Monkey Frog Studio

Sorry, man. I was trying to help. I don't get the angst, actually. I was just trying to let you know that there will be ways to get your models into whatever format you need for Leadwerks. In any case, it's all good ...

That shouldn't be a worry for you, thankfully. As I pointed out above, just about every modeling program out there supports it. A quick Google search shows that there are some apps for converting to glTF (i.e. import your FBX into the app, spit out glTF). So, even if glTF were to become the only format that Leadwerks were to use (and Josh as stated this won't be the case), then there would be ways to convert your models over. Best of all, glTF is modern, so it supports PBR materials and the like ... straight from your modeling/texturing app (MODO, Substance Painter, etc.). So, once we get Turbo, we can drop our fully PBR models right into it via glTF. glTF should ultimately make things easier on us 3D content creators. And from what I've been hearing from Josh, it should make life easier for him, too.

glTF is on v2.0. So, while it's not exactly new, v2.0 is taking off like wildfire. Unreal and Unity now support glTF import (though I think Unreal's support is experimental at this point, though they are planning full implementation soon). MODO, a 3D modeler by Foundry, exports both glTF and glB (the version of glTF for posting live 3D content to Facebook and other places). Substance Painter exports glTF natively. Ultimate Unwrap 3D just added glTF to their formats in their last release. I believe that 3D Coat supports glTF export as well. There are glTF exporters for Blender (by Khronos, who makes glTF) and for Max, Maya, and just about everyone else via the BabylonJS plugin. What this means is that, even now, exporting from just about any modern 3D tool to glTF is possible. glTF is doing what .dae (Collada) was not able to do ... become a true, universal 3D format exchange. It's powerful in that an entire scene (geometry, materials - including full PBR support, animations, and more) can be exported in one shot. Of course, you can just export a model, too, if that's all you need. Best of all, it's free and open. If you've not heard of glTF, then it's a great idea to become familiar with it. So, yeah, I know a little about glTF. I've been using it for several months now on a project getting assets out of MODO (and now Blender) and into the Godot engine.

glTF 2.0 is pretty darned robust. I love using it (where I can). FBX is fickle and there are a zillion versions of it. Often, when FBX fails, one of the first questions asked is, "Which version of FBX are you exporting to?" Ugh! Hey! At least you're not forcing us to use .x like another engine I know about.

Here are a few more items created for The Seventh World game!

EDIT: I've added new images of new items below! Hello! Below are some screen shots of a few items I created (modeled and textured) for The Seventh World. Everything was created in Blender (even painted the textures there). I hope you enjoy them because they were a lot of fun to make! I'm exited to see where SpiderPig takes The Seventh World!

That's what I figured, so thanks for confirming this. So, that's what the API is for in the docs, to point out the LUA commands that are not native to LUA itself, but are only for Leadwerks. I suppose this means that, once I am more familiar with working in LUA that I could potentially adapt other (non-Leadwerks) scripts to work in Leadwerks, if I wanted to?

Hello. I am (slowly, between projects) learning LUA scripting. Well, I've not done anything yet, but read a portion of the docs. I do have a question, though. So, please forgive me if it is ignorant. When learning LUA scripting in Leadwerks, are there parts of scripting that ONLY work in Leadwerks? In other words, are there LUA keywords (not sure what they correct term is here) that are ONLY used in Leadwerks? And, thus, will the scripts I create ONLY be usable in Leadwerks and not in, say, another engine that also uses LUA scripting? Again, sorry if this is a dumb question, but I was thinking about this.

That's exciting! I can't wait to test this. I love working with glTF because it just simplifies a lot of what I do.

Thanks. It was talked about here: https://www.leadwerks.com/community/topic/17521-test-objects-from-blender-not-selectable-in-viewports/

Thanks for the reply, Josh. I do have a question/observation, and that's mainly because I am not the brightest bulb in the pack (and not yet a programmer). I hear what you're saying about this being a code problem and not a problem with my art pipeline, but isn't this something more than a LUA issue? Isn't this more of a Leadwerks issue? The reason I say this is because I am importing an FBX file from TWO DIFFERENT sources and getting TWO DIFFERENT outcomes. The FBX file from Blender cannot be selected in the Leadwerks' editor's viewports. That's not a LUA issue, right? The FBX file from MODO can be selected in the Leadwerks' editor, but it cannot be picked up in-game. That could be a code issue. However, the FBX file from Blender CAN BE picked up in-game. This seems to indicate that there is something going on either with Blender's FBX export, MODO's FBX export, or Leadwerks' FBX import (or all of the above?). Else, each FBX file would be the same in Leadwerks. From MODO I tried two different FBX exporters ... FBX 2015 and FBX 2018. Both give me the same results (can be selected in the Leadwerks' editor's viewport, cannot be picked up in-game no matter what is set for mass).

Thanks. I appreciate the input. And I agree, it looks like all my current issues are with collision hulls, which appear to not be operating correctly.

Additional information - If I open the object in the Leadwerks' model viewer, collapse the model, and add a basic physics object (box, etc.), the objects can then be picked up. So, here's what's going on in Leadwerks 4.5: Blender objects (with collision hulls made in Blender) operate normally in-game (can be collided with and can be picked up, depending on mass), but cannot be selected in the Leadwerks viewport (only in the Leadwerks scene tree). Collapsing them and adding a basic physics object (box, etc.) fixes the viewport selecting issue. Modo objects (with collision hulls made in Modo) can be collided with in-game, but cannot be picked up via pressing "E". They can be selected in the Leadwerks' viewport and scene tree with no issues. Collapsing the model in the model viewer and adding a basic physics object (box, etc.) allows the object to then be picked up in-game. Do any objects imported into Leadwerks via FBX work correctly when you make a custom collision hull for them (if both the object and collision hull are exported at the same time)? For most instances, using the basic physics object will be fine as simple shapes will be all I'll need. But there will be times when a custom collision hull will be needed. So, what's the answer here?

