Reading Simple Data From a Caligari TrueSpace File

[BNG]

Just thought this post might be useful for someone trying to mess with the Caligari model formats. I've always had some interest in writing export and possibly import scripts, but so far the task is not for the timid at heart. I mostly work with the older COB and SCN format using older modeling tools like 3D Exploration 1X, Blender, doesn't really support either Caligari format anymore, so getting model into Blender nowadays involves converting models to some common format like 3DS. I know that Design Devil did some conversion work with a compiler called Free Basic 2, but I was wondering if it can be used to compile import and or export TSX based plugins for the modelside 6.6 of 7.6 or 7.61?

Also, does anyone know if Python has any applications for TS in terms of importing and or exporting model data to and from TS? Thanks, Leroy.

[DesignDevil]

It is possible to write any type of TS6 plugin with my FreeBasic version. The reason for the SDK translation to FreeBasic was 1. I hate C++ and 2. FreeBasic is - what the name says - free for everyone.

The point is not which language you use to write the plugin, the point is the knowledge of the trueSpace internals about the model format and the translation between them i.e. importing or exporting 3DS or OBJ.

Years ago i had the idea to write such a exporter for LUXrender but it was to difficult for me to translate the different model types from truespace to the destination format including textures, light, animation stuff etc. But maybe with the open source plugin dribble and a few other informations around you could do this. Dribble include a lot of the needed information except nurbs and metaballs and such stuff.

The most difficult part is (in my eyes) to find enough code examples to handle the truespace side because the SDK help is ... sorry to say that ... sh*t

But, if you need something (C++ SDK, file format informations, example codes or other stuff) feel free to ask me, i have a lot of material here.

[nigec]

I'll have a look, will FreeBasic work with 7.6 modelside?. I have a horrible feeling I just wiped the hard drive TS6.6 was on
I'm looking at doing an exporter to xml, I loath C++
If you interested this is what I'm doing these days
http://nigecdesigns.co.uk/Batchcreator/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

nevermind, it does work
Nice work

[BNG]

It does appear that information is a bit limited, and I've done way too many web searches only to find virtually nothing about writing TSX or even RSX based plugin code written in plain text format. Trying to view binary versions is way too hard. I have a simple PE application called BDASM to view information from TSX files, but I don't know what to do with the resulting output. DD, your work with FBC are amazingly some of the best examples I've seen in all my searching. Clinton, has some pretty amazing code examples as well.

[nigec]

clintonman's fbx exporter is probably the one to take a look at
However DD's examples are very nicely commented and probably the best way to go, after an hour of trying freebasic it was "oh I see how it works!", whether I can do an exporter and server/client is a different matter.
I'm going to try exporting a triangle, then a square, a cube
then a diffuse colour on a cube
then the fun starts with textures and uv's

[DesignDevil]

Maybe Fenerit is also a good source for informations. He wrote (and writes) a lot of TSX.

btw... Phyton in tS6.6 (7.6 Modelside) is no solution for that. I also would start years ago with phyton but in tS you can not do many things with it. The implementation of Phyton in tS is just a joke.

This was also a reason for me to learn how i can write TSX.

I have so many cool ideas for useful plugins for tS but for the most of them i have not enough experience with all this 3D stuff from a geometrical or mathematical point of view and the most importend point - i have no time

[nigec]

Yeah I considered Python, it would of helped me no end because there is already a Blender plugin that has everything I need, but reading up on TS's Python API it wasn't going to be much use.

[Fenerit]

Maybe Fenerit is also a good source for informations. He wrote (and writes) a lot of TSX.

I can share my codes via PM if one wish to learn from or to enhance them (time to add more comments), but in the part concerning the tSxapi mostly I learn from YOUR guys sources and from the tSxapi SDK examples (far less from the doc manual); there is nothing of advanced manipulations ON tSxapi in my codes, just operations OF tSxapi. For 95% they concerns with MFC/C++ controls' declarations and for the remaining 5% with the tSxapi; thus they could look more like dialogbox "templates" than truly effective plugins which does adds new tools. Since I know VB best more than C++, and LUA and Perl than Python, also myself is looking for sources of tSxapi for Freebasic which is very similar to VB in its constructors, otherwise I can't escape from the "database/textediting" realm that is the programming's subclass of the forementioned languages which I know a little a bit but that for a 3D modeler is somewhat marginal.

The point is not which language you use to write the plugin, the point is the knowledge of the trueSpace internals about the model format and the translation between them i.e. importing or exporting 3DS or OBJ.

This is completely true. BTW, I can also add that in making plugins one is involved just upon those program's parts with which he deal best; i.e., because my use of tS is mainly ranged by static meshes, I overlook of learning the tSxapi for animations in favour of other unless required by the advancement of the plugin's development, if any.

BTW, what about to start some MFC/C++/Freebasic tutorials within the Developer subforum?

[DesignDevil]

BTW, what about to start some MFC/C++/Freebasic tutorials within the Developer subforum?

Well we had a own forum for this but it was not enough used (not enough programers out there) so that it was closed ... but hey, why not - give it a try

Alternative: we could reopen a new site for this - i could host that on my website if there is enough interest. It could be done in a few hours. That would give us the possibility to have a place where people could download a lot of stuff and maybe all sourcecodes which we can find and we self publish as open source, tutorials etc. etc.

If we do so ... is a forum the best way? - or a wiki - or something else?

Let me know your opinion ...

[nigec]

I'd be interested, I would say a wiki or both
I'm in a strange place as I know more about the renderer I want to "plugin", Truespace I only ever modelled with it so I guess that's going to be the fun part.

Luckily I don't need the Thea SDK, I do have it but I'm using a client to communicate, this way I skilfully avoid any licensing issues, I just have to create a pipeline, exporter and material system and a render view, I know all the commands TS needs to send I have a working client but C# or Python..
MFC/C++ interests me, I have bailed on C++ on every version of my Batch rendering tool and regret it every time!

Maybe I'm out of my depth but it seems promising there is people willing to help