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Home ? Competitions, Events & News ? New release update: Static lighting and OBJ import

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14/12/2016 16:05:08

Tangledbliss
Tangledbliss
Posts: 66 		I can import an .obj model but it doesnt seem to behave as responsivly as an ase or an fbx model. Textures and flat colours come in very dark and there doesnt seem much you can do about that in the edit.
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14/12/2016 18:26:35

PatMarrNCMuvizu mogul
PatMarrNC
Posts: 1738 		let's use process of elimination to minimize some of the possible variation between different people's efforts to import an OBJ.

If you have successfully imported an OBJ, what modelling program did you use to create it? (maybe there's a difference between programs)

how large was the item? Was it textured? Did it include collision geometry?

I tried exporting a simple cube about the size of a car in muvizu.. with another simple cube inside, named UCX_Test (filename was Test.Obj)

Exported it from 3 different modelling apps and Muvizu rejected it each time with the error shown in my previous message

exporting from Sketchup using the LIPID OBJECT EXPORTER plugin, I get this error:


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14/12/2016 19:36:11

SuperStarvingWriter
SuperStarvingWriter
Posts: 6 		The model I used was created in Maya. It was originally sent to me as FBX file, because that's what I requested. But upon hearing about the new OBJ support, I converted the model from FBX to OBJ in Blender. I didn't make it myself, but an artist I'm working with made it for me based on a previously existing 2D design.

The model's file size is 556kb, it is textured, and I have no idea about whether it uses collision geometry.

Here's a picture of it. It's a space ship.


edited by SuperStarvingWriter on 14/12/2016
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14/12/2016 20:19:08

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		PatMarrNC wrote:





That looks like some sort of confusion over the path name, notice the forward and backward slashes after the drive name? Was the model on a USB stick? If so, save it to your PC before trying to import. Also make sure the .OBJ file (mesh) and any associated .MTL files (materials) are all in the same folder.
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14/12/2016 20:43:47

PatMarrNCMuvizu mogul
PatMarrNC
Posts: 1738 		primaveranz wrote:
PatMarrNC wrote:





That looks like some sort of confusion over the path name, notice the forward and backward slashes after the drive name? Was the model on a USB stick? If so, save it to your PC before trying to import. Also make sure the .OBJ file (mesh) and any associated .MTL files (materials) are all in the same folder.


it was on my secondary hard drive (not a USB drive) and the supporting files were indeed in the same directory. Since I didn't have this problem with the output from any other modelling program, I'm attributing the weirdness to the Sketchup LIPID OBJ exporter plugin. Paths must get encoded in the OBJ file, because the .MTL file contained no path references.

Since the last post, I tried importing OBJ files from two other modellers (Curvy3d and Poser) and got the same error as in my original post (the one about being too small or a problem with collision)
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14/12/2016 21:51:11

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		I'd be tempted to scale up the model by a factor of 10 and not create any collision mesh as I suspect the Muvizu import will take care of that anyway, then try again.
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15/12/2016 07:46:07

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		Interestingly I just imported a .OBJ made using Milkshape3d and it worked fine (no need for an extra collision mesh).
But 2 different meshes made in Sketchup just bounce around uncontrollably and then sink through the floor once you switch off "Floats in the air".
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15/12/2016 07:47:59

SuperStarvingWriter
SuperStarvingWriter
Posts: 6 		@primaveranz Were you able to select the model and move it around?
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15/12/2016 07:52:12

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		And a second Milkshape3d .OBJ file with a transparent window just shows up as "unknown file format" but it does load. I can edit it but there is only one material to edit instead of two so no window.
edited by primaveranz on 15/12/2016
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15/12/2016 07:52:32

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		SuperStarvingWriter wrote:
@primaveranz Were you able to select the model and move it around?

Yes I can.
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15/12/2016 08:15:12

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		MuvizuTeam wrote:


This latest version of Muvizu has an option to allow the user to create static lighting for their scene. Creating static lighting can take a long time to calculate, but it should significantly increase performance in the final scene.

Both of these features are available in Muvizu Play. Enjoy!


What is "SwarmAgent" and why does it need access through my firewall when I switch on Static lighting?
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15/12/2016 10:02:53

mcmillan-raExperimental userMuvizu staff
mcmillan-ra
Posts: 164 		primaveranz wrote:
What is "SwarmAgent" and why does it need access through my firewall when I switch on Static lighting?
SwarmAgent is the thing that calculates the lighting.

