Please go here to see the main thread (http://www.overminddl1.com/forum/index.php/topic,694.new.html#new).
I am needing testers to test various things in the exporter. How it exports, textures, animations, especially animations (as I just did them). Read this post (http://www.overminddl1.com/forum/index.php/topic,694.msg4053.html#msg4053) to see the main thing I need tested with regards to animations. I need to know if translating the matrix and using the rotation in it for the animation is necessary or if I should save the animation rotation with an untransformed matrix (I would think so...). If animation rotation is off by -90 on the Y-Axis, then tell me and I'll remove the transformation.
Just downloaded Blender, what I'm basicly looking for now is an importer ..
I mean if I can import an existing .xsi and than export it its basicly nothing else but comparing files and looking for things that are diff.
(next to that, on a side note, I'd like to modify some existing models .. :D)
A friend of mine still has 3DS Max v5(iirc) wich hes willing to sell to me for a few euros, but would that A) still allow me to use Pandemics plugin (cant find any decent "readme" ...) and B) allows me to export to a format Blender is able to import ??
G
Comparing files will not work. :P
I export in a *VERY* BZ2 only format. I doubt they would even have a hope of opening anywhere else. Because of this though it is more reliable, faster to program, smaller files, faster loading files, etc...
And Blender supports a rather huge amount of importer/exporters. More are listed on their site for download as well.
yeah have been working with Blender most of the day, but ... er .. dont like it ..
couldnt even get as far as making a basic model .. so I started up Gmax made a basic model, saves as 3ds, inported into Blender and exported as .x ... (wich I can understand and manipulate into .xsi ..)
For now I'll be trying to get my hands on 3ds max v3 (I "understand" it and v3 makes life a lot easier ...)
than make 2 .xsi's of them (1 reg 3ds export, 1 similair as the Gmax method using your xsi-exporter) and compare them ingame ..
too bad I couldnt have been of more use up to now, could have made my life a bit cheaper as well ... 8-)
G
Couldn't make a basic model? I don't know the program at all and I am throwing together basic mesh's, manipulating them, heck, adding animations as well. Blender is anything but hard (well, harder then milkshape, but meh). 3dsMax is something I can't figure out. Probably just what you are used to, but there are many professionals who use Blender even though they have the many thousands of dollars worth 3dsmax.
Just be sure to turn dummy-frame on, and get the latest version I just posted.
And test animations, that is the main thing I want tested right now, vertex animations (which just happens to be what 3dsmax uses as well).
EDIT: Speaking of which, anyone have a clue as to why that with a dummyframe it comes out fine, but without a dummyframe then it is sitting on its nose?
Also, I know that dummyframes are required in some circumstances, but are there any circumstances when they are not? Is it fine to always have a dummyframe? If so then I'll just keep it in...
EDIT2: Does anyone have an odf I could use to test out animations in an xsi?
Overmind, do you have the xsis completed, with animation?
If so, I could quickly throw together an odf for it, if I was given the xsi names and a description of what each is.
Quote from: OvermindDL1 on January 31, 2007, 10:13:57 AM
EDIT2:Â Does anyone have an odf I could use to test out animations in an xsi?
just use the turret odf's, as far as I understand there are 3 types(kinda) of animations in BZ2 (left/neutral/right movement, deploying, walker .. er .. stuff)
the turrets have the ability to use the animations for movement (left/neutral/right) and those for deploying
G
I have a couple with different names, but the name of the main testing one tends to always end up being renamed to untitled.xsi (as that is what the current test odf is using).
There were some errors with the script on Blender Linux (the first 3 import commands didnt work), but I got around them by commenting them out. Its exporting files, but the interface is too difficult for me to figure out right away so i'm currently looking for .blend models to export.
From my experience you can always have a 'dummyroot', or top level frame. Nothing I've done yet has been harmed by having one, although depending on the class of unit it can have an effect on things like altitude, deployment, that sort of thing.
For animations there are basically two types in BZ2, and "loop" and "deploy" would be good basic labels for them.
Basically "loop" looks good when, er, 'looping', as in a power lung or generator motion, a walker walking, an antenna rotating.. where the object ends up back where it started.
'Deploy' is a one-way animation, such as when a turret deploys or a Constructor constructs.
So I'd use two ODF's for testing... "ibpgen" for loops and "powered" for deploying. Both will just play when the object is placed in the engine, although the "powered" will play only once. OTOH you can specify both types as the 'loop' and drop a power generator class object in the engine and just watch the deploy play over and over again, but it'll look a little odd when it snaps back to start and might not give you a good idea of what it'll look like.