Alright, I am running into a different issue than the one from Blender I had started a thread on last week or so. I am testing getting 3D objects from MODO to Leadwerks via FBX. So, far, the model comes into Leadwerks at the correct size. If I have a "child" object named "collisionhull", then collision works perfectly in Leadwerks. And, unlike the Blender objects, I can select the models from MODO in Leadwerk's viewports without an issue. BUUUUUT ... there is another issue. Using the stock fpsplayer model, I cannot PICK UP the objects exported from MODO. For example, when I am close to an object with physics set to Rigid Body, Collision Type set to Prop, and a mass other than 0.0, a "hand" icon appears indicating I can pick up the object by pressing the "E" key. Hey! It's fun to toss stuff around, right? With the objects exported from Blender, this works perfectly. However, with the objects exported from MODO, the hand icon does not appear and pressing "E" does nothing. Everything else works. I can push the object around by walking into it. I just can't pick it up like I can other objects. So, any ideas here? I've attached the test model. ModoCube2.fbx

I've not the knowledge (yet) to really talk about the Flow Graph, but I like the idea. I like the idea of reusable code and of "generic" code that serves a simple purpose that can be used over and over and linked up (via the Flow Graph) as needed. Code the door opening code once and use it for every single door you have. Make the LUA code so you can access variables in the Scene Editor so you can adjust the code (like the door opening upward, downward, left, right, or swinging open). So, with this way of working, you code once and use over and over again, using the Flow Graph to link up triggers, switches, pressure plates, etc., without creating new code. This could work for most things in a game, me thinks. I'll be able to speak more intelligently about it when I've actually been using both LUA and the Flow Chart. I plan to dive a bit into it this weekend.

I'm a non-programmer who has to learn (am an artist by trade). I do like the idea of the Flow Graph in general. It should make some tasks simpler (like the door/trigger example in the docs and the door/switch example you bring up). It allows for generic, re-usable scripts, which is nice and, with proper planning, could be a real time saver.

Maybe I'm missing what you're saying, but I'm not sure how it is. The model imports correctly, looks the correct scale in the Leadwerks editor, and behaves correctly when the game is run. The only issue is selecting it in the viewport. Please forgive me for being dense about this (today has not been my best day ). EDIT - I was only clicking the first link. Ugh! I'll go and read the second link you posted now ... EDIT2 - Now I see. I think I can find a way around this until Josh re-releases 4.6. Thanks!

I created the collision hull in Blender with the model by making a child of the model and renaming it to collisionhull (as per the Leadwerk's docs). Then I export it as one FBX file. Here's the link to what it says in the docs: https://www.leadwerks.com/docs.php?page=Tutorials_Editor_Models-and-Animation#section6.2

Just did another test. I double-clicked on my model in Assets to bring up the model viewer. I then went to Tools>Collapse and saved. This lost the collision hull, so I could no longer collide with my mesh in the scene, BUT I can now select it in the viewports and it turns red when selected. This makes me think it has something to do with the collision hull I created for in Blender. EDIT: I went back into the model viewer, when to Physics, and added a Sphere to it. Now I can collide with my test sphere and I can select it in the viewports and it turns red. Yay. So, I really think I've done something wrong with the collision hull when I made it in Blender with the test sphere model. I'm not sure what I did. But I want to find out because I'll be needing to create custom collision hulls for more complex models.

Another thing I've noticed - If I bring in a model that ships with Leadwerks, like one of the crate models, I can select it freely in any of the viewports. When I select it, the model turns red to indicate it is selected. My test models cannot be selected in the viewport, but can be selected in the scene tree. However, once selected in the scene tree, they do not turn red in the viewport to indicate they are selected. Even so, the move gizmo handle appears, so I can still move the model and it moves just fine. So, the model looks correct in all viewports, but I cannot select it and when selected in the scene tree, it does not turn red. I can still manipulate it (move, rotate, and scale) as long as I click+drag the gizmo handles.

I'm using the latest version. I have Steam setup to keep it updated to the latest beta. However, the latest version is v4.5 because Josh said he rolled it back from v4.6. Also, scale in Blender is set to 1.00. Just FYI.

Here you go. This should be a sphere with a collision hull on it. SphereTest.fbx

Take a look at the Doors tutorial in the Leadwerks documentation here: https://www.leadwerks.com/learn?page=Tutorials_Games_First-Person-Shooter_Doors Scroll down to the sliding door script section and it will show you how to use the Flow Graph.

Do you want the actual model (as in FBX) or would you like the files created by Leadwerks (mdl, meta, phy)? And, thanks, btw.

Actually, it looks like you are working at too small of a scale, especially with the icons looking that big. If you look to the bottom bar in the Leadwerks editor, you will see the grid size. It will say something like Grid Size: 32cm (just about a foot), Grid Size: 128cm, etc. So, in a sense your grid space represents a real-world size. Whenever I am working in the editor, the icons I see for lights, etc., are actually pretty small. And I am rarely ever zoomed in that close to the grid.