exporting problems with 3d world studio

[James Blade]

ok so after scouring the internet trying to figure out how to use the map2dif.exe for the torque game engine, i came up with is drap the map file onto the map2dif.exe and it creates the dif file.

 

problem is that when i import the dif file into torque it comes up as a white object, has shape of the object created in the studio, but i can not edit or add any textures to it. so i figured this was due to torque fading out dif support in their engine.

 

so i downloaded the evaluation version of the leadwerks engine. i then saved the wall i created for the test object in 3d world studio to the proper format for the leadwerks engine, i them placed the folder i placed both wall and texture into the folder for props i beleive it was in the leadwerks engine, opened the engine, located the test object in the library, and added it to the scene.

 

and i get same thing as i did with the torque game engine, i get a object that is all white, no texture,

i double click on it to bring up properties, and it has no properties as in the properties window is blank.

 

it is much like a ghost object it is there, but has no properties. i can not place any textures on it, and i can not edit it in any way that i can see.

 

i am running on windows 7 ultimate 64 bits, have a gtx 560 nvidia graphics card. 4 gbs of ram.

 

i do not know if this is related to my operating system, or is it a bug, or is it i am doing it wrong.

 

so if anyone has any suggestions i would like to hear them.

[Andy Gilbert]

Without trying the way you have I'm not sure about the answer. But something I could suggest to try is to export it has a map file from 3d world studio and then try to open in in torque constructor ( free from torques website) then save it out from there as a dif.

 

As for leadwerks not showing the model correctly may be down to the evaluation version and the exported type? Did you save it straight out to a gmf file?

 

Andy

[macklebee]

In Leadwerks, you must have a material file which the engine uses to assign textures and shaders to the model. To get properties to show, you must have at least the basic setup in its lua script:

require("scripts/class")
local class=CreateClass(...)

 

 

Read this: Leadwerks User Guide

[James Blade]

i tried the import into constructor from 3dws, it don't work too well, it comes up with missing pieces.

 

i copied the lua script from the locker prop and pasted it into my test wall's folder changed name on script and now i have properties for the test wall. however there is still no textures on it, and under the mat tab. the drop down menu only accepts .mat files.

 

i guess i am kind of confused here, when it states on the 3dws page how it does automatic uv mapping of objects, and then i am told i need to create a material file to assign the textures to a object. how is that automatic uv mapping. and just how is that going to work, if the object i build in 3dws has more then one texture applied to it?

[macklebee]

3dws and the LE are two different products. 3dws came out long before LE. If you want your LE GMF model to show the texture that you mapped in 3dws then use a material file. If multiple textures applied to the model, then you need a material file for each texture applied. Read the manual in the link that was posted above.

[James Blade]

well i guess my definition of automatic uv mapping differs.

 

for example when i created a object in the torque constructor and exported it for torque, the object came up in the torque game engine already textured.

 

when i use the hammer editor for mapping for left4dead2, the objects created in the editor imports into the engine with textures already assigned.

 

and way back when i made maps for soldier of fortune using the gtk radiant software, it also automatically uv mapped the objects.

 

and i am not trying to compare apples to oranges here, but that to me is automatic uv mapping. and it doesn't matter if the 3dws came out long before the le engine did, it states in plain text on the 3dws page- automatic uv mapping.

 

now when i open up the gmf file in the model viewer it shows the textures in the directory, but the object has no textures on it in preview. so i would say something is wrong here.

[Pixel Perfect]

No, there is nothing wrong here. The gmf file you've produced will contain the various UV mappings and the references to the textures. Simply open the gmf file in Notepad and do a text search for 'material' to see your texture names embedded in the file!

 

What Mack is trying to tell you is that Leadwerks Engine requires you to produce a mat file for every texture referenced in the gmf file which is the engine's way of determining which textures should be assigned (diffuse, bump, specular etc) and what shaders should be used for the material. This is in addition to the material and UV specifications in the gmf file itself.

 

The manual in the link provided explains the basics of constructing mat files. They give you a lot of control over the texturing, application of shaders and other graphical properties of your models.