes when searching for solutions I often come across my own posts

B

any more updates on your site Today since yesterday?:wave:

 

[Barry]

If I was sarcastic then (but obviously I don't remember exactly what I said) then I didn't mean to be. I think that people who are already convinced that Blender is a good 3D program are not always to best persons to 'sell' it to others. If you had said then 'Blender can do texture baking and ambient occlusion' then I would have been a lot more interested sooner.

'It's free' or 'it's still being developed' are not things that would convince me personally to switch - after all GMax is also free. Finding out that what was left out of GMax is actually extremely important and useful and that Blender can do these things is much more of an argument.

I'll let you into a secret - Trainz doesn't give a tinker's cuss if the wheels of a loco were built in Maya, the coupling rods in Blender, the frames in 3DS and then the whole lot animated and exported in GMax. You can build the body in 3D Canvas as well if you wish, what's important is to get the job done with whatever tools you have handy and feel comfortable with.

Paul

Texture baking and ambient occlusion definitely no idea what you are talking about as no idea what they are!

Sell it to others colloqially speaking, "couldn't give a tinkers cuss who uses it" as my concern is to help people who are trying to use it but may find it difficult to get started, certainly NOT to waste my time to get others interested or argue the good or bad points.

As regards trainz and how content is made is not my concern anymore as don't use it!

Ahsan maybe email me as previous and will try and help if I can but you will probably know as much as me now anyway.

B

 

[AHSAN]

Ahsan maybe email me as previous and will try and help if I can but you will probably know as much as me now anyway.

B

Hi Barry

I've mastered all the basics now and also the texturing I'm ok now.

if any problems occur I'll let you know.

Regards

Ahsan

 

[paulhobbs]

Texture baking and ambient occlusion definitely no idea what you are talking about as no idea what they are!

Pity, they will help you create much better textures. I'm not going to labour the point, but the reason for mentioning it was to give ideas to others reading this thread who might well be interested.

Paul

 

[ZapperJet]

Ambient occlusion is a rendering technique for faking global light. If you've ever noticed on a cloudy day there are no direct shadows, then you know what ambient occlusion is.

If you look at this model you will notice there are shadows between objects depending on distance:

Blender's texture baking allows you to bake full renders to a texture (i.e., Ambient Occlusion, textures, lighting, etc). Basically, it makes an insta-texture.

Like so:

1) Create the model from separate pieces.
2) Create a base UV Layer for each model by unwrapping it and texturing it. (The default name is "UVTex")

3) Texture your model with materials. DO NOT use the TexFace option to apply textures, use texture channels instead, and when mapping to UV's make SURE you type the name of the base UV layer into the dialog box under "Map Input".

4) When texturing is complete, join all of the objects you want to bake a texture for together into a single object.
5) Create a new UV Layer and call it something like "Bake". Make sure it's active and render enabled, like so:

6) Unwrap this new UV layer with Smart Projects (or manually):

7) While in edit mode, with all faces of the model selected and the UV editor window open, create a new texture, specify it's name and size, which must be a multiple of 2.

8) Set up your Ambient Occlusion settings:

9) Go to the Scene tab, and navigate to Bake. Bake full render onto that texture.

10) Finally, save your image. When you export mesh files, and the "Bake" UV layer is active the texture should map to the UV's correctly.

Hope this helps,
John

P.S., if a Video tut is required, I'd be happy to make one!

 

[AHSAN]

Hello John

That's the kind of tutorials we could do for blender 2.46, nice and big in pictures for texturing.

less writing and more pictures.

Regards

Ahsan

EDIT P.S. if anyone's willing do them into PDF format and I'm willing to host them with all credit going to the original person.

 

[Barry]

Thanks John will save that for reference but probably depends on the functions of the simulator.

I no longer use trainz but may be useful for next version of sailsimulator which I am waiting on.

Barry

 

[paulhobbs]

Thanks John will save that for reference but probably depends on the functions of the simulator.

No, all you are doing is creating a texture bitmap. Excellent tutorial, I'll have to try that out.

Paul

 

[Barry]

Paul Thanks.

John do you know anything about exporting animation to obj? Hope you don't mind me asking.

Although work OK in Blender apparently it makes about 100 obj and mtl files when exporting.
faces and framenumber.
Unfortunately does not export keyframe values and times missing which are essential?

The programmer from sailsim tried it out so apparently no good for sailsimulator unless there is a different method as I am not very knowledgable on animation.



Thanks

Barry

 

[ZapperJet]

Barry,

I've only ever exported a Wavefront Object for using in 3dsmax, which only produced one single .obj and .mtl file.

However, I will investigate.

Cheerio,
John

 

[AHSAN]

Hello John

Infomation in your post about Texture baking and ambient occlusion in blender for Trainz can be added to the blender/trainz wikibook,

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Trainz/Tutorial_For_Blender#About_this_page

Regards

Ahsan

 

[Barry]

Thanks John if it can be got to work I could use Blender for animation exporting as obj for next version, and could let the programmer know.

Barry

 

[AHSAN]

I should have the sketchup export to .IM ready soon - that is written using ruby script so you'll be able to read all the code.

I can send over an early copy if you like?

Hello decapod

Google Sketchup 6 is free and Google Sketchup 6 Pro expects you to buy a licence, will this exporter you working on will it work on both versions? which is best suited?

Would you prefer it for the PRO version?

EDIT: How far have you progressed in the IM Exporter project for Google Sketchup?

Regards

Ahsan

 

[decapod.]

The script works with the free or pro version.

It's sort of on hold till I finish off an update for the MSTS1 sketchup export after I get back from New York next week.