thanks to that incredible tutorial im bragging about... theres 2 versions of the penguin model, one is a BZ2 compatible one (only 284 faces, 259 vertices). and then there is a high resolution one, (1076 faces, 1085 vertices)
eventually im going to animate the penguin and turn it into a creature for BZ2. you want penguins! not ice rhinos!
BZ2 Compatible Penguin
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff29/thejamsh/bz2penguin.jpg)
Hi Res Penguin Model
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff29/thejamsh/hirespenguin.jpg)
there is a tutorial on the wiki book for making this penguin as i have here. my bragging concept is it took about 15 mins to make from scratch. i am very pleased considering ive had blender for less than a week.
An animated penguin in bz2?? jesus - how are you gonna get it to animate?? You will need an exporter that does SI vertex anims.
Which my exporter can hopefully do (although I doubt it does it correct right now, would be good to use as a tester).
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I may just look into Blender now, OM, as 3ds Max is doomed to an eternity of no Vertex Animation as far as I've looked into it without having to resort to trying to learn to script...... (Using "Skin" crashed my version). So you may be hearing from me on that.
If it is proven that you can successfully export Vtex Animation from blender, I may join you too, despite just getting my hands on 3dsmax 9.
Any chance of a 3dsmax XSI exporter vtex anim update OM?? :-D
No, as OM doesn't have the code on him to make the needed exporter......
If OM's exporter can do vertex animations, I would need a way to get my models into blender from their origin in 3DSMax or Rhino.
Blender imports 3ds files :-D.
VSMIT.
I am thinking I can do all the modelling and animations in 3dsmax, then import them into blender and export.
Lady man 1: "whats on the tv?"
Lady man 2: "it looks like a penguin"
TV *and now, the penguin on your televion set will explode*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwTqC2T6q4E
BBB, unless your making your animations contain vertex movements, I would sugest exporting the XSI from max.
Yes I know N1. I do like 10 max xsi exports a day.
But the max exporter doesnt handle vtex animations and therefore I may have just found a way to get them into bz2, via blender.
I want penguins!
...not just any penguins...
PENGUINS WITH LASER BEAMS!!!!!!!!penguins
Batman anyone?
2 days till Batman release. Can't wait!!!
hey i had been thinking about making a gorilla with laser eyes but sadly i can't really model to well
im not yet certain how to do animations yet. im still finishing the modelling tutorial, then comes materials, lighting then animation.
blender is not as difficult to use as you think. it just takes patience. the only problem i have atm is remembering what buttons are where...
I'm sure I've probably posted this before but if not here it is anyways. It's a link to a list of the hotkeys for Blender.
http://members.chello.nl/j.kassenaar/blender/hotkeys/kall.htm (http://members.chello.nl/j.kassenaar/blender/hotkeys/kall.htm)
Where can I get the xsi exported OM??
Look on his website. (http://www.overminddl1.com)
VSMIT.
Tried it.. dont work.
I imported a 3ds file and tried to export it from blender.
Both are here:
http://files.filefront.com/vtexBLENDzip/;11080075;/fileinfo.html (http://files.filefront.com/vtexBLENDzip/;11080075;/fileinfo.html)
The xsi is a joke.
What don't work about it?
VSMIT.
No, what do work about it?
Look at the xsi file.
What is wrong with it? BZ2 likes it just fine.
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No animation + wont open in threed.
Open the xsi with notepad. Look at the structure.
Back when OM first released his Blender exporter, he told everybody that the xsi format was just a little different from what Threed can read, so it can't open it. So your only problem is the no animation.
VSMIT.
he did say threed cant open it,,, and yeh ive tried. ive also attempted importing in .3ds format things get messed up... i can import lightwave files into blender well, and .obj. .3ds is a pain though..
OM also hasnty perfected animation yet if i remember rightly. why bother editing in notepad anyway when you can do it in 3DS??
OM actually did something genious Boogie, its a .xsi format fit to work with BZ2 (and only?).
The true reason animation doesn't work is becasue too little of us have even messed with it in blender, so OM didn't see anythign to fix..... Also, you can set EVERYTHING up in blender... hardpoints, sections, etc., so you DON'T need to open it in threed or notepad.
But the only reason I would bother importing it and exporting from blender is to get vertex animations working.. and you are telling me that they dont work anyway.
Looks like I'm back to square one.
