celestia models

[billybob884]

I should know this by now, but other than cms and 3ds, are there any other model types that celestia supports?

[selden]

3DS is preferred. CMS is deprecated.

Chris has mentioned that he's investigating the possibility of supporting some other format in some future version of Celestia, but I think he has not yet found one that provides the features he wants.

[chris]

Chris has mentioned that he's investigating the possibility of supporting some other format in some future version of Celestia, but I think he has not yet found one that provides the features he wants.

I'm considering supporting the Orbiter mesh format, and possible a custom model format as well. There's a lot of content in the Orbiter format, and it also has the advantage that it supports animation. However, it's an ASCII format (not entirely a bad thing), and it doesn't currently support extended vertex attributes (e.g. tangents for bump mapping.)

--Chris

[selden]

Chris,

How would such meshes be created?

Apparently there is a conversion utility to convert 3DS format to Orbiter format, but I'm not sure what that would accomplish. You'd still be limited to the information available in the 3DS format.

Or do you think you could persuade Steve to add appropriate formats as export options in Anim8or?

Have you looked at Anim8or's native export format?

[JackHiggins]

Make sure that whatever new format is used, you can easily edit it with programs like anim8or etc which are free.

On another note... Any idea how long it might be before a new format is implemented? (Wild guesses are ok! ) I'm working on a type of animation thing for the galileo spacecraft (LOTS of slightly different 3ds models) but if there will be proper animation soon, theres no point doing it the way I am now...

[chris]

Chris,

How would such meshes be created?

I don't know how Orbiter meshes are created . . . But there are quite few out there, many with animation.

Apparently there is a conversion utility to convert 3DS format to Orbiter format, but I'm not sure what that would accomplish. You'd still be limited to the information available in the 3DS format.

Using Orbiter meshes converted from 3DS files doesn't make much sense, unless the creator has made some modifications after the conversion, such has adding some animation. Also, there are (I think) tools to convert from formats other than 3DS, so you're not necessarily stuck with just the information available in a 3DS file.

Or do you think you could persuade Steve to add appropriate formats as export options in Anim8or?

I need to do some more research before I do that . . . or before I start writing any code.

Have you looked at Anim8or's native export format?

No, I haven't looked at that yet . . .

--Chris

[Star Lion]

how about suporting .MAX format?