#VistaPro
7 messages in this thread
Yeah, I KNOW this has been asked before — but I wasn't
interested then (too bad all this valuable forum info can't be
correlated and placed somewhere longer lasting).
Can VistaPro generated files be imported into 3DS? In
other words, does anyone know if VP can be used as
an actual object generator, or merely as background images?
I had read that VP used the TurboSilver (Amiga) format,
and I'd probably bet money there are some converters
available, but I don't want to spend tons just to translate
images.
I'd buy this program in a heartbeat if the answer was yes.
You can save VP files to PCX files and convert the PCX files to DXF files and
then take them into 3DS as real objects. I have done this and it works. Also,
VP4 will almost certainly be able to do direct to DXF. The PCX -> DXF converter
is shareware available on CIS. I don't remember its name or where I got it, but
if you wait till tomorrow, I can get that info for you…
David Taffet
Mike:
The answer is "currently no", but John is working on it.
Clint <VRLI>
My company makes InterChange Plus, the only translation program I know of that
handles the Vista DEM format. We can read these and convert them to 3D Studio
format. At this time, our program is only shipping for the Amiga, but the
Windows version will be released later this year. Also, I know VRLI is adding
DXF export to their program, which will be a cumbersome but workable method for
moving DEMs into 3D Studio. There are other issues to consider, though: even a
simple DEM of 258 x 258 cells results in more than 64K triangles, which exceeds
what 3D Studio can handle in a single object. (You can break up the terrain,
but you won't be able to smooth across the seams.)
>There are other issues to consider, though: even a simple DEM of 258 x 258
cells >results in more than 64K triangles, which exceeds what 3D Studio can
handle in a >single object. (You can break up the terrain, but you won't be
able to smooth >across the seams.)
Thanks for the info — I'd be interested in your program but I'm now curious
about this other issue — does this effectively mean that it isn't worth it to
try? If you have seams in your landscape, it would look less than effective.
>Also, I know VRLI is adding DXF export to their program, which will be a
>cumbersome but workable method for moving DEMs into 3D Studio.
Why would it be cumbersome? Not to knock your efforts, but I hate
third party solutions — they tend to be expensive and add additional
steps to what should be a transparent process (for example — suppose
you had to run a "convert" program every time you wanted to use
a TGA background in 3DS).
Since VP is relatively cheap, I'd hate to spend as much (or more)
on a converter that should be part of the package anyway.
I'm not going to tell you what you want. 🙂 I don't know what you'll find to
be acceptable – but I don't think you can get a smooth render across two
separate objects, period. And DXF files can get huge – we're talking big,
66,000 face DXF files here. According to VRLI, the largest were about 250
megs, the smaller were at least several megs in size. These take a long time to
write, a lot of disk space, and a long time to read into 3DS. If you want a
faster solution, it would probably require a third-party solution.
Hang on, hang on. You can *now* take a DEM -> PCX with VP. Take the PCX to GIF
with various image utilities and then GIF -> DXF with a shareware program and
then into 3DS. The cost is negligible. When VP4 comes out it'll go straight to
DXF. Now, you may not be able to use an entire DEM as one object, but you can
sure place the seams on the other side of some hills from your camera, with a
little forethought. In my case, I'll be (am) using the exported DXF to POSITION
my 3DS work exactly into the landscape, then throw away the terrain in 3DS and
Video Post the VP animation with the 3DS one. No need to screw around applying
materials to the terrain trying to get those fantastic cliffs with a little
vegetation, spots of green here and there, etc. Additionally, I expect to be
able to get a shadow, with a little fooling around, that falls on the VP
animation believably. FWIW
David Taffet