-Av-
OK, speaking as a total Blender/modelling newb. I downloaded a simple file (this 9-volt battery (http://www.katorlegaz.com/3d_models/electronics_batteries/0053/index.php)) and opened it in Blender, than I exported it to XSI format and tried to place it in game.
The mesh appears in game but there are no textures. I looked at the XSI text and it doesnt seem to even mention texturenames (ie there's no SI_Texture2D entries). So maybe this is because the exporter is so new? or have I done something wrong?
I don't think the UV mapping part of the exporter is complete yet.
Dia
The uv mapping should be done, as are the texture entries, but it will not output them if they don't exist. BZ2 only supports UV textures, so the model needs to be uvwrapped, not any of the other texture modes will work. And of course, there must be a texture file, shaders and such don't work either. I'll download that model and take a look at what it exports. :)
EDIT: Checked the model, well done it is, but it is not uvmapped, nor does it have any textures, ergo... yea... it will be plain in BZ2. :)
EDIT: I posted some pictures of the battery at this link (http://www.overminddl1.com/forum/index.php/topic,694.msg4074.html#msg4074). The top one is the .blend just as I downloaded it. The second is the battery as a unit, but with a black texture, uvmapped (just a quick uvmap using the auto thing), and the third is me driving around in this micro-vehicle-battery-thing (micro wars? This thing feels fast in comparison :) Hmm, lego building, upgrading buildings adds on to them like lego's).
Ok well if you can get something UV mapped to show up in the editor please how you do it because I have things uv mapped and they will not show up. I have tried a few different things and still nothing shows but a plain color.
Dia
Hey OM, I downloaded your BLENDER XSI exporter for testing. Like you, however, I have limited time to actually test it out but wanted to let you know that the endeavor is worthwhile and may eventually yield something useful for BZII. Where do I install the downloaded file? I've worked with BLENDER just enough to understand it's basic operation but it seems easy enough to learn just like any other 3D model making program. I think that making simpler animated cube sequences is probably the best approach to work out the bugs in the exporter as more complex animation sequences will just complicate a debugging process...BNG. :|
Is there an importer as well, so we can edit existing models?
BNG> look inside the Blender folder, should see a .something folder, look in there and search until you see .py files. Place there and it appears on the export menu :)
RD>I don't think so yet...
"I export in a VERY BZ2 format" - OvermindDL1
Hmm...perhaps that say it all :? :|
Last time I tried it I still wasn't able to get the UV mapping part of it to work. My test model always shows up with no texture on it in the editor.
Dia
What EXACTLY do you mean by that? You mean in Blender you don't see the texture? Or in the BZ2 Editor? Just as a final check(for BZ2 editor), you DO have the texture in the directory AND included in the ODF, right? That's about all I know.. :-P
All importers/exporters/etc... go in: C:\program files\Blender Foundation\Blender\.blender\scripts\ or wherever you installed it. Uvmapping I'm still unsure if, so if possible uvmap something, export the xsi, and if(when) it doesn't work, could you send me the xsi that was exported?
Quote from: Dianoga4 on January 31, 2007, 09:50:23 PM
Ok well if you can get something UV mapped to show up in the editor please how you do it because I have things uv mapped and they will not show up. I have tried a few different things and still nothing shows but a plain color.
Dia
Hmmm, might not be an issue with the XSI...
Make sure your texture is square and a power of two. 64x64, 128x128, 256x256 are pretty standard.
They should also be a format the game can handle, such as PIC or TGA. If TGA make sure it's 24 bit and NOT compressed.
My own experience is that missing textures are usually compressed TGA's, not square, or not in the BZ2 directories.
I've also gone into the XSI in Notepad and replaced the missing texture called with just the texture name. For instance, replace "C:\3DStudio\Maps\Battlezone Maps\bigship.bmp" with "bigship.pic".
-Av-
What I meant was that the model looks fine in Blender, it's all textured and everything, but in the Editor, it doesn't show the texture. I have tried using bitmaps which work on every other model I have made and tested in the editor but I also tried PNGs with no luck as well. I also tried looking at the xsi in notepad and there definitely has to be something wrong. The line showing the location of the texture file is completely missing for both textures ( I am using 2 textures but also tried one). Not sure if this matters or not but the structure of the xsi doesn't seem to be set up the same way as others that I have looked at. Normal xsi's stagger down kind of like steps where this one lists everything on the left hand side straight down. Hope that makes sense or perhaps you'll know what I mean when I post the xsi.
