X2XSI problems

[TheJamsh]

as some are aware.. ive started modelling in truespace... and all i made is a simple blocked plane thingy...

which is all great but i cant get the damn models to convert in .x to .xsi properly so that it opens in threed

i have a list of options when exporting the object.. which ones should i use? also is there anyway im supposed to create the model specifically?

these are the options i can check:

ASCII []
store the object as a single mesh []
triangulate all faces []
feature edges []
center and normalize object []

thats it...

[Avatar]

X2XSI relies on the .X file being an older version of the ascii .X format.  Try checking the ascii format box and seeing if that works.

You should be able to open the .X version in Notepad when done...  then run it through X2XSI and see if you can also open the .XSI version.  Both should be readable in Notepad.

-Av-

(who still can't believe X2XSI keeps coming up around here...  )

[mrtwosheds]

the x2xsi program I use has no such options. What are you converting them with?

ASCII [] xsi is in ascii as far as I know
store the object as a single mesh [] No.
triangulate all faces [] You should have done this already.So no.
feature edges []Eh?
center and normalize object []No

[lucky_foot]

Who made X2XSI?

I thought I heard that you did, Avatar.

Why don't you dig up that old source code and get a version out that works better since everybody seems to always want to use it in it's present form.

[TheJamsh]

noooo!

its truespace that has thsoe options! but bleh!

[Avatar]

The options are Truespace, use the Ascii output option.

X2XSI may not handle multiple objects, so I can't advise there but one object should be safe.

Yes, I made it, and with it converted the first actual BZ2 craft over (the sparrow), which I used to demonstrate the unfinished aircraftclass physics Ken disclosed.

There are much better ways to make XSI files now, many tutorials written and many paths to getting them into the game.  You can even do animated objects, which X2XSI can't do.  OM has a fantastic converter for a free 3D program...  why would you want to keep using a hack like X2XSI?

-Av-

[mrtwosheds]

X2XSI may not handle multiple objects,

It does!
It does not handle hierarchys.
and you always have to paste a dummy frame at the top so threed can see them all.

why would you want to keep using a hack like X2XSI?
because I have learnt how to use it, its free and does not stop working just because someone wants me to give them some money.

OM has a fantastic converter for a free 3D program...

Does it work yet? if were talking milkshape, mine stopped working....tools that fail because they are designed to fail are of no use.
This is a serious problem with software, built in redundancy has no place in my tool kit soft or not.

[TheJamsh]

well thats why it doesnt work then haha...

i havent pasted a dummy root object none of it...

i did however open the XSI in 3d object converter and the pieces are flaming all over the place! they are all present but not in the places i put them when i finished the model! its insane?!?!

even the .X file which came straight out of truespace didnt go in proeprly... damn BZII why is it such a pain in he backside for models!

[mrtwosheds]

once you have the xsi file just open in notepad, find the first frame

SI_Light  light1 {
   0;
   1.000000; 1.000000; 1.000000;;
   0.000000; 5.966998; 0.000000;;
}

   Frame frm-body {

      FrameTransformMatrix {
         1,0,0,0,
         0,1,0,0,
         0,0,1,0,
         -0.015553,-3.86313e-06,0,1;;
      }

      Mesh body {
-----------------------------------
copy this bit

Frame frm-body {

   FrameTransformMatrix {
      1,0,0,0,
      0,1,0,0,
      0,0,1,0,
      0,0,0,1;;
   }

paste it above itself and rename it

Frame frm-dummy {

   FrameTransformMatrix {
      1,0,0,0,
      0,1,0,0,
      0,0,1,0,
      0,0,0,1;;
   }
save.

they are all present but not in the places i put them when i finished the model! its insane?!?!

In the above example it is this line
         -0.015553,-3.86313e-06,0,1;;   (i moved it a bit in threed.)
that determines the offset from xyz 0,0,0
after conversion it will be       0,0,0,1;;
the values in the mesh will be relative to this.
If the hierarchy is no more, they will all have moved.
Build without hierarchy. Create hierarchy in the resulting xsi

[TheJamsh]

right...

gah why is it always so much more difficult?!!

[lucky_foot]

@Avatar,

Exactly! Why continue using an old hack like that? It's a great question, but how many times has it been coming up.

@mrtwosheds,

Both OM's Milkshape Exporter and Blender 3d Exporter work. They just don't have animations as he hasn't had anyone to help in that area. My whole Shree race was exported with Milkshape to XSI and it works beautifully.

[TheJamsh]

when you say tirangulate all faces... does that mean that every flat plane has to be a triangle...?

if so how on earth do you do it?

[mrtwosheds]

Truespace, no idea, never used it.
Lithunwrap has a triangulate option.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

As I recall both 3DEX and BZ2ME need the objects to be triangulated otherwise both either yield an error message or downright freeze up. In TS this pops up when you save as X. Don't know about the other settings though.

[TheJamsh]

its not 3dex im using it 3D object converter, another one that does something like 450 formats... well not in unregistered mode :@