As stated, they do not work because I have not had any people that are knowledgeable in that area helping me.
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King Koda cant do absoloutely everything by himself?? I am shocked!!! :lol:
@OM...
can you save BZ2 .xsi's... open them in 3DE, save them to an importable format that also imports animations and play with it that way?
I am an INTJ, as such I explicitly say what I know I can and cannot do. :)
Er... what are you talking about TheJamsh?
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Quote from: TheJamsh on July 17, 2008, 06:28:16 PM
can you save BZ2 .xsi's... open them in 3DE, save them to an importable format that also imports animations and play with it that way?
Only problem with that being the fact that even if you get animations in the files, the exporter won't export them...
VSMIT.
never mind... i think im talking rubbish... it was a long day
I've made a quick model in Blender, how do I get it into BZII?
(I've found File --> Export and tried to export in .XSI and .X files but Threed does not recognise the files, "not a valid file")???
Thats because Threed = Fecal Matter.
But it should still atleast fake an attempt to open them if they're remotely good.
Hmm... Did you use the X2XSI program on the X files?
no I just exported them in .X format ie: tank.x
(what should I use instead of Threed?)
Thats a good question.... GBD?
where can I find the X2XSI program?
Doesn't 1.3 recognize the .X models so you don't have to convert to .XSI? Am I missing something? Am curious as I want to make soime terrain objects so my question is how to export terrain out of an existing map and do the round trip edit into/out of blender?
Centerline...
1- Export the terrain from bz2.
2- Convert it to a format blender can read (.3ds) using 3Dex.
3- Import it into blender and do what you want.
4- Export it to XSI from blender using OM's exporter.
Ah! Where is OM's (overmind?) exporter?
I've been out of it so long, so, how do I export the terrain? I didn't find it in the console commands. And, can you point me to 3dex?
Thanks,
Centerline...
editor.environ.export
go to 'addon' and it will be there called 'terrain.xsi'. It comes with 'terrain.odf' free of charge. ;)
For more information go here: http://zeroangel.overminddl1.com/features/lizard/specialtechs.php (http://zeroangel.overminddl1.com/features/lizard/specialtechs.php)
http://dutch-boy.com/3De/ (http://dutch-boy.com/3De/) - A whole bunch of old 3Dex trials. Use it quick as it only lasts a month.
"4- Export it to XSI from blender using OM's exporter."
Where is this found??
Quote from: VSMIT on July 16, 2008, 12:23:18 AM
Look on his website. (http://www.overminddl1.com)
VSMIT.
I didnt even have to leave the topic!! I suggest you look first, ask questions if you can't find anything.
OK. I've been there but cannot seem to find this .XSI converter, the only download I've found is just a page of text... Apparently I need to put hardpoints in using blender as this .xsi converter wont open in Threed. How is this done?
http://www.overminddl1.com/forum/index.php/topic,694.msg4731.html#msg4731 (http://www.overminddl1.com/forum/index.php/topic,694.msg4731.html#msg4731)
Took me all of 30 seconds.
Very good, but "BZ2Exporter242" gives me a HTML word file as per last post and the other dload is a blender file of a tank? :-)
What the heck is an "HTML word file"?
And I just downloaded it again, same link as he posted, downloads just fine.
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Well, it starts like this.........
and goes on for several pages??
#!BPY
""" Registration info for Blender menus:
Name: 'BZ2XSI(.xsi)...'
Blender: 242
Group: 'Export'
ToolTip: 'Export to BZ2's file format.'
"""
__author__ = "OvermindDL1"
__url__ = ("Author's site, http://www.OvermindDL1.com/")
__version__ = "0.1"
__bpydoc__ = """\
This scripts exports in Battlezone 2's mesh import file format, XSI 1.1.
Notes:<br>
Check author's site for a new beta version of the BZ2 exporter.