The model is suppose to be using 2 textures: rdisint1.bmp and rdisint2.bmp.
http://dianoga4.homestead.com/files/ivdisint.xsi
Hope this helps.
Dia
It's not saving texture info, it is saving uvmapping, and I see two materials, but the texture is not saved with them, so either the texture type of material was not selected in B3d or my exporter is missing something. As asked for on my site a few seconds ago, could you send me the .blend file so I can see?
Just a quick comment OM. If both 3D EXPLORATION and THREED refuse to open an XSI file created by the BLENDER exporter then doesn't that itself indicate a bug? Ideally, a single object is in reality one of several frames used together to create an animation sequence; I know this from my experience as a television broadcast technician. The standard in the NTSC model is 30 frames per second for the U.S. television system. Additionally, I have no problems loading any of the other XSI files included in the XSIZIP file from BZSCRAP into either of the above mentioned applications. However, something in the XSI's created by the exporter from BLENDER somehow does not conform to the standards required and may in fact need to be resolved before an animation sequence will even work. PS: I'll continue to try exporting stuff with the BLENDER exporter, but I feel that until the above mentioned issue is addressed not much good will result...BNG.
Quote from: Bump N Go on April 15, 2007, 07:06:37 PM
Just a quick comment OM. If both 3D EXPLORATION and THREED refuse to open an XSI file created by the BLENDER exporter then doesn't that itself indicate a bug? Ideally, a single object is in reality one of several frames used together to create an animation sequence; I know this from my experience as a television broadcast technician. The standard in the NTSC model is 30 frames per second for the U.S. television system. Additionally, I have no problems loading any of the other XSI files included in the XSIZIP file from BZSCRAP into either of the above mentioned applications. However, something in the XSI's created by the exporter from BLENDER somehow does not conform to the standards required and may in fact need to be resolved before an animation sequence will even work. PS: I'll continue to try exporting stuff with the BLENDER exporter, but I feel that until the above mentioned issue is addressed not much good will result...BNG.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. As I've stated many times, it does not export XSI, it exports a BZ2XSI, exported in such a way that BZ2 reads it better (and greater compatability with how Blender exports things). But, I program, I don't make models, ergo, give me test cases where things fail, and I will fix them, but no one is doing so.
Threed is an utter joke for XSI work anyway, and the 3dExp is broken in animation handling, it only supports vertex anim's, not bone anims.
I posted an example blend on your site OM, the one that goes with the xsi that I posted there recently.
Dia
Will look at when I get a few moments.
Dam, I was hoping by now the exporter would be a bit closer to completion. OM, are there any specific tasks that we can try to move along things with this exporter? I don't know what to try anymore to help you get this exporter thing moving again. Can the exporter be set to export a single frame or it is just for animation sequences? Just thought that I'd ask...BNG. :|
The whole source is available, so edit if you so wish. Been extrodinarily busy thanks to it being the last bit of school for the semester, havn't even programmed more then a couple hours in the last week.
The non-fully-working parts are something to do with textures/uvmaps, and animations...
OM, work on the exporter would get done more efficiently if you could provide a short list of things to do/try for the testers.
I don't have a clue on how to even begin testing the exporter in the BZII map editor. We'll help if we can, but we need some defined direction to follow based on feedback from you...BNG
PS: If possible post some suggestions that you want tested, and I"ll try them and post the results wherever you want them posted. I'd like to see the project completed too.
Well, no real testing is needed right now, I know what needs to be fixed, just don't have time to code during this week thanks to school/work (should have so much more time next week). If you want to give it a go then look in the source for texture's. It exports them correctly, but I don't think I read them from B3D correctly (I don't know its api well yet...). And of course animations, I have it almost complete, but almost complete isn't complete, need to figure out some more things with the api for that as well. If you figure it up and code a change then send me the diff patch.
Here, a new update (http://www.overminddl1.com/forum/index.php/topic,694.msg4731.html#msg4731). Texture and uv coords appears to be fixed and working well, even with the lack of proper tests (*cough*Dianoga*cough* caused me about an hour of wasted time till I figured out your file was not showing anything that I needed :) ).
I guess now just animations need to be tested. Anyone wish to supply any proper testcases that work but do not export correctly?
You might want to explain exactly what you want then because I just tried uv mapping an object and testing it in game and it didn't work. Sounded like that was the kind of thing you wanted but apparently I was wrong.
