Best 3D model format for a cross-platform project?
Author
Hi, I'm writing a cross-platform game in SDL and OpenGL, and I'm trying to decide on a format to use for the game's 3D models.
Our modeler is using Blender, so a format that Blender exports to would be best (I'm sure this isn't a problem.) He's also been adding animations to the models, so we need a format that supports animation. I was looking at MD2 (its format is very well documented), but our modeler says that skeletal animation would be easiest for him. Can a model with an armature in Blender be exported successfully to MD2 with the animations intact?
Also, my initial reaction is not to use the .ms3d format, because I don't care for Milkshape and the game is primarily for Linux.
Sorry, I'm sort of noobish when it comes to 3D modeling/animation...but what format would you recommend? Where can I find code/libraries to load such models?
Thanks
-matt
Quote:Can a model with an armature in Blender be exported successfully to MD2 with the animations intact?yes
i cant recommend any formats because i havent used or researched enough model formats
a good list of file formats can be found here
MD2 stores the entire model multiple times as keyframes, between which good model renderers can interpolate easily. If you want a bone-based format, check out MD4.
All of these formats, of course, have the problem that they are id-typically just raw C structures written to a file, which means they're highly dependent on the platform's alignment, byte order and byte size.
-Markus-
All of these formats, of course, have the problem that they are id-typically just raw C structures written to a file, which means they're highly dependent on the platform's alignment, byte order and byte size.
-Markus-
MD4? isnt that some addition to quake 3? what you would want is md5 not only is it ascii, which makes the endian-ness of the platform not matter, but it is skeletally animated and it should have a wider user base, i believe there are already max exporters for it (in fact im almost positive), whereas md4 is a format which exists only in later releases to quake 3 additionally theres no official file format released for it. On a similar note, where the hell is the quake 3 source code? ;-)
edit: ah, blender? i dunno
hope that helps
-Dan
edit: ah, blender? i dunno
hope that helps
-Dan
Quote:Original post by Ademan555
MD4? isnt that some addition to quake 3? what you would want is md5 not only is it ascii, which makes the endian-ness of the platform not matter, but it is skeletally animated and it should have a wider user base, i believe there are already max exporters for it (in fact im almost positive), whereas md4 is a format which exists only in later releases to quake 3 additionally theres no official file format released for it. On a similar note, where the hell is the quake 3 source code? ;-)
edit: ah, blender? i dunno
hope that helps
-Dan
As ademan555 said try to find a model format that uses ascii and not binary. I have coded on Mac and you will have to worry about endianess issues. If you don't need animation .obj are great for this. I think .md2 will have to be byte swapped due to it has ints for variables in the struct...
ASE is a text format as well - If you find any documentation I'd like to hear about it ;) I didn't find any although I heard it's very easy to find out (by looking at it)
Author
ASE sounds interesting as well--we're aiming for cross platform, so endianness and things like that will probably be a problem. I'll look into this as well. Thanks.
Yeah i reccomended MD2 simply because its easy, it will indeed need to be byteswapped. I again, would point you all to MD5's as their ascii so endianness is not an issue, and its a skeletally animated format with exporters already there for max iirc. Hope that helps
-Dan
-Dan
The Quake3 source release has been delayed again because the engine is still being licensed.
It's not really fair to sell something and then give it away a short while later.
It's not really fair to sell something and then give it away a short while later.
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