Blender 3D Exporter

[pipfromslitherine]

Thanks to our friends at Zeal we are happy to provide this exporter for the Blender 3D package. It comes with a video tutorial on how to set up a model to correctly export from Blender into the game.

You can download the exporter script from

http://www.slitherine.com/files/bbc_ba/ ... porter.zip

and download the tutorial video from:

http://www.slitherine.com/files/bbc_ba/ ... torial.zip

Hopefully this will allow even more of the very cool model creation we have already seen!

Visit Zeal at http://www.causeofwar.se

Cheers

Pip

[Merr]

Excellent News!!

Thanks Pip and all the other Slitherino's!



Thanks to the folks at Zeal !!!

EDIT : Can you make this post a STICKY ... thanks!

[junk2drive]

Good news except that I will have to find time to go back to learning blender.

[Merr]

Good news except that I will have to find time to go back to learning blender.

You might not have to ... at least not a full refresher.

My thoughts are that you use Blender for the animation and export, after you've imported the mesh from another app, like MS3D or FragMotion.

So, the only refresher would be on the bones/joints and animating portion.

[Merr]

Thanks to our friends at Zeal ...

Visit Zeal at http://www.causeofwar.se

Cheers

Pip

Pip,

Off topic ... but ... Cause Of War looks very interesting ... I'm glad they're your friends ... Adding this to my list of "must-have's".

Thanks again for your support!

[junk2drive]

I tried watching the video with WMP but only sound and a black screen. I tried Quick Time, had to download and install xvid and still sound and black screen.

I tried putting the py file with the rest of the python scripts and blender says error, not a blender file.

[junk2drive]

Tried again with WMP and it works. WMP must have needed a codec or something.

[Merr]

Junk,

Over the next couple of days I'm going to sit down and explore Blender.

I'm going to start off simple and build a stone bridge ... There seems to be a stone texture inside the metal bridge DDS.
Heck, I might even start real basic and just build a square box and work out the menu's and stuff just to get my feet wet.

I'm putting together a model of a Brummbar in MS3D ... That will be my import/export project for later on.
Also, I was looking at the Hezter next.
Then maybe that F4u Corsair or Zeke for your PAC stuff.

Eh ... I might be getting too far ahead but that's my plan for now ... I've been procrastinating about Blender long enough

I'll see if the PY fails on my end ... I think I have the latetest version of Blender ... maybe that's your problem, I dunno.

[junk2drive]

The problem is that I should have watched the video first

The biggest drawback to blender is that it is hotkey driven. And I love hotkeys. But there are lots and lots of them in combo with shift and alt and crtl. Then there are different modes and windows. I did find a couple of webpages with hotkey reference charts and lists.

If you can stick with it and remember everything it is probably a super tool.

[Merr]

Yeah ... I agree Junk ... That's why I'm looking at MS3D to design the mesh, then importing that into Blender, so the only things I need to fuss with in Blender is the animation.

Frankly, I haven't looked at it today as I would have liked too ... eventually I'll have a gander.

Maybe it's old age ... I might be one of those old dogs that doesn't want to learn new tricks

[junk2drive]

One thing that still escapes me is scale. The video shows one of CoW troops then shows them in game next to BA troops. Quite a size difference. I'm guessing that Tim1966 used blueprints and meters in Max but I don't know how to do that in blender.

[junk2drive]

There are some blender video tutorials over there that may give you a tip or two even if they are not for MS3D or FM.

http://causeofwar.se/category/tutorial

[tim1966]

One thing that still escapes me is scale. The video shows one of CoW troops then shows them in game next to BA troops. Quite a size difference. I'm guessing that Tim1966 used blueprints and meters in Max but I don't know how to do that in blender.

I used blueprints to make the models but for scale I simply imported the Churchill and scaled it against that - checked whether my vehilce is bigger or smaller and then did it by eye really.

[Merr]

Pip,

I spent a good deal of time yesterday learning Blender .... however, I get script errors running the exporter.

I'm running v2.49 and v2.57 (seperate apps) and with v2.49 I feel I need to include everything even though I'm not using it ... For example, a static object with no animation. With v2.57 it just won't work. I know the exporter is build for v2.49.

Can I reach Robin (wrote the tutorial) through here or should I post to him over at the CauseOfWar forum?

I figured they're busy, but I'd like to see a new exporter for v2.57 with a small .blend model (simple model) included that works with the script so I'll know if it's my fault or a real script error.

Thanks!

[pipfromslitherine]

Not sure - I know they are super busy, but I will ask him to pop into the thread.

Cheers

Pip

[nomet]

Not sure - I know they are super busy, but I will ask him to pop into the thread.

Cheers

Pip

yes super busy as always!

Did the video not work?
Blender 2.57 uses python 3.1 instead of 2.6 so it's some major changes to be made on our part. I can ask the programmer if he wants to do it but it's up to him.

But I will try to see if I can find a solution to your problems.

Give me a day (it's in the middle of the night here) I will have a look at it tomorrow at work.
But if you could post me screenshot of your error and your .blend file I can have a look at it.



Cheers,
Robin

[nomet]

Also here is a super good codec should make the video play.
http://www.cccp-project.net/

[Merr]

Hi Nomet !

That was fast ...

The video tutorial plays fine ... no problem, and it explains how-to just fine.
Your video doesn't look like my v2.49 ... Did you run v2.49a or b?

I'm not at my cpu right now, so no rush on your end.

When running v2.49, I thought I would try something simple and export the default CUBE, no animation, joints or bones. Immediately, when I run the script (after selecting a save filename), it gives me a script error. Unfortunately, I forgot to check the console to see what the error was, so I'll need to post that to you later, in about 4 to 5 hours.

In v2.57 (I know it's not suppose to work), the error points to line 26 ... the line that prints the filename (or perhaps pops the savefile screen).

Talk to later.

Rob

[Merr]

Nomet,

Hold the phone ! .... standby .... I'll explain ... First of all, thanks for your help! ... I'm such a noob.

Ok ... Come to find out, the correct Python wasn't installed ... well, v2.6.x wasn't ... I was running 2.5.x.
Ok ... Fixed. I've got python 2.6.6 installed.

Now ... I've got Blender, v2.4.9b installed ... so, cross your fingers ....

Ahhh ... now I'm back in business ...

Now ... I still get an error but it's my fault now (I think) ... see screenshot below.
This error can be fixed by me since the script assumed I knew what I was doing



I'll assume this is a normal error?
I just wanted to see if the basic default CUBE would work with no other action taken ... apparently not !
When I had v2.5.x of Python installed (and no Python installed) it errored out as described earlier ... obviously.

[nomet]

I have told the tech artist that he should take a look at it. try naming the material and object somthing without spaces and strange signs like. "cubnrone"