Dia
You started to uvmap it, but didn't finish (you setup the scene for it, but didn't actually put down where the poly's go on the image), and you didn't assign an image to the mesh, it was aptly named: "Untitled" (Blender3D's way of telling you there is nothing there). When I finished your uvmapping and assigned a texture to the material that the mesh was using, I figured out that it was bailing early when writing the texture part, because I had a False instead of a True (er, vice-versa, whichever it was now), then it worked perfectly.
Hmm we must be looking at two different things because what you said pretty much sounds like what I did. Also in the blend file I have, it seems to show the image file as well but anyways, obviously I must've been doing something wrong. Hope you get it working though even with my mis-direction. :-)
Dia
You linked the image with the uvmap window, but not to the model itself. :P
I tried using the "fixed" blend file and the updated exporter that you posted and it still doesn't show the texture when you try it in the editor.
Dia
It does show the texture, but I just noticed it only shows the pixel it coords 0.5,0.5, instead of where the texcoords say it should look, and they all look correct to me, trying to figure that out...
EDIT: Just went over it yet again. BZ2 reads the texcoords as they are, and does not read the triangles, but rather copies them from the vertices section. If this section had an xsi header then it would read the texcoords, then read the verts from the texcoords section, which is far less efficient, especially since the texcoords is alreayd sorted in relation to the vertices. Those are the only differences, and that seems correct, so I do not see why it is not working. Perhaps GSH could take a look in the meshread::ReadTexCoords(iss, *textfeat, FALSE); function that starts in the area for ReadMesh following the _MESHTEXTURECOORDS path, not the _XSITEXTURECOORDS path, and see how this could possibly be wrong with what it is reading?
are you still working on this exporter OM ?
I've stickied this thread so that maybe a few more people will notice it and give you some help.
When I have time yes, but still need people with some better knowledge about this 'model stuff' to help with some rough edges. :P
I'm glad the topic was finally stickied too, and I've got the latest exporter version installed. One question I have is does the exporter automatically send files to my addon folder? Also to appear in the map editor what ODF should I associate with the file to test it in the map editor; will any do? And does the exporter export the texture applied to the model in B3D or do I need to copy it manually OM? Some feedback would be nice so that testers could have something to look for and report back on to you for closer examination. Still don't know much about B3D, but am willing to spend some time testing the exporter as it's developed as I too would eventually like to do animation for BZII. And tanks OM for taking the time to even work on a B3D BZII exporter...BNG
I also posted this in the other thread but I tried it out again the other day and still I wasn't able to get any texture to show up in the editor.
Dia
What use would the addon folder be? It saves it where you choose to save it. :P
I need to rewrite the texture section a little bit, would not take long, just have not had time (Saturday will be my first day off in months, hopefully then if I do not sleep all day).
The bz2 xsi format just uses the filename for the texture, it matters not where it is as long as it is loadable by bz2 (somewhere in the bz2 virtual filesystem), no other data from the xsi is used for texture data.
Typically, BZII related models and props go into the addon folder for use by the game engine OM. Why would they be placed anywhere else? Testers need feedback just like you. Guess I better dust off B3D, and start actually learning the basics of it to see what results from using it to help unravel the exporter thing-a-ma-gig...BNG
They should be placed in a PAK file for mod distribution (the resultant .msh that is, not the xsi, don't want desyncs after all). Although I have a different directory specified in my cfg file so I can keep things neatly separate between new versions of BZ2. Not to mention that you probably have a real working directory somewhere, along with multiple BZ2 installations, hence it would be impossible to have an addon directory be default as it would not know which one if you have multiples, nor may you want to save it directly there...
Hey OM, I'm forcing myself to learn the ABC's of using B3D to focus on the basics of making some test animations using your XSI exporter. It'll be a while before getting used to the UI as it differs substantially from what I currently am used to modeling with, but I've DL'ed the tutorials and am studying them to get a handle on how B3D manipulates things and other related tasks. I think I've reached a point where one modeler is basically just like another modeler and the difference are relatively minor given a little time.
Try the animation support in B3D, I have the basics of the exporting done (maybe complete), but it is still pretty untested as any files I have received as tests did not implement animation correctly to begin with. Also, I do not think I have bones complete, started yes, but not complete I think...
And if you want to try a 'different' style modeler, try Houdini, generally regarded as the best for high-poly things, and its interface is very different, although very easy oddly enough, it is more of a gui pov-ray. :)
Blender, is an amazing little modeler. The IK and bone animation module looks fairly easy to animate with after studying, "Gus the Ginger bread man." Working with textures looks really cool too. I'm going to attempt making Gus as a first animated model to get the feel for animating a simple model.
