Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: nasty on December 07, 2005, 03:35:18 PM
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Hey guys I'm looking for a modeling program for the amiga which can import/export obj format. I've tryed lightwave (old version) but didnt have much luck with it. so i was looking at Aladdin 4D but it doesnt state if it can import or export obj format. so do any of you guys know if this program will import/export of know of a program that would do this?
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What was the original program that created the .obj models?
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.obj is a Wavefront filetype.
From this website (http://www.td-grafik.de/ext/xfrog/export/)
1.2 wavefront (.obj)
This format is very widespread, files tend to grow very large due to its ASCII encoding. Additioanl .mtl or .col files are created for the Materials which should carry over fairly well when your appplication supports one of those.
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There is'nt a model as of yet! However I did try importing an OBJ format model from Payback to see if lightwave would open it but had no luck . (I did contact NewTek for information of there amiga lightwave but never did get a reply from them),This could be down to a locked file but I didnt think obj format could be locked! And i cant think of any other game that uses the obj format to try import to lightwave. I did hear that imagine could import/export obj but have had no luck in finding out if this is correct as imagine has seemed to disapeared of the face of the planet.
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I don't think it is likely that Payback uses .obj 3d models in the traditional sense. These are probably other 'objects' but I might be wrong. What is it you want to do exactly?
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There's many examples I could give you for what I'm trying to do, which would mean me writing a book in this topic :-) But one example I am trying to do. Is payback has a build in editor to create your own maps but thats all fine and dandy, but I was wanting to add my own models to my maps that I have created along with there own textures to make it more of a custom map rather than a map using ingame pieces if that makes sence to you?
Even if payback isnt using the obj format I'd still be very interested to see Aladdin 4D does support obj format for my other models I have created.So then I can do my 3d modeling on an amiga rather than my PC :-)
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Any .obj format as used by a game like payback is almost certainly going to be a custom format that is optimised for the game engine. Don't expect compatibility with any known packages unless the documentation for the game states otherwise.
More than likely, the game developers have their own custom tools for either editing models or converting from a commonly supported format to their own format.
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Ive just noticed that Aladdin 4D has support for 3ds so if aladdin cant export to obj then atleast, I can create the models on an amiga and then transfer my creation to my pc, to import in 3ds max to export to obj to use uvmapper.
Has anyone here got or used Aladdin 4D? and what do you think about the software?
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I've used .obj formats before, and the only two 3D programs I've used extensively are Real 3D and Cinema 4D so one of them must support it. However, as was pointed out, I've also seen any number of programs that use .obj files to describe objects of any type and have no real need to stick to existing formats such as Real3D/Cinema4D formats. Heck, I even wrote a basic model railway layout designer that used .obj files to describe the track parts...
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@ Nasty
The other thing you have to be careful of is trying too many conversions. For instance I have found it very difficult to transfer models from Amiga to PC because even if I saved a model in DXF for example and loaded it on the PC side, I found defects or problems with the model. This applies to Cinema 4D on Amiga, exporting a DXF for use with Cinema 4D on the PC. Even transfering models from one program to another on a PC only is problematic. I just exported a model of a spring-loaded clamp I made in Cinema on the PC as a Wavefront .obj and then imported it into Poser 6. Several key surfaces were lost. When I did it the other way around (export from Poser to Cinema) the result was a lot better: only one area of defect.
And the more steps you have in your conversion the more likely it is that you will cause defects along the way. There is a 3D model conversion program called Dust on the Amiga and I played around with that quite a bit a few years back. It is very difficult to convert these models so that 100% integrity is maintained and I would advise that you stick to one platform and one program if possible. I haven't used Aladdin but I've used Real3D, Imagine, Lightwave and Cinema4D all on the Amiga. I found that Cinema 4D was the easiest to get into. It was given away free on a coverdisk CD (don't remember the magazine and my Cinema is original with manuals), so you have the added advantage of not having to pay for it. I can tell you that you will need quite a bit of RAM and an 060 is highly recommended if you want rendering times to be bearable, but expect to wait...
But then again do you want to spend several hundred £ on the PC version and not wait, or do you want to spend hardly anything but wait quite a bit? Perhaps the best thing for you to do is try the Amiga Cinema 4D and then decide how interested you are in raytracing.
