meshes in xml form

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stiefelss
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
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meshes in xml form

Post by stiefelss »

What I'm ultimately trying to do is port meshes and textures from another game into Pandora, but first, I need to know how to work with the .xml files in Video/Meshes/x. How would one go about using a 3d mesh editor such as Blender to import and export such files? I've tried converting the xml's to obj's but that didn't work.
stiefelss
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
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Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 10:44 pm

Re: meshes in xml form

Post by stiefelss »

I can just hear the wind carrying the tumbleweeds down the scorching, lifeless desert that is this forum.
mrowka
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Re: meshes in xml form

Post by mrowka »

SephiRok wrote:Meshes were made in 3ds Max, but we have a custom format.
As for getting xml meshes to blender you would need to use xmlconverter, its somewhere on blender forum :)

But it wont help since the custom format, you cant even preview them with.
void
Proxy Studios
Proxy Studios
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Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:19 pm

Re: meshes in xml form

Post by void »

Hi guys,

We indeed use a simple custom XML format for meshes and animations. Our artist works with 3D Studio Max, and runs those two Max scripts to export the data:

Mesh Exporter:

Code: Select all

--
-- Mesh Exporter 2.0
-- Copyright (C) 2013 by Proxy Studios.
-- All rights reserved.
--

selectedObjects = selection as array
exportedObjectsCount = 0
for obj in selectedObjects do (
	
	-- Only export non-hiden meshes for non-bone geometry objects.
	if not obj.isHidden and superClassOf obj == GeometryClass and not isKindOf obj BoneGeometry do (
		msh = snapshotAsMesh obj		
		
		-- Collect influencing bones.
		bones = #()
		for skn in obj.modifiers do (
			if iskindof skn Skin do (
				SetCommandPanelTaskMode mode:#modify
				ModPanel.SetCurrentObject skn	
				for v = 1 to msh.numVerts do (
					numBones = skinOps.getVertexWeightCount skn v
					for b = 1 to numBones do (
						boneID = skinOps.getVertexWeightBoneId skn v b
						boneName = skinOps.GetBoneName skn boneID 0
						if (findItem bones boneName) == 0 do ( 
							append bones boneName
						)
					)
				)
			)		
		)
		sort bones
		
		outputPath = obj.name + ".xml"
		outputFile = createfile outputPath
		format "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\"?>\n" to:outputFile
		format "<mesh>\n" to:outputFile
		
		-- Export vertices.
		for v = 1 to msh.numVerts do (
			vert = getVert msh v
			format "\t<vertex id=\"%\" x=\"%\" y=\"%\" z=\"%\"/>\n" (v - 1) vert.x vert.y vert.z to:outputFile
		)
		
		-- Export texture coordinates.
		for vt = 1 to msh.numTVerts do (
			tVert = getTVert msh vt
			format "\t<textureCoordinate id=\"%\" x=\"%\" y=\"%\"/>\n" (vt - 1) tVert.x tVert.y to:outputFile
		)
		
		-- Export normals.
		for f = 1 to msh.numFaces do (
			normals = meshop.getFaceRNormals msh f
			format "\t<normal id=\"%\" x=\"%\" y=\"%\" z=\"%\"/>\n" ((f - 1) * 3 + 0) normals[1].x normals[1].y normals[1].z to:outputFile
			format "\t<normal id=\"%\" x=\"%\" y=\"%\" z=\"%\"/>\n" ((f - 1) * 3 + 1) normals[2].x normals[2].y normals[2].z to:outputFile
			format "\t<normal id=\"%\" x=\"%\" y=\"%\" z=\"%\"/>\n" ((f - 1) * 3 + 2) normals[3].x normals[3].y normals[3].z to:outputFile
		)
		
		-- Export bone weights and bones. 		
		for skn in obj.modifiers do (
			if iskindof skn Skin do (
				SetCommandPanelTaskMode mode:#modify
				ModPanel.SetCurrentObject skn	
				