OM, what BZII animated model would be a good first animated unit to create for actual testing in the map editor? I'm thinking something fairly easy to start with, but easy enough to study in detail afterwords. Maybe a Scout type? They mostly have animated fins right? I'll study the XSI data pack and select at least 2 different unit types and give them a whirl to see what happens...BNG
Moving cubes would be fine for me, so it is your choice. :)
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Om i have in another post that youve entered in a dice model with a .png texture uv mapped in blender (however i do not fully understand mapping yet and didnt 'unwrap' the cube. the texture was applied face by face.
anyway, ive exported it. first it doesnt open in threed, but i can place it in the editor easily. it appears but cannot collide with it (maybe thats because im using i76building class and didnt make a collision mesh in BZ2) and the texture doesnt show (plain white it is)
its in another topic and i cant link it right now. try that as an example. im learning blender so may be able to help you a little more in the future
I was just wondering if any progress has been made with OM's exporter? Lately, I've hit a wall with the X format missing a texture when loaded into the BZII map editor. The geometry loads fine and my X models work well enough to pass as XSI based equivalents in game. Still learning the animation part in TS 7.6/6.6, but I did manage to make a walker type with the walk animation and save it as an X model.
Once I get past this hurdle then I'm going to try importing it into Blender and then try exporting it with OM's BZII XSI exporter. Does the X model file need to be converted to B3D format prior to exporting as XSI? Or can I just export from X to XSI in Blender? Any feedback would be helpful as to what I can try to help test OM's exporter. BNG.
Just try it, tell me what is wrong (in detail, how to reproduce it, etc... just saying something is wrong does not help at all).
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Did anyone ever get a version of this exporter fully working? Or even the texturing part of it working? Just curious.
OM's probably still waiting for issues to address.
Well I've encountered an issue but since I see no else has run into it I assume it's probably a problem with me trying to use blender. Anyway, my problem is that any time I export my model, all polygons become detached from each other and I end up with a model that has a huge number of vertices.
I've been making my models in Gmax, exporting to .md3 and then importing into Blender. I did check to make sure all sub-objects were in one piece and made sure there were no vertices that needed welding before using OM's exporter. Also this model is untextured and not animated if that helps at all. I even tried just exporting the default cube thats generated when Blender starts up and encountered the same problem (along with an error about no textures or something). So, is there something I'm supposed to do in Blender that I don't know about?
Try taking the .md3 through Lithunwrap and exporting as a .obj file, then importing into Blender. Though I'm not sure if that would help.
Also remember that if you're using the newest version of Blender, the exporter was not written for it.
I'll try that. And which version of Blender was it written for?
Can't recall. You'd have to ask OM about that.
The thing I could never get to work was just getting a texture to show up on the model in the game. I tried all sorts of things, reported what I did to OM, and all that but I still could never get it to work. Someone said, I think it might have been OM even, that they were able to get a texture to show up. I asked a couple or so times what steps were taken to get this to happen and I never got a response. :-(
I didn't bother with trying animations because I couldn't even get the textures to show up. I don't mind using Blender and 3dmax 3 to get models in game but it would've been nice to be able to get them in straight from Blender. :-)
It looks like OM is not even around anymore. It shows his last activity in August. Oh well, I was glad he at least took a shot at it.
Check the .blend file included in that link i just posted.
The model DOES open in game with a texture.
I'm not a tester or anything but I have a problem to report that may or may not be related to your exporter. Either way this is probably the best place to post it. I have been learning how to get my models working in game and I've run into a problem. I have a vehicle and all the hardpoints work and it flies upright and straight and all that, but the eyepoint, no matter how much I rotate it, it always looks up, like I leaned my head way back. I've tried many different strategies but it never works. So...that's my problem and i would be grateful for any help.
OM, any chance of a BZ2 Blender IMPORTER? The problem we seem to have around here is that we can't get models BACK into modelling programs without using a copy of 3DE, which is a pain.
Clavin if you can post your blend file I can take a look and see if I can help.
Unfortunately, asking OM to make an importer is more work then he has time for. I'd be grateful to just have a working exporter. From the posts I've seen the current exporter just needs a bit of tweaking by OM or someone else that can edit the python script that OM created to fix the rotation and scale numbers that seems to be the source of problems with getting the animation issue done.
Was there also an issue with textures as well? I'll try converting a textured 3ds model made in Truespace with OM's exporter to see for my self if textures are a problem as other peeps have indicated.