"""
# BZ2Exporter.py version 0.1
# Copyright (C) 2006 OvermindDL1 -- OvermindDL1@gmail.com
#
# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
# (at your option) any later version.
#
# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
# GNU General Public License for more details.
# This script exports meshes created with Blender in BZ2 XSI 1.1 file format,
# it exports meshes,armatures,materials,normals,texturecoords and animations
# (hopefully)
# Grab the latest version at: www.overminddl1.com
import Blender
from Blender import Types, Object, NMesh, Material,Armature,Mesh,IpoCurve
from Blender.Mathutils import *
from Blender import Draw, BGL
from Blender.BGL import *
import math
import os
import struct
# TODO: Cleanup the global's I'm no longer using, don't touch the ones I am using...
# TODO: Add support for specying animation speed, enabling/disabling dummy frame (var already exists), etc...
global mat_flip,index_list,space,bone_list,mat_dict
global anim,flip_norm,swap_yz,flip_z,speed,ticks,addDummyRoot
bone_list =[]
index_list = []
mat_dict = {}
#BZ2 requires swap_yz to be 1...
space = 0;flip_z = 1;anim=1;swap_yz=1;flip_norm=0;speed=0;ticks=25;addDummyRoot=1
toggle_val = 1
toggle1_val = 0
toggle2_val = 0
toggle3_val = 1
toggle4_val = 1
anim_tick = Draw.Create(25)
def my_callback(filename):
if filename.find('.xsi', -4) <= 0: filename += '.xsi'
#bz2export = bz2Export(filename)
#bz2export = bz2XsiExport(filename)
bz2export = bz2XsiOptimizedExporter(filename)
#bz2export.SelectObjs()
bz2export.ExportAll()
def my_callback_sel(filename):
if filename.find('.xsi', -4) <= 0: filename += '.xsi'
#bz2export = bz2Export(filename)
bz2export = bz2XsiExport(filename)
bz2export.ExportSelected()
def event(evt, val):
if evt == Draw.ESCKEY:
Draw.Exit()
return
That is if I've got the right link??
You have to 'save as' and put the file into your blender plugins folder with all the other python scripts.
I've put it in C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\python25.zip (Zip folder) (blencer --> plugins doesnt have anything in it...)
with 28? other .py files. I suppose when I goto File --> Export it will have BZII converter (or something similar) but theres nothing new (I think)
Anyway, I've heard that once converted, you cannot view the .xsi file in Threed because the file is "optimised" (for want of a better word) for BZII. How do you put hardpoints in a unit, do they have to be seperate objects (I've sort of picked up they need to be triangle things in the chassis of the unit) Is there a guide type thing for this anywhere?
you have to do that in blender. blender can do it all.
remember that OM's exporter doesnt work with textures or animations yet (not completely anyway, the only advanced blender user i know of is Dia and hes never really around...).
It still worked with textures for me, the coords seemed slightly off, but all of the models I tried making had textures...
And where are you getting python25.py? Your plugins directory should be in a place like: C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\.blender\scripts\
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Yes, I've put it in there now, but where in blender do I access the "Exporter"?
EDIT: found it! =D
Is there a tutorial that explains how to mae BZII units with blender?
I'm starting to pop around more again but I was never able to get the exporter to work correctly with textures.
OM, could you explain your steps to get the texture working correctly so that you can see it in the editor please. I want to see if I was doing something wrong. I'll give it a try again a little bit later tonight to refresh my memory because I haven't tried to use it for a while.
Dia
Does this help you Nick?
Dia
(http://dianoga4.homestead.com/files/Blender_screenshot.jpg)
I get "Python Script error check console" when trying to export.
EDIT AGAIN: I've got Blender 2.45, do I need 2.42? I'll look for it....
EDIT AGAIN: I've now got 2.42 but same error.......
Do you have python installed? What does the error say in the console window?
Also just tried the exporter again and still couldn't get the texture to show up. Please let us know the steps you take to get the texture to show up OM, thanks.
Dia
EDIT: Ive fixed all problems and can now import a unit without textures/colours or weapons :-D :-D :-D. Could someone please explain how this is done?
What was that script error and how did you fix it?
And you can still place hp's in B3D like in 3ds max or softimage, so those tutorials will still work (just different terminology and such).
When I get some time again I will try to create a quick example of making one with a texture.
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Thx OM, I dont think there was even a real problem as I can load the (white) model successfully. I'll look for these hard point tutorials, cant seem to find any, tried searching "hardpoint" and "hard point" I've only got general details, I think it has to be a separate object, but can it be made on the same screen as the tank or does it have to be a seperate blender file (called hp_cannon_01 and hp_cannon_02 etc..?) It seems although there is no required shape, a triangle is common (how to determine the direction it fires?)
Oh well, I'll keep looking....
