I recently found a wonderful 3D-modelling program called Blender. I wanted to use it (amongst other things) to make spacecraft models for Celestia. Unfortunatley it can only export to .wrl and .dfx files so I need a good free conversion program to convert to .3ds. I have tried using Crossroads, but this seems to "make things go weird" - i.e either rearranging the positions of the parts of the model, or keeping the positions correct but stretching everything to a point. So can anyone :
1) Give me the web adress of a reliable FREE 3D converting program thingy
2) Tell me what I'm doing wrong (I tried just modelling a sphere and putting it in Celestia - it worked just fine, but my partially completed Enterprise mesh goes all weird. So it's probably my fault, but then I only just discovered the world of modelling !)
3) Convert the files for me ?
Please help in any way possible !!!
Spacecraft modelling
hmmm LithUnwrap? Might work: http://cybermindtraveller.freewebspace.com/Armada/files/LithUnwrap_setup.zip
I'm trying to teach the cavemen how to play scrabble, its uphill work. The only word they know is Uhh and they dont know how to spell it!
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Topic authorMad Boris
- Posts: 50
- Joined: 03.04.2002
- With us: 22 years 6 months
- Location: Cardiff, UK
Okay.... getting there (albeit very slowly... this 3D modelling lark is quite addictive 
). I just tried combining all the seperate parts of the model and saving as a vrml 1.0. Now I can succesfully convert it into a .3ds format which is displayed correctly in Celestia - hurrah ! Except the model has no textures*. I tried opening it with Lithunwrap, but I just get an error message : The model has no UV co-ordinates.
*This seems to be a problem with the way Blender saves its files since when I open the .wrl file in Blender I still see no textures. I haven't tried dfx format yet but I think this will do the same. Assuming Rassilion or some other kindly soul can help me past the UV problem, can I use LithUnwrap to add textures to models ?
). I just tried combining all the seperate parts of the model and saving as a vrml 1.0. Now I can succesfully convert it into a .3ds format which is displayed correctly in Celestia - hurrah ! Except the model has no textures*. I tried opening it with Lithunwrap, but I just get an error message : The model has no UV co-ordinates.
*This seems to be a problem with the way Blender saves its files since when I open the .wrl file in Blender I still see no textures. I haven't tried dfx format yet but I think this will do the same. Assuming Rassilion or some other kindly soul can help me past the UV problem, can I use LithUnwrap to add textures to models ?
What a strange coincidence... I downloaded OpenFX today (my previous 3D experience all being in Bryce), which can export directly to 3DS, and I tried making the Boeing 601 communications satellite. Surprise surprise, i've hit a snag. Colours don't show up in Celestia. I coloured the separate parts of the model using Attributes > Material Settings and I haven't textured it, but in Celestia it's just a dark dull grey and it's impossible to see unless you're at the right angle, or sillohette it against Earth. Help, anyone?
AFAIK Mad Boris, textures applied to the model in a modelling program won't show up in Celestia. You need to use the ssc file to point to a texture with Texture "whatever.jpg". Don't know if that's any help but...
AFAIK Mad Boris, textures applied to the model in a modelling program won't show up in Celestia. You need to use the ssc file to point to a texture with Texture "whatever.jpg". Don't know if that's any help but...
"I have been asked, 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
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Topic authorMad Boris
- Posts: 50
- Joined: 03.04.2002
- With us: 22 years 6 months
- Location: Cardiff, UK
AFAIK Mad Boris, textures applied to the model in a modelling program won't show up in Celestia. You need to use the ssc file to point to a texture with Texture "whatever.jpg".
Thanks, Sum0, I didn't know that ! Actually I haven't got round to applying textures yet (supposing I did - could I apply multiple textures to a model in Celestia ? If so, how ?) - modelling is still in the construction phase, but I too do not see any materials i.e. colours on the model despite applying some.
To diverge from Celestia a bit, I tried OpenFx too... after an incredibly slow download (20mb at about 2kb/s) I loaded it up, got a small error message.... carried on regardless... started to mess around... then it crashed and reset my computer. When I rebooted, I was greeted with a message that my computer had recovered from a serious error. Charming. Fortunately Blender gave me a much faster download (file size is a mere 1.8mb !), is easy to use (once you realize what the hell is going on) and produces great results. Wonderful though it is - allowing modelling,animation and game-creation (apparently!) I want to put my models in Celestia !
Sorry if I sound like a salesman or something... 3D modelling is starting to take over my life !
Another question : what programs are all you succesful modelling people using for Celestia ?