3D model formats

[XeryusTC]

Seniltai has been working quite hard the past week on TRoS and we are now able to load .3ds files. They can't be loaded fully yet because we don't have a method of storing materials yet. Hopefully that will be done soon (with the shader system), and hopefully there are many other formats to come.

A list of possible model formats:

• 3ds

Could a mod make this a sticky?

[Arathorn]

.blend
.obj

[trainboy2004]

.dae for Collada users
.skp for freeware Sketchup users
.p3d for Gmax users

[Belgabor]

I would strongly recommend to forget about reading blend, skp and dae.

- blend is Blenders internal format, it can change at their developers discretion. I remember reading in a Blender related forum someone mentioning this (reading blend) was a bad idea.
- skp is a closed spec. Google is releasing a closed library for it, but that doesn't change the fact. While SketchUp was still "ungoogled" I did some research on the topic and basically got the information that even if you signed the (then needed) NDA and got the spec, the format was so complex you didn't want to try to read it.
- dae is an open format, but the spec is huge, as is the OS library implementing it.

All of the formats have in common that they are much too complex (in matters what they can contain) for sane import into a 3D game.

You should agree on what features you need for TE and find or create a format that supports them but not (much) more. Personally I went for the "create own format" solution for my purposes, but it's for you to decide. Both Blender and SketchUp are scriptable, so it's some effort but not impossible (Although I personally think supporting a direct path from SU to low-poly apps is a bad idea).

But if you want to go for one of these formats, choose dae. Blender has a plugin for dae export and SU supports it natively (in form of GE4 kmz).

[NukeBuster]

This topic is slightly outdated. Please check the Transport Empire graphics forum.

On the note of formats:

...
- Format is irrelevant as long as it is relatively common or can be converted to a common format (blender, maya, 3d studio etc).
...

AFAIK Ogre is already able to convert much of these formats to something Ogre compatible. Otherwise if you are willing to contribute code to the Transport Empire project it would be greatly appreciated.

[Belgabor]

Unfortunately I currently don't have enough time for the projects I already promised to work on

Ogre indeed supports a lot of 3D formats and has a Blender export plugin for it's own format. The problem (which I'm hesitant to bring up as I don't really know the forum here yet) is whether using Ogre (and in fact any existing engine) is a wise choice. I'm somewhat involved in the tpb3d project and we had the very same discussions, but our lead (and honestly atm only) developer rose very valid points that all current engines won't do in the long run. The major point was them being targetted for FPS-like scenarios, which can optimize based on assumptions that don't hold true for strategy games like tpb3d (and probably TE as well).

[uzurpator]

Unfortunately I currently don't have enough time for the projects I already promised to work on

Ogre indeed supports a lot of 3D formats and has a Blender export plugin for it's own format. The problem (which I'm hesitant to bring up as I don't really know the forum here yet) is whether using Ogre (and in fact any existing engine) is a wise choice. I'm somewhat involved in the tpb3d project and we had the very same discussions, but our lead (and honestly atm only) developer rose very valid points that all current engines won't do in the long run. The major point was them being targetted for FPS-like scenarios, which can optimize based on assumptions that don't hold true for strategy games like tpb3d (and probably TE as well).

We are writing a game, not a game engine. I personally can dip 4-8 hours weekly to this project. Wasting that time to make another engine is a pointless endevour. It is much wiser to write a game and deal with some inefficiences in the process.

[charlieg]

I would like to know whether the tpb3d developer had any facts to hand for his analysis of OGRE3D being FPS-specialized/-optimized or whether he just assumed this. OGRE3D has been in development for a long time and all-manner of genres of games (and non-games) have been created using it. Any such fears that it is not up to the task are, frankly, irrational.

If he thinks he can reproduce countless man-years of programming, he is delusional. It's good to see uzurpator has a much more pragmatic outlook.

[Plastikman]

I think as long as you stick to any of the popular formats. you should be ok. especially if you choose to go with a blender format or a 3DS format. everything should be fine. with a few exception. a few programs can expot to other formats and just make a mess. (Sketchup pro to 3Ds for example.)

Just out of curiosity. are you going to actually have true 3d objects driving all over in a GTA (3-current), a semi fake 3D like SC4, or a 3d flattened to sprite style like ttd/loco on import?

[Illegal_Alien]

Sketchup to 3DS isnt that bad, as long as you know what to do in sketchup to make it work