It doesn't really need access to the internet, but it does need access to you local network as it opens up a network port for the engine to talk to. This is a standard part of UE3.
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15/12/2016 11:53:58

drewiMuvizu mogulExperimental user
drewi
Posts: 298 		The only .obj import that works for me is of a uvmapped .obj
I made the object in Anim8or
and then i uv mapped it with Uvmapper classic
the object imported into muvizu fine.
I dont think .obj can have collision...i could be wrong about that though my experience is limited.
Also i haven't successfully been able to include transparency in my experiments so far.
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15/12/2016 11:57:23

MrDrWho13Muvizu mogulExperimental user
MrDrWho13
Posts: 2220 		The "half moon" glasses go on backwards (for the boy at least - I haven't tested the other characters).
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15/12/2016 15:26:42

Speedking5
Speedking5
Posts: 50 		I can import an obj object but I can not import an obj attachment for a character therres not even an option showing up for it.
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15/12/2016 16:05:27

PatMarrNCMuvizu mogul
PatMarrNC
Posts: 1738 		Speedking5 wrote:
I can import an obj object but I can not import an obj attachment for a character therres not even an option showing up for it.


but that sure would be useful!

(hint hint!)
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15/12/2016 16:33:08

PatMarrNCMuvizu mogul
PatMarrNC
Posts: 1738 		Continuing my efforts to load an OBJ...

So I UVMapped it this time, and added an image as texture. Got the following error when trying to load it:



removed the image texture and got the original error again



this suggests that the contents of the .mtl file influence the model's loading.

update: I just exported the same cube from Milkshape, and it imported OK.... but I notice that milkshape did not create a .mtl file for the cube. Deleting the .mtl file for the other cubes generated by other modelling programs resulted in a "mtl file not found" error, because the OBJ file must have had an internal reference that the milkshape file did not have

update 2: I added a color to the cube in Milkshape, then exported as OBJ... this time Milkshape created a .mtl file, and the resulting model successfully imported to Muvizu. So apparently, these various modelling programs address the OBJ format differently, and Milkshapes version appears to match the format that Muvizu's importer is looking for.

update 3: primaveranz wrote:
I'd be tempted to scale up the model by a factor of 10 and not create any collision mesh as I suspect the Muvizu import will take care of that anyway, then try again.

I had previously tried this, but apparently I wasn't making my object large enough. I Imported the Milkshape cube into Silo, and it was huge compared to anything else I'd tried to get into Muvizu... and when I exported it from Silo at that huge size, it came into Muvizu! Cool!
That tells me I just need to work to a different scale when working with OBJ files

-----------------------------------
edited by PatMarrNC on 15/12/2016
edited by PatMarrNC on 15/12/2016
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15/12/2016 18:35:11

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		PatMarrNC wrote:

update: I just exported the same cube from Milkshape, and it imported OK.... but I notice that milkshape did not create a .mtl file for the cube. Deleting the .mtl file for the other cubes generated by other modelling programs resulted in a "mtl file not found" error, because the OBJ file must have had an internal reference that the milkshape file did not have

update 2: I added a color to the cube in Milkshape, then exported as OBJ... this time Milkshape created a .mtl file, and the resulting model successfully imported to Muvizu. So apparently, these various modelling programs address the OBJ format differently, and Milkshapes version appears to match the format that Muvizu's importer is looking for.


Have you tried a milkshape3d model with two materials? One using an image texture and the other using a transparent .png or .dds file?
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15/12/2016 18:43:11

PatMarrNCMuvizu mogul
PatMarrNC
Posts: 1738 		primaveranz wrote:

Have you tried a milkshape3d model with two materials? One using an image texture and the other using a transparent .png or .dds file?


I've tried both. Adding an image texture here on my machine causes Muvizu to throw an "invalid file format" error when I try to load it.

If I add transparency to the .mtl file, muvizu will load the model, but the transparency is not supported.

Open question to the forum: has ANYBODY been able to successfully load an OBJ file with an image texture assigned to a surface?

also, my last import is a cube with a different color on each side... 6 in total.... but when I edit the properties, the box shows one color plus some of the modifying colors for that one material.



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edited by PatMarrNC on 15/12/2016
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15/12/2016 18:48:01

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		PatMarrNC wrote:


as on open question to the forum: has ANYBODY been able to successfully laod an OBJ file with an image texture assigned to a surface?




Yes I have managed that, using a .jpg image of some wooden planks.

But like you, I have found that Muvizu only allows the editing of a single texture and does not support transparencies on .OBJ files.
Weirdly for the cube with the window in it, even though the window is not visible if you lift the block above the ground the shadow shows that thre is a hole in the cube. However the window is only in the top and the shadow suggests it goes right through the cube. This is the same behaviour I have seen with .ASE files.
edited by primaveranz on 15/12/2016
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