CompuServe Thread

3D-ROM uploads

14 messages in this thread
#48227From: SyndesisJun 30, 1993 12:24 PM
I was going to upload a few sample objects from the Syndesis 3D-ROM, but the libraries are full! When will there be a little space? A second question… one of the objects I was going to upload demonstrated a question I had. The original data came from Imagine, which has randomly oriented triangles. Since the normals are incorrect, and since InterChange doesn't have a "unify normals" command (yet), the materials are set to two-sided. On a region that was Phong shaded, even though the material was two-sided, and I tried forcing and not forcing two-sided rendering, the area was still rendered as if it were still one-sided. Other areas of the object were just fine. Is there a conflict between Phong shading and one- or two-sided materials? Second, would be be better for InterChange to set Gouraud shading or Phong shading, when translating a generalized "smooth" material attribute? Maybe I should just put a switch on it…
#48257From: Yost GroupJun 30, 1993 6:02 PM
2-sided mode works regardless of the shading mode, so I can't really tell what's happening with your mesh. Regarding your second question, I'd say that Phong is used 99 percent of the time (well, maybe 98), so I'd definitely go with Phong over Gouraud. – Jack
#48290From: SyndesisJun 30, 1993 11:23 PM
Another thing I discovered tonight. For sub-objects that had no faces, I should create a "dummy" object. Without it, I couldn't find a way in the Keyframer to select and rotate an object that had no faces. No way to hit-detect it, right? Or is there another way to select and rotate a named object? (I know how to do it in the 3D Editor.) So I fixed this by making dummy objects for sub-objects with no triangles…
#48323From: Yost GroupJul 1, 1993 9:42 AM
I'm not sure why you've got objects with no faces. Are you just trying to convert other format's "dummy" or "null" objects over to ours? – G
#48327From: SyndesisJul 1, 1993 9:49 AM
Exactly! Yahoos like me tend to do the "impossible" when we roll our own routines to load and save file formats. What normally happens? Can I make a regular object, delete all the faces? Is there still an object there, or does it go away? I'll try this later…
#48331From: Yost GroupJul 1, 1993 10:28 AM
Yes, you can delete all faces in an object and leave behind the vertices. You're given the option to keep or discard the vertices when you do it. This is for those who like to build objects one face at a time, using the Face/Build command. – J
#48547From: Tim c BrananJul 3, 1993 12:00 AM
Just had to but in. You mentioned something that may be a solve for a mesh I have been battling with. If you delete the faces from an object and just leave the vertices, how does that render? I suppose I could try it and find out, acutally. Anyway, the problem I have been having, is I decided to try re-creating some of the objects from 'TRON' just for fun, and the recognizer was really easy. If you remember, it was all black with a red outline on the edges. I fixed that one by making two copies on top of each other and rendering one in black and the other in red wireframe, but on the tank, I can't do that because it is too complicated and I would end up having a lot of lines where I don't want them. By erasing the faces, could I then delete certain parts I don't want from the mesh? I think I go try this… though if you have a better suggestion, I'm willing to hear it.
#48571From: Yost GroupJul 3, 1993 10:45 AM
Since faces are what the Renderer uses to reflect light, you're not going to see much (if anything) if you render only vertices. But you're right when you say you could "try it and find out." Experimentation is the best way to learn. – J
#48573From: Yost GroupJul 3, 1993 10:53 AM
If you delete faces from an object, only the undeleted faces render. (vertices don't render at all). – G
#48442From: james hydeJul 2, 1993 8:29 AM
John, Try hitting the "H" key in the keyframmer, it'll give you a list of objects to manipulate (scale, rotate, etc)… James
#48294From: SyndesisJun 30, 1993 11:24 PM
And a third question… in the 3D Editor, is there a way to perform the Surface / Normals / Object Unify command on all the sub-objects at once? I tried making select sets, but it always seemed to want me to click on an object in a view.
#48324From: Yost GroupJul 1, 1993 9:43 AM
Once you make a selection set, you turn on the SELECTED button and then just click anywhere in a view. That'll do it for you. – G
#48281From: rick lapidusJun 30, 1993 10:41 PM
John, Can you send me some info on your cd-rom? I head up a user's group in florida. May have more than a few interested parties. Rick Lapidus 71172,1451
#48399From: Joe MacRaeJul 1, 1993 7:20 PM
John, We get library space by the meg or three around here, but it doesn't last long. These multi-media types like to deal in large files and it drives CIS bonkers…….<g>. There is space in the libraries now.