Blender, is a bit of challenge to keep using, i.e., too many things to remember. Every time I walk away from it for a while, and then come back again; it's like I have to relearn it all over again.
I have a demo version of Lightwave 8.5 and it's easier to use then Blender. This version of LW 8.5 exports in 3DS as well. It's also free at www.newtek.com/lightwave if anybody wants to obtain a demo CD directly from NewTek. The UI is very similar to SI3D, and is pretty well document with sufficient help files to get a new modeler started. PS: It also exports in LW 5, OBJ, and several other Blender importable formats. Update: The help files have some useful modeling definitions defined that help explain some of the terms I've heard tossed around by various other modders about stuff like bounding box, alpha channel, etc.
The way I see it use a modeler your comfortable with to make your models, import them into B3D, and then use the OM XSI exporter to finish the model for use with BZII. A side benefit would be that you would not need to learn a complex modeler like B3D just to test a single export module. Personally, I prefer using GSL which exports in X format and which B3D imports without a problem. GSL, is also easy to learn by non modeling idiots like myself; no pun intended...BNG.
id like a specific BZII model compatible tutorial for blender... my textures havent shown up at all. one of my models has gone nuts (it was an imported terrain frame from a BZII model)
Like GSL, nobody seems to use B3D for BZII model making. You may have to write the tutorial yourself TJ; like I've attempted doing with GSL and Truespace 3.2. I also started getting the hang of LW 8.5, but it's way more complex then GSL or TS 3.2, but I'm going to attempt that along with learning more about B3D as well.
I can do animations in GSL already, so if the X importer in B3D works as advertised then exporting to OM's XSI exporter should be fairly easy to test out in getting animations into the game engine without too many problems. I should also be able to test out the texture thingy too as most of my X models have them already applied to the models. I would imagine that the files can also be saved in Blenders native format as well after they're imported.
PS: LW 8.5 includes a separate utility called, Layout; LW's equivalent of a Key Frame Editor. From what I've read it looks fairly simple to use. The help files include a basic tutorial on how to use the application to animate simple objects. Good luck with the tutorial and please post it if you figure things out with Blender...BNG.
I only use Blender for making any models I make be it for Battlezone2 or Project Visitor (the other game I work on). Currently yes I have to export them and then import them into 3d studio max to use their exporters but I still make the initial model and texture for it in Blender. I haven't done much in the way of animations for BZ2 but it would be nice to have an exporter that exports straight out from Blender.
I can get hovertank type vehicles to work easily using the exporter, but still the texture doesn't show up. Once I can get the textures to show up then I want to make sure the animated textures for the treads will work.
Dia
OM, on your forums, the last post in the thread about the B3D exporter you say........
QuoteA texture does appear for me, but BZ2 seems to be using the center pixel, instead of properly extrapolating. I noticed that but can't seem to figure out what causes it, even tried textures from the ivscout00 as well, ditto.
What do you mean by this? That you can see the texture on the model in the editor and it's just not lining up correctly or?
EDIT** Just tried the exporter again and I still can't get any textures to show up in the editor. I tried doing a couple of different things in Blender but still the same result.
Dia
Apparently, to add harpoints is done similarily on all 3D modeling programs. Could someone explain how this is done?
i just copy an hp from an existing model in notepad and paste it and move it to proper place in notepad.
I've sorted hardpoints :-D by trial and error, now just to sort the textures.... It would be great if you could sort that texture 'tutorial' OM.
Well.... I thought I've sorted hardpoints... my first trial was a simple hover unit, one piece and a small triangle in it for the hardpoint, worked fine. Now I've made a unit similar to a Sabre, with a Gun mounted in the middle rear. Except when I load the game the gun... falls off... and lands on the ground, which is where the At-stab comes from when I fire (ie the ground where the unit was placed)... hmmm maybe it's because the gun is hollow? Does it have to be solid? I'll try that out. Any ideas anyone?
Sounds like you didn't make the mainbody a parent of the turret which would be a parent of the hp.
Ive stopped the gun falling off by making part of the chassis but the hp still "falls out"... re the parent thing, this means?...
You didn't set up the parent/child relation. Everything is falling to root because of that.
The HP must be a child of something...
ok, I'll try and work that out?...
does this line in .odf file have anything to do with it?
weaponMask = 00011
no no
its like a heirachy in the models file. go into the blender OOPS schematic and you should be able to see the heirachy of youre model. you can see how heirachies should be organised by looking at BZII XSI's in Threed.
read the blender turotial on wikipedia about the hat and the simple person. it tells you how to parent objects fairly easily.