If you do anything with serious committment you are going to have to use soemthing other than an Amiga. That's the reality of the hardware limitations and the lack of software updates for our 3D programs.
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@X-ray
The other thing you have to be careful of is trying too many conversions. For instance I have found it very difficult to transfer models from Amiga to PC because even if I saved a model in DXF for example and loaded it on the PC side, I found defects or problems with the model.
I honestly didnt think there would be such a problem with transfering files between PC-Amiga, but thank you for point this out and It has all be noted.
I found that Cinema 4D was the easiest to get into. It was given away free on a coverdisk CD (don't remember the magazine and my Cinema is original with manuals),
I'll track down a copy of Cinema 4D, I know aminet has the demo version so I'll give that a blast and see how I like it. I do prefer 3ds max as my default modeling program and it would be great if it was ever on the amiga but I think I can safely say thats never gonna happen.
can tell you that you will need quite a bit of RAM and an 060 is highly recommended if you want rendering times to be bearable, but expect to wait...
Well I've got 144meg ram and I've got the 060 PPC, so hopefully render times shouldnt be too long (fingers crossed)
But then again do you want to spend several hundred £ on the PC version and not wait
I think I've spent enough on this PC this year already :-D
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@ Nasty
I have found out which magazine it was:
CU Amiga Super CD-ROM 27 (October 1998)
The version number was 4.2
The serial numbers were not provided on the CD if I remember correctly, but I have a feeling that somebody will have written them down.
The code is optimised for 060 but don't expect your PPC to be of any use. There was a program called Tornado 3D that was supposed to use PPC but I haven't seen it or heard whether it was fast or not.
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@ Nasty
Actually you may be in luck because I have found a set of RAR archives that contain that coverdisk version of Cinema4D. The files come to about 20mb. If you can't find a coverdisk CD then PM me.
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Thats cool, Im away up the loft to dig out my magazine CD collection (bets its the one I dont own lol) Thank you X-ray
small edit:
Yip its the version I dont own :boohoo: , I'll try the demo version :crazy:
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It was definately a custom editor that was used in Payback. There were several screenshots of it in Amiga Active during their series of articles about the game's development.
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I'm pretty sure all Amiga versions of LightWave 3D will import Wavefront .obj format files. It's likely that the .obj files from a game are not the same as the Wavefront format. I think this has been discussed already.
Also C4D will probably handle Wavefront format objects. The full version 4.2 was given away on CU Amiga's last coverdisk CUCD27 dated October 1998. If you have that, you'll find it won't install properly 'cos the scripting is wrong. With that fixed it won't run anyway, without the serial number of the edition on the CD. Check my link below for details.
Included with the C4D kit is an object file format converter called MagicLink. This will handle a range of 3D object formats and convert them into all the others. I just tried mine but the registration has got messed up, so can't confirm anything. Details in link below.
Cheers,
JaX
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@ Nasty and JaXanim
A fixed install script is available for that coverdisk. If you would like it, PM me.
Edit: just checked your site, JaXanim, and I see you have it there.
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Given my first post seemed lost, question:
How do we know the files in question are wavefront object files?
Just because the extension is .obj means nothing for an application like a game which typically has custom editors and converters developed for it.
Heck, .obj is also the compiler output of my Watcom IDE. It is also the extension I used for a object format in my old game engine. It is also the extension used for objects created by the AMOS model editor that came with the AB3D-II editor set. The .obj choice of extension is a logical one for anything you could call an object :-)
Unless you know from documentation or by looking at the file signature in a hex editor, how can you be sure it is the specific .obj format supported by 3D package X?
It's like assuming anything ending in .raw is a raw sound sample.
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Cheers X-ray expect a nice PM :-D
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@ Karlos
"...How do we know the files in question are wavefront object files?..."
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Exactly, mate. I think Turbo Silver also uses .obj models, to name only one other. There are more than 5 other raytracing programs that use .obj and that's why I asked him which program output that .obj file.
Anyway all is well, for we will soon have 'assimilated' another raytracing fan :-)
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I was going to suggest Turbo, but Caligari also imports lightwave objects. For that matter, dxf is universal. I used to bounce objects betwen my pc at work under Microstation and my Amiga at home using Pagerender, Caligari, Vertex etc. Each program had at least one thing it did better than anybody else, and everybody understood dxf.