zmodel .obj parser

[ihsan]

I just wanted to ask openly why zmodel cant be made to parse Wavefront Object Files (.obj). I think this is a far better solution than recoding nexuiz to use just md3's.

The issues of this approach:
.obj is almost universally supported.
Text format. Easy to debug.
There may already be libs available to parse this common format.
We still have control over the implemented 3d format (.zym) so other functionality can be baked in as necessary.
2-step export.

The issues of the md2/md3 approach:
darkplaces and nexuiz already uses a lot of md3.
1 step export.
The md3 format is kinda lame.

[Morphed]

.obj dont support bones iirc

[Psychcf]

well, I think mabie we should get all md3s, but I really don't care. I think we should just aim to just improve/redo models and/or textures as opposed to changing the format.

[ai]

.obj dont support bones iirc

Yeah, it was something like that, either bones, IK/FK (with other words animation) or texture. But I think bones was the correct one. (And without bones no animation for you who don't know what they do. Pretty boring with stale models )

[KadaverJack]

I have no experience inmedelling, but from what i've been told, zym isn't such a great model format, esp. when it comes to animations, so there's another reason to get rid of it other than the lousy smd support.
So i don't see a reason, why anyone should put any more work into zmodel. Possible future model formats for Nexuiz include md3, dpm (i've seen someone working on a md5 --> dpm converter in #darkplaces) or psk/psa (ut2003/4 model/animation format). Imho it would be better to focus on one of those formats.

[torus]

Imo it should be .md3, just for ease of use- as it turns out, Blender's .md3 exporter does work, it is just a bit wonky (Check out the Tea Monster'ssite for a quick explanation on what needs to be done in the python gui, or other blender export matters), anyone could make md3 models even if they dont have max.

.obj also sounds ok. Just not .zym!

[KadaverJack]

There's also an updated version of that md3 script together with a md5 im-/exporter in xreal's svn: http://xreal.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc ... l/blender/

[torus]

Im going to try that out right now

[Psychcf]

me too

[tZork]

md3 is a step in the wrong direction imo.

Surely there must be some non stone age format with decent tool chains available?