				-- Export bone weights.
				for v = 1 to msh.numVerts do (
					numBones = skinOps.getVertexWeightCount skn v
					format "\t<boneWeights id=\"%\">\n" (v - 1) to:outputFile
					for b = 1 to numBones do (
						boneID = skinOps.getVertexWeightBoneId skn v b
						boneName = skinOps.GetBoneName skn boneID 0						
						boneWeight = skinOps.getVertexWeight skn v b
						if boneWeight > 0.0 do (
							index = (findItem bones boneName) - 1
							format "\t\t<bone id=\"%\" weight=\"%\"/>\n" index boneWeight to:outputFile
						)
					)
					format "\t</boneWeights>\n" to:outputFile	
				)
				
				-- Export bones.
				for b = 1 to bones.count do (
					boneName = bones[b]
					format "\t<bone id=\"%\" name=\"%\">\n" (b - 1) boneName to:outputFile
					boneObject = getNodeByName boneName
					p = in coordsys world boneObject.pivot
					format "\t\t<position x=\"%\" y=\"%\" z=\"%\"/>\n" p.x p.y p.z to:outputFile
					r = in coordsys world boneObject.rotation
					format "\t\t<rotation x=\"%\" y=\"%\" z=\"%\" w=\"%\"/>\n" r.x r.y r.z r.w to:outputFile
					s = boneObject.scale
					format "\t\t<scale x=\"%\" y=\"%\" z=\"%\"/>\n" s.x s.y s.z to:outputFile				
					format "\t</bone>\n" (b - 1) to:outputFile
				)
				
			)		
		)	
			
		-- Export faces.
		for f = 1 to msh.numFaces do (
			face = getFace msh f
			tvFace = getTVFace msh f
			faceX = int(face.x) - 1
			faceY = int(face.y) - 1
			faceZ = int(face.z) - 1
			tvFaceX = int(tvFace.x) - 1
			tvFaceY = int(tvFace.y) - 1
			tvFaceZ = int(tvFace.z) - 1
			format "\t<face id=\"%\">\n" (f - 1) to:outputFile
			format "\t\t<vertex id=\"%\"/>\n" faceX to:outputFile
			format "\t\t<vertex id=\"%\"/>\n" faceY to:outputFile
			format "\t\t<vertex id=\"%\"/>\n" faceZ to:outputFile
			format "\t\t<textureCoordinate id=\"%\"/>\n" tvFaceX to:outputFile
			format "\t\t<textureCoordinate id=\"%\"/>\n" tvFaceY to:outputFile
			format "\t\t<textureCoordinate id=\"%\"/>\n" tvFaceZ to:outputFile			
			format "\t\t<normal id=\"%\"/>\n" ((f - 1) * 3 + 0) to:outputFile
			format "\t\t<normal id=\"%\"/>\n" ((f - 1) * 3 + 1) to:outputFile
			format "\t\t<normal id=\"%\"/>\n" ((f - 1) * 3 + 2) to:outputFile			
			format "\t</face>\n" to:outputFile
		)
		
		format "</mesh>\n" to:outputFile
		delete msh
		close outputFile
		exportedObjectsCount = exportedObjectsCount + 1
	)
)
message = "Exported " + exportedObjectsCount as string + " mesh(es)."
messageBox message title:"Mesh Exporter"
Animation Exporter:

Code: Select all

--
-- Animation Exporter 2.0
-- Copyright (C) 2013 by Proxy Studios.
-- All rights reserved.
--

selectedObjects = selection as array
exportedObjectsCount = 0
for obj in selectedObjects do (
	
	-- Only export animations for non-bone geometry objects. 
	if superClassOf obj == GeometryClass and not isKindOf obj BoneGeometry do (	
		msh = snapshotAsMesh obj
	
		-- Collect influencing bones.
		bones = #()
		for skn in obj.modifiers do (
			if iskindof skn Skin do (
				SetCommandPanelTaskMode mode:#modify
				ModPanel.SetCurrentObject skn	
				for v = 1 to msh.numVerts do (
					numBones = skinOps.getVertexWeightCount skn v
					for b = 1 to numBones do (
						boneID = skinOps.getVertexWeightBoneId skn v b
						boneName = skinOps.GetBoneName skn boneID 0
						boneWeight = skinOps.getVertexWeight skn v b
						if (findItem bones boneName) == 0 do ( 
							append bones boneName
						)
					)
				)
			)		
		)
		sort bones
		