I guess if anything is ever going to get done then other peeps need to some testing to give OM some feedback on what to modify in the script the exporter uses.
It would be nice if other Blender users could post some models and other related files for us to examine and perhaps this might help to see from different perspectives things the original model maker may be missing. BNG.
Here's a zipped OM exported XSI. Apparently, there is an issue with textures not getting exported as the model I used was created with TS 7.6 exported as 3ds, imported into B3d complete with texture and exported with OM's XSI exporter. Note: The unit loaded fine in the BZII map editor minus the camo texture that I originally applied in Truespace.
http://cid-380832c976843acb.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/BNG%5E4s%20BZII%20Models%20and%20Props%20for%20other%20BZII%20Modders/ivhawkom.zip (http://cid-380832c976843acb.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/BNG%5E4s%20BZII%20Models%20and%20Props%20for%20other%20BZII%20Modders/ivhawkom.zip)
Is anyone else having a problem in which each sub-object is rotated -90 degrees on the x-axis when you export from blender? Like, even if the subobject's rotational transform in blender is set to 0, it still comes out as -90 in the .xsi file. And this isn't a problem that I can fix by just rotating the whole object 90 degrees because when I have a hierarchy of subobjects, each parent that remains rotated effectively rotates its child in addition to the rotation that the child is stuck with. Sorry, I know that isn't a very good explanation so, imagine a model made of a long chain of pieces that should all lay flat. While the model lies flat in blender, it curls up like a rolled up tube of toothpaste in BZ2.
In the xsi file, each transform matrix looks something like this:
FrameTransformMatrix
{
1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,
0.000000,-0.000000,-1.000000,0.000000,
0.000000,1.000000,-0.000000,0.000000,
0.000000,0.629800,0.000000,1.000000;;
If I manually change each matrix to something like this:
FrameTransformMatrix
{
1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,
0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,
0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,
0.000000,0.629800,0.000000,1.000000;;
Then my model looks fine in bz2.
C12, seems to be having a similar issue with the hp_eyepoint being off. It may be a Blender issue, but I don't really have a clue. 3ds files seem to import well into Blender, but still have no visible texture on the model in BZII.
To date the best luck I've had is exporting X models out of GSL/TS7.6, editing the HP's with Notepad, and converting that with Threed to XSI; It's not perfect, but at least I can definately say the models work in BZII complete with textures.
I can probably also use/do X animated models in BZII minus any textures of course; still trying to figure out that buggy problem though. Hopefully, OM will have some time to read some of our posts and offer some feedback on what to look for when we convert models using the XSI converter out of blender.
I've got my fingers crossed, but I'm not holding my breath for anything to happen with the exporter any time soon. Sadly, I've had more success using the X format then trying to use XSI model files other then using Threed converted ones?
I've tried everything. I highly doubt the eyepoint problem's on my end.
A normal frametransormmatrix looks like this
FrameTransformMatrix
{
1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,
0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,
0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,
0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;
nice diagonal line of +1's
If anything is still pointing the wrong way with it like this, it is because you built it the wrong way round.
Most programs want you to build bz2 units with their nose pointing up.
Up is relative to what? In TS up is actually down when viewed from the overhead view. The reference must be based on the programs own axis system and then of course each object can have these too. It really does seem quite complicated considering each program operates on it's own set of standards...sanity it's does a body good!
In TS I keep the object info window visible, so that I'm always able to view the objects xyz rotation. The same box displays other useful info like part name, position and size; I just move it out of the way as needed when I construct new models. One useful thing I figured out is to load an existing BZII model (in the same workspace) in COB or 3DS form to reference from as I make or copy parts from it. Works pretty well on especially complicated BZII models.
QuoteUp is relative to what?
Up? no idea.
Relative to LOD models!
As you may discover at some point LOD models
ignore any settings in FrameTransformMatrix!
So you build a nice detailed Tank and point it the right way, and then a Lod model for it. but what ever you do the LOD model points the way it was built, by bz2's rules.
So you have to build the main model the right way too or the LOD model will always be the wrong way round.
If you set the FrameTransformMatrix as above and your model points the right way, then you got it right :)
In lithunwrap I have to build .3ds with +z pointing down +y forward.
Alternatively I have to build .obj with +y pointing up and +z forward.
No Idea what your modeling program does.
Standards are for people who want their products to work well with other peoples products, for some strange reason software producers seem to find this a threatening concept and much prefer protectionism...