So far I've had better luck not parenting anything in Blender. Dunno why but everything seems work without me parenting it so far.
Dia
N53, how are you making your models? I've never seen parts of the model fall off before...fire in the wrong direction yes, but never just fall off. I'm not sure about B3D, but in other modeling applications separate parts of the model need to linked together by gluing them together as either siblings or children of a parent like the main body or turret assembly. This ties them all together along with the hp_points for things like weapons, etc.
@ Dia, i think it only happens if you add a dummyroot frame, not sure as i havent got anything but a cube into the game yet...
Quote from: TheJamsh on July 25, 2008, 12:07:44 PM
read the blender turotial on wikipedia about the hat and the simple person. it tells you how to parent objects fairly easily.
Thanks
I use the dummyroot option all the time and it seems to work fine.
Nick parenting is fairly easy. Being lazy, I copied this from another post I made explaining it not that long ago....
To link objects to other objects (parenting), select an object, hold down shift and select another object. You can do this with multiple objects. Whatever object you selected last will end up being the parent of the rest that you have selected. Press Ctrl-P and a pop up will ask you if you want to "Make Parent" and then just press OK. Done. You should see a perferated(sp?) line going from the child objects to the parent object. Also if you want to quickly double check, select the parent object and move it around. All the objects that are linked to it should move as well.
To name objects, select and object and press "N". The Transform Properties window should pop up and in the top left corner you will see a small box with OB:. This is the object name. Click the box and rename it whatever you want. You will also notice the Par: box beside it. If that object is linked or parented to another object it will show the name of the parent object.
Hope that helps.
Dia
ive just moved over to 3DS max 7... OOO working textures =]!
Well if OM could show us the steps that he used to get the textures to show up with his exporter, I could test the animated textures as well. Just waiting on OM.
Dia
Yes, I've got units and hps all sorted just trying to work out the textures...
I should have some quick time tomorrow evening...
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Are any of you making pickles? I think a person could learn a LOT about blender by striving to make the most militant pickle imaginable.
Quote from: AcneVulgaris on July 27, 2008, 05:04:40 AM
Are any of you making pickles? I think a person could learn a LOT about blender by striving to make the most militant pickle imaginable.
:lol:
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lole lole lole, oh BBB cheers for the ship :D
Did you get a chance to do this OM?
Dia
Not yet...
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:-( (no hurry)
I'd still love to see a BZII XSI importer developed for B3D. It would make wanting to learn Blender a whole lot easier to swallow. Blender, is a complicated modeler that the average BZII modder tries to avoid given the easier 3D model making alternatives. Perhaps if we all get on our knees, whimper a Little, and beg a whole lot OM might look into seeing how difficult it would be to modify his exporter script to make importing XSI files a possibility? BNG, drops down and whimpers oh please, please, please...gimme what's in the box. PS: I can help wonder if it's even doable?
XSI is parsing text, which is very ugly. There are other paths to convert them anyway (3dex for example).
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@ BNG.
use 3Dex to convert them to lightwave, maybe even a later version of .XSI format, and you can import that into blender. i found lightwave to be the best as objects dont get pulled to the center...
I tried converting a working animated X file into XSI using OM's exporter without success. Blender, somehow screwed up the file along with the animation. What gives? Why do importers/exporters always seem to screw up things when things are they are converted from one format to another? Any insight on what a modeler can do to minimize these kinds of issues?
PS: 3DEX doesn't seem to like the LWO version 5 file format that my Lightwave demo version exports, but seems to love the OBJ format of said program much more. It also exports to 3DS and I may have to try that next. Are there export formats that accurately translate animated files correctly or is this issue pretty common when converting file between different formats? Truly it's very frustrating for the average modeler trying to find workable solutions for doing any kind of animation for the game...BNG.
Any chance to try it out yet OM?
Dia
QuoteBlender, somehow screwed up the file along with the animation. What gives? Why do importers/exporters always seem to screw up things when things are they are converted from one format to another?
The question is how did it screw it up?
If you just wound up with the first (or last) frame it is probably because parenting was lost.
If your animations just don't work it may be that frame/mesh names have been truncated, or changed.