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Bolt

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Posts posted by Bolt

  1. In the FBX file, ac_unit_02 has negative scaling in its node transform (-1,-1,-1).

     

    Don't use negative scaling for mirroring or anything else. In fact, I would say use of negative

    scaling or non-uniform scaling is bad for hierarchy transforms. Just get rid of it before exporting

    your models to FBX. Problem solved.

  2. It's a vertex-weight issue. Not all of the vertex weights sum to 255 after conversion, so the vertices

    get deformed incorrectly. There's a float-to-byte conversion routine when exporting weights. Perhaps some

    accuracy is lost after the conversion, so the converted sum doesn't add up to 255 anymore.

     

    GMF Vertex Dump:

    [4192] bweights: 133, 121, 0, 0 (sum: 254)
    [4193] bweights: 216, 18, 18, 1 (sum: 253)
    [4194] bweights: 104, 90, 55, 4 (sum: 253)
    [4195] bweights: 110, 94, 49, 0 (sum: 253)
    [4196] bweights: 156, 94, 4, 0 (sum: 254)
    [4197] bweights: 143, 66, 44, 0 (sum: 253)
    [4198] bweights: 111, 103, 22, 16 (sum: 252)
    [4199] bweights: 127, 91, 33, 1 (sum: 252)
    ...
    

     

    Even a small discrepancy of 1 or 2 will cause distortion. All converted weights must sum to 255.

     

    I added a fix to my GMF exporter, and everything looks ok now.

    The fbx2mdl converter will have to be updated too. Note to Josh.

  3. if you import a model that has bones with zero vertices (no weight) attached they will not be recognized inside Leadwerks. A workaround to this is attaching vertices to the bone or adding a new children to it.

     

    Not a bug. This is intended behavior. The fbxmdl converter will automatically prune empty leaf bones.

    This is intended to optimize the bone count by removing useless bones.

     

    To keep the bones, you can assign vertices to them, as you mentioned.

     

    So, this issue is not related to Leadwerks. The bones have already been pruned away in your MDL file.

     

    If you want to keep these bones, then you should make a case for it.

    Explain why it's important to keep them.

  4. Hi! I'm about to buy leadwerks on Steam, just want to know if there's a way to use .x animated 3d models in this engine , as I have a lot of them wink.png. Or can I convert them, while keeping animations? Thanks.

     

    If you want to batch convert multiple FBX files to Leadwerk's MDL format, you can create a simple MSDOS commandline batch file (.bat), such as:

     

    for %%X in (*.fbx) do fbx2mdl.exe "%%X"
    

     

    Of course, your DirectX files need to be in FBX format first.

  5. Sorry noob question and not strictly Leadwerks related. I try to use UU3D to scale and rotate some models before importing them into LE. I have some problems with the UV coordinates, materials don't apply to the correct positions in the model editor after exporting the model from UU3D.

     

    Is your model using a shader combination of diffuse+normal+specular maps?

     

    I downloaded the LE3 demo a while ago, and noticed that the barbarian model that comes with the Darkness Awaits demo

    has some UV/texture corruption too. I can see this in both the Map Editor and Model Editor.

     

    I assumed it's either a bug with the Editor or perhaps my older graphics card (only OpenGL 2.1) doesn't support the shaders being used.

     

    Here's a screenshot of the demo running on my computer. Notice the UV/texture corruption on the face and shield.

     

     

    le3screenshot1.png

     

    To test my guess, I edited the barbarian.mat, and changed it to a diffuse only shader:

     

    //shader="shaders\dynamic\diffuse+normal.shader"

    shader="shaders\dynamic\diffuse.shader"

    texture0=".\barbarian.tex"

    //texture1=".\barbarian_dot3.tex"

    //texture2=".\barbarian_spec.tex"

     

    Ran the Editor again, and the UV/texture corruption went away. So, I would say something is happening

    with the shaders being used and my graphics card. Nothing is wrong with your converted file.

     

    This is the LE3 Demo from April, so I don't know if it's already been fixed or not.

  6. So, the following doesn't seem to work right for me:

     

    1. Download a model with an animation in FBX format.

    2. Open in UU3D. Use the animation editor. (desired animation in UU3D still)

    3. Save as FBX format.

    4. Use Leadwerks fbx2gmf.exe tool.

    5. Animations do not play in Model viewer.

     

    So sad. :)

     

    Oh, also, when using a skin shader, the material sphere is severely warped and doesn't display properly on the model.

