Topic: Blender to .mod scripts are there any working?

[marstone]

http://pyffi.sourceforge.net/

Would this be of any help?

The Python File Format Interface, briefly PyFFI, is an open source Python library for processing block structured binary files:

    * Simple: Reading, writing, and manipulating complex binary files in a Python environment is easy! Currently, PyFFI supports the NetImmerse/Gamebryo NIF and KFM formats, CryTek’s CGF format, the FaceGen EGM format, the DDS format, and the TGA format.
    * Batteries included: Many tools for files used by 3D games, such as a stripifier, tangent space calculator, 2d/3d hull algorithms, inertia calculator, as well as a general purpose file editor QSkope (using PyQt4), are included.
    * Modular: Its highly modular design makes it easy to add support for new formats, and also to extend existing functionality.

This has been used for other game files from Max to Blender.

I'll check it out, thanks.  Got a few docs printed out so time to read (yes, Bonk I still print dang near everything, saves my eyes).

[Rod ONeal]

I hadn't noticed the omission of .obj export. Still does direct X, FBX, and Collada though (.xsi as well which a lot of aps. can import too). Which is really strange because it doesn't stop people from getting stuff out of Modtool and into another 3D ap. I wonder why they dropped it? 

[Kreeargh]

I hadn't noticed the omission of .obj export. Still does direct X, FBX, and Collada though (.xsi as well which a lot of aps. can import too). Which is really strange because it doesn't stop people from getting stuff out of Modtool and into another 3D ap. I wonder why they dropped it?

Problay a $ issue i noticed the obj format had a new tag name gw::objfile in the max 9 design demo vrs the max9 demo. A new plugin/format im guessing made by autodesk??, wasnt the obj format made by wavefront? Just a guess on my part though.

ANy how i have a $100 bill for anyone who can release a export to sfc directly from Blender plugin to keep the modeling community alive for good! Im willing to pay more $ for a import sfc to Blender plugin but the first goal is Export to .mod.  $ keeps going up more free 3d programs plugins are made for, Wings 3d is the next verision. No game moder should have to pay 1 $ to mod a game for free!   

[marstone]

okay got blender installed, but for some reason it doesn't want to load up the python I also installed.  Could be that blender was compiled with an earlier version of python.

Printing out the 3DS import script.  Will then compare with the .mod import and export files.  Will what I can gleen from that.

[Kreeargh]

okay got blender installed, but for some reason it doesn't want to load up the python I also installed.  Could be that blender was compiled with an earlier version of python.

Printing out the 3DS import script.  Will then compare with the .mod import and export files.  Will what I can gleen from that.

Blender 2.5 need python 311 i belive the 2.49 version works with the 2??? python. Just FYI 

[sierracharlie]

Blender 2.49 is the latest stable version. It uses Python 2.6

[marstone]

oddly it says no installed python found.  Even tho I did install it.  Oh, well, I am still reading through and correlating the parts of the MOD file to the Blender internals.

[Kreeargh]

oddly it says no installed python found.  Even tho I did install it.  Oh, well, I am still reading through and correlating the parts of the MOD file to the Blender internals.

2.5 did the same to me but i installed 2.6 before i read further and noticed it said something about needing 3.11.

[Rod ONeal]

oddly it says no installed python found.  Even tho I did install it.  Oh, well, I am still reading through and correlating the parts of the MOD file to the Blender internals.

Sorry for the basic question, but do you have python installed in the drive directory? Like  C:\python. It won't work installed in a folder like C:\program files\python.  Again, sorry if I just insulted you, but that would cause the problem you're describing.

[Bonk]

Yeah, it takes some futzing with blender and python versions to get it going. But It can even be done portably. (I can dig up instructions if needed)


A point I just thought of: for me, more than anything, getting blender scripts working (import and export) has more to do with porting old community content (with approval) to open formats like collada for use in our planned OSS project!

We can even bring the content under GPL protections? To preserve the long term efforts of the SFC art community? (beyond the length of readme permissions email address vaildity - we're into the decades here...)

[marstone]

Well, for the OSS project.  I would say open up the formats that are supported so that we don't have to modify the .MOD format (if needed) to add features people are looking for.  It really wouldn't be that hard to make the import functions for the game to just load a new format into the game.  Instead of trying to make import and export functions for a bunch of graphic programs.

As for my python install, well I used the installer that it came with and let it put it where it wanted.  Which is C:\Python26.

Wife distracted me from the studying last night so not much new was learned for me on the importing of .MOD. 

*edit*
oooOo just looked in the blender folder and seen sdl.dll, it's an SDL program.  will have to check the source alittle in there too.

[marstone]

Had a dah moment a minute ago. Was looking through and working out how the texture information is stored in MOD. First it saves material data, then the texture info. I was getting confused as many of the materials didn't link with a texture. It took abit of me sitting and thinking what the heck. Then it came back to me. Every texture needs a material but not all materials have a texture. Yeah, I'm not a graphics guy.

[Rod ONeal]

What model were you looking at? While it is as you say AFAIK it's not right to have materials without textures.

[marstone]

A stock fed ca

[marstone]

FoaS or one of you other guys who are modelers.  Think it might be possible for someone to hack togeather a small MOD image and a 3DS image of the same thing.  Basicly I am looking for a very small unit, dumped in both 3DS and MOD so I can do compares of them for translating.  Thanks.  You can dump it to my email addy under my name here, I should get it.

[FoaS_XC]

Will do. I will create a single cube with a texture map as well as an illumination map. One hard point as well.

[marstone]

awesome.  It is just alittle daunting using the fed CA I have right now.  it is huge and mulitiple lod's also.

That is a question, I am not sure how lod's are loaded on blender (if it even does it) so should I just have it strip the first lod out of the file and forget the rest for now???

[FoaS_XC]

Well, tell you what: tell me what you want as you want it. I'll start with one material ID, then add more, start with minimal verts, then add more, etc.

[marstone]

Sounds good, as basicly everything is looping the same loading code. Once I can load a set of vert, a face, surface, texture it just repeat for more. I'll let you know as I get to each new thing.  So thanks again.

[marstone]

meh, learning new languages.  Odd format for loading data as python (I believe) is string based and to read numbers you have to have a binary format to translate with for each part.  Learning.  can open the file and start to read a .MOD in pure python (not in blender yet).  Will work on building the reader stuff now.

Off to get my lotto ticket and wish my dad a happy b-day so taking a break.