Creating ship sets (with Wings 3D) |
I tried to use Wings 3D to create ship sets. Put it cannot open/import the .X files used for ship models. The wikipedia says there is a plugin which I downloaded it (it is called : wpc_.x.beam)
I installed it (Instal plugin command) and Wings says it has been successfully installed. However it is not working : there is no way to open / import .Xf files.
Could somebody help ?
Problem with plug-in
Thanks very much.
Do you plan to release a plugin making Wings 3D fully compatible with .x files ?
Btw it seems there might be an issue with your plugin. I put the plugin into the plugins / import-export folder and used the “Instal Plug-in” command, which seemed to work fine. However taking a look at the erlang screen I noticed the following error report :
Actually although Wings 3D says the plugin is installed, it is not. Do you know what is wrong ?
I downloaded Blender
I downloaded Blender apparently it can import / export Direct X files. But not Wings 3D files. So I guess I’ll have to learn how to use Blender….but it looks a lot more complicated than Wings 3D.
No, I don't plan to make an
No, I don't plan to make an .X importer for Wings - the format is too flexible to make that an easy task. (For one thing, there are not only text .X files but also binary .X files, and for another thing, I'd have to write a parser, since in the text format you can have sections of the file occurring in any which order.)
I think you need a newer version of Wings in order to use the plugin - try the development version (0.98.35). (If you choose to download Wings from CVS and compile it yourself, the plugin is even included - yep, I managed to get into the official distribution for the next version! 
I heard something about Wings file support being taken out of Blender recently due to lack of interest or something; guess that was true. There might still be an exporter lying around somewhere, though; I'm not sure where you'd get it... ask around on the Wings forum maybe?
Another good modelling program is Art of Illusion; you can find it here: www.artofillusion.org. I wrote an .X exporter for that program as well, but I can't seem to find it anywhere on the web; I'll see if I can get it posted somewhere. Problem with exporting from AoI is that while AoI has a WONDERFUL texture editor, only the 2D textures will export, since AoI currently lacks a working mesh unwrapping and texture baking capability. (Mesh unwrapping is taking a model and "unwrapping" it so it fits in a flat plane; texture baking is taking any 3D textures applied to that model and projecting them onto the plane as well. I tried to put that functionality into the .X exporter, but it didn't quite work; someone else is now working on the mesh unwrapping; when that's done the texture baking should be simple!)
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Mr. Flibble says...
Game over, boys! 
Nope
You don't need to save in .x format directly. Make your model, then download Lithunwrap. That will import any format Wings saves in except .wings. Open the file, save as .x, done. 
Thanks. :) Will try
I think you need a newer version of Wings in order to use the plugin - try the development version (0.98.35). (If you choose to download Wings from CVS and compile it yourself, the plugin is even included - yep, I managed to get into the official distribution for the next version!
Thanks. Will try that.
Ant cruiser
I installed the latest version of Wings 3D, and it works : It can export the meshes to .x files.
I made a nice little “ant-cruiser” for an insect like race (see herebelow screen capture)
Now I will try to include it in the game. Do you know if a Ship set creation tutorial for SE-V already exists ? (aside from the wiki.spaceempires.net one's)
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Feel lucky earthling ?
I wrote the plugin, so I can
I wrote the plugin, so I can answer your question. The plugin is only designed to export to .X, not import them. So if you create a new model in Wings, you can create an .X file of it and use it in SE5, but you can't load an existing .X file into Wings. Blender (www.blender.org) might let you open up the .X file and convert it to Wings format, though - I'm not sure...
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Mr. Flibble says...
Game over, boys!