     

    Just FYI, the fbx2gmf.exe tool does not automatically create .MAT files.

    .MAT files are necessary for animation. And the .MAT file must specify a skin shader.

     

    The latest GMF plugin for Unwrap3D will automatically create .MAT files for you.

    It will detect whether you're using a static or skinned mesh, and write out the appropriate shader.

     

    Read somewhere on these forums that the fbx2gmf tool was "better" than using UU3D.

     

    The fbx2gmf tool is better in the sense that it will preserve the original FBX mesh hierarchy.

    The Unwrap3D plugin will not preserve mesh hierarchies. It will combine all meshes into one mesh.

     

    For animated character models, you would probably prefer a single skinned mesh. But, if you

    have something like a vehicle with wheels, then you might prefer keeping the mesh hierarchy in tact.

    As you might want the wheels to rotate about their own axes, which is not possible with a

    combined mesh.

  7. Hi, All

    I have been trying to learn 3DSmax 2012 and I make a model in there. Then I export it to Ultimate Unwrap3D Pro to resize. then from there I covert and save it to GMF. the model looks great in 3DSmax but all the resizing I did to the textures are reset to the normal settings. I then change the settings again in Ultimate Unwrap3D Pro and it looks pertty good but not as good as it did in 3DSmax. then I export it to GMF and it is the same again with all the textures reset to the normal settings again and the model looks terrible. I have also tried to export from 3DSmax with the Leadwerks exporting tool for 3DSmax but this doesn't work either. Could you Please Help me. I would really like to go from 3DSmax to Leadwerks editor and still have the same look.

     

    The first pic is the model in 3DSmax with everything looking good. The second pic is in Ultimate Unwrap3D Pro not looking good. The third picture is in Ultimate Unwrap3D Pro after I change everything back to look like it did in 3DSmax again. the fourth pic is in the Leadwerks editor after I save to GMF. The fifth pic is exporting with the Leadwerks tools for 3DSmax. I have tried all diffrent exports like DAE, FBX, OBJ and 3DS with the same results

     

    If you're exporting from 3dsmax, and need to preserve smoothing, then I recommend FBX over all other formats.

     

    I wrote a short tutorial on how to export FBX smoothing groups from 3dsmax:

    http://unwrap3d.com/u3d/quicktip_smoothing.aspx

     

    If you don't export smoothing groups, then that's exactly what you'll get in Unwrap3D.

    A model without smoothing information (picture #2).

     

    And, if for some reason, all you have is a FBX file without smoothing information, Unwrap3D can create it for you.

    Unwrap3D has a tool called AutoSmooth Faces that works similiarly like the AutoSmooth tool found in 3dsmax.

    See 3D Tools -> AutoSmooth Faces.

  8. UU3D has that bug, as you can see from your screenshot too, that it doesn't create evenly shadowed surfaces. I have to run always 3D Tools -> Unweld Faces, to make them look correct.

     

    It's not a bug, it's by design. :)

     

    Currently, there are no tools in Unwrap 3D to edit the vertex normals separately, so Unwrap 3D will calculate its own

    vertex normals based on how edges are connected. So, if all edges belonging to a vertex are connected, it will look smooth.

    The default box primitive is fully welded, so all vertices will look smooth. This is by design.

     

    But, to overcome this limitation, Unwrap 3D has many tools to unweld edges. The best tool is AutoSmooth Faces, which

    works exactly like the AutoSmooth tool found in 3dsmax. It unwelds sharp edges, while keeping flat edges smooth.

    This is especially useful for models that have curved surfaces, such as barrels, poles, cylinders, or cones.

     

    If there were tools in Unwrap 3D to edit vertex normals, it would probably work like Maya. In Maya, you can make an edge

    hard or soft, and this will change how the vertex normals appear at that edge. Hard edges appear sharp, and soft edges

    appear smooth. I would prefer implementing this method over 3dsmax's smoothing groups, as I see it as being easier to use

    and understand.

     

    Now, if you're wondering what happens to vertex normals when exporting to a GMF file, you can be assured, that they won't

    change. The same vertex normals you see in Unwrap 3D are the same vertex normals that are exported to GMF. So, what you

    see is what you get, in terms of vertex normals.

     

    I hope that helps.

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