3D file formats and modellers

DaBit · 2000-07-19T09:01:20

Hi all, I am currently developing an experimental 3D engine for both Linux and Windows. The problem is the intermediate file format to use for interfacing between the modeller and the engine (or between the modeller and the preprocessor) In the old age of DOS development everything was simple: you used the 3D Studio R4 .3DS or .ASC format. In this Windows era it is even simpler, you use 3D studio MAX with a self-written plugin, or you use the .ASE or .3DS format. Or, you build the 100001st Quake2/3 compatible renderer and use the Quake tools. Currently I use the 3DS MAX .ASE format. Easy to use and powerful. But when you start transforming your development environment to Linux, you face a few big problems. What modeller should you use, and how do you get the data into your own programs? One of the better free 3D modellers is Blender (www.blender.nl), but it is almost impossible to export data from that program (especially keyframed data). However, since version 1.80 it is possible to write Python scripts, so you could build your own exporter, I presume. There are also non-free modellers like AC3D, but I have no idea how powerful they are. How do you guys solve all this? I want to get rid of 3DS MAX since my version is as illegal as a kilogram of heroine, and almost as expensive. And it is Windows only (the biggest problem, to be honest. I''m still not as holy as the pope. And WINE won''t run it.). Any ideas/suggestions anyone? And a non-gamedev question: Is there a decent replacement for Netscape? It takes ages to check mail with it, it''s email client sucks, it is unstable, it''s JAVA implementation sucks, it is slow, and it renders a lot of pages incorrectly. This is one of the programs that breaks the law of Linux stuff being more stable than Windows stuff. DaBit.

Everything Unix Technical

Started by DaBit July 12, 2000 09:08 AM

11 comments, last by DaBit 23 years, 9 months ago

Saai

122

July 14, 2000 10:49 AM

I'm downloading pgcc right now. Hope it doesn't screw anything up

I'm using the ./configure method on mesa 3.2 using the x86 assembly and mmx options enabled explicitly. I'll try getting the GLUT part going again, thanks for the help there.

I did a little investigation on xfree86.org and X 3.3.6 has support for the savage4, while X 4.0 doesn't. The source is 45mb, so it'll be tomorrow before I get that downloaded.

I grabbed blender for windows to try out on my p3 450 w/128mb ram windows box, and it runs nicely.

saai

Edited by - saai on July 14, 2000 12:18:23 PM

tebriel

904

July 17, 2000 03:59 PM

Replacement for Netscape:

Check out Opera at www.opera.com

I''m pretty sure there''s a Linux version of it and I am sure that the Windows version is better than the "big two".

===========================================

As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.

-Albert Einstein

jMonkeyEngine 3.0 | Java OpenGL Game Engine
libGDX - Java Game Development Framework

Cyberdrek

100

July 19, 2000 09:01 AM

Tebriel: Yes, there is a Linux version of Opera. It is a verry good browser yet, I find the java support kind of minimal for now. Anyhow, that''s my view on it...

Cyberdrek
Headhunter Soft
DLC Multimedia

[Cyberdrek | ]

3D file formats and modellers

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