		-- Only export animations for objects influenced by bones.
		if (bones.count > 0) do (
			outputPath = obj.name + ".xml"
			outputFile = createfile outputPath
			format "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\"?>\n" to:outputFile
			frames = int(animationRange.end - animationRange.start + 1)
			format "<animation frames=\"%\" frameRate=\"%\">\n" frames frameRate to:outputFile
			
			-- Export bones.
			for b = 1 to bones.count do (
				format "\t<bone id=\"%\" name=\"%\">\n" (b - 1) bones[b] to:outputFile
				boneObject = getNodeByName bones[b]
				
				-- Export frames.
				for f = animationRange.start to animationRange.end do (
					at time f (
						fCurrent = int(f)
						format "\t\t<frame id=\"%\">\n" fCurrent to:outputFile
						p = in coordsys world boneObject.pivot
						format "\t\t\t<position x=\"%\" y=\"%\" z=\"%\"/>\n" p.x p.y p.z to:outputFile
						r = in coordsys world boneObject.rotation
						format "\t\t\t<rotation x=\"%\" y=\"%\" z=\"%\" w=\"%\"/>\n" r.x r.y r.z r.w to:outputFile
						s = boneObject.scale
						format "\t\t\t<scale x=\"%\" y=\"%\" z=\"%\"/>\n" s.x s.y s.z to:outputFile			
						format "\t\t</frame>\n" to:outputFile
					)
				)			
				
				format "\t</bone>\n" (b - 1) to:outputFile
			)
			
			format "</animation>\n" to:outputFile
			close outputFile
			exportedObjectsCount = exportedObjectsCount + 1
		)
		
		delete msh
	)
)
message = "Exported " + exportedObjectsCount as string + " animation(s)."
messageBox message title:"Animation Exporter"
Note that the exported mesh file is outdated/verbose, the game will automatically convert it into a format that is faster to parse on load.
Lorenz Ruhmann
Proxy Studios
mrowka
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Re: meshes in xml form

Post by mrowka »

Thanks void, its time to learn modeling :D
void
Proxy Studios
Proxy Studios
Posts: 256
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:19 pm

Re: meshes in xml form

Post by void »

A bold endeavour, mrowka, but I have faith in you!
Lorenz Ruhmann
Proxy Studios
mrowka
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Re: meshes in xml form

Post by mrowka »

Only question is that i need to use 3dmax or i can use that scripts somewhere in blender ?
stiefelss
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 10:44 pm

Re: meshes in xml form

Post by stiefelss »

Is there any way to import the meshes and animations? Being able to export things is pretty useless if I can't import things to make sure it's going to work as intended.
void
Proxy Studios
Proxy Studios
Posts: 256
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:19 pm

Re: meshes in xml form

Post by void »

I'm afraid not at the moment, but our artist said he'll write a short tutorial / offer a sample 3D studio file over the next days to illustrate how it's done. With a bit of programming knowledge one can see fairly easily how the format works by examining the script files or the mesh/animation files (especially the simpler ones like Meshes/WorkshopGround.xml for the plane below units in the workshop view). Coordinate system wise we use X front, Y left, and Z up, just like the Source engine. Units are centered on X and Y, the ground they stand on being Z = 0. Weapons are attached to all bones named "Weapon0", "Weapon1", etc.
Lorenz Ruhmann
Proxy Studios
stiefelss
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 10:44 pm

Re: meshes in xml form

Post by stiefelss »

Right, a tutorial is needed. I hate to sound like an idiot, but those 3dxml files are all Greek to me.
stiefelss
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 10:44 pm

Re: meshes in xml form

Post by stiefelss »

Anyone have an update on that tutorial?
stiefelss
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 10:44 pm

Re: meshes in xml form

Post by stiefelss »

stiefelss wrote:Anyone have an update on that tutorial?
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