Don't worry, I wasn't offended or anything -- I did realize you agreed about the price being a reasonable amount; I was mainly trying to pass on my insight to the masses, specifically the younger crowd (being the "old geezer" that I am) about the necessity of voting with dollars. "In my day" I recall a friend of mine who pirated Amiga software like mad, pretty much had every game, every tool, every app that was released for it BUT he still went ahead and bought the programs that he liked. I asked him why (given that he was a student and as about as poor as every other teen I knew) and he knew back then that the development of software for the Amiga platform was thinning out due to rampant piracy. His only solution to combatting it was to step up and show software/game developers that Amiga fans weren't all crooks and would buy the programs, the good ones that is.

The Amiga still died out, but it was also incredibly mismanaged by Commodore and their nitwit marketing dept, so the odds were kinda against it to start. Nevertheless, he made a lasting impression on me (he even got me to buy two Amigas for doing desktop video, and I'm a hardcore PC'er).

Regarding your tool, it doesn't matter if you're not interested in the export feature... it's simply that you want Zoltan to do something that helps you out and saves you time. He could do it sure, but as I said, he's got no assurance that you'll really register (not that I'm questioning your integrity, I mean it more generically in that many people here probably want him to do things for the free version that'll help them out, but not everyone will then register to show their thanks as you would - that's just the way it is). He's far better off if he does these things for the registered version -- if it makes no difference to you since you'd register anyway, there's no reason to care then. Right? You'd still end up in the same place at the end of the day. The shareware/free version is just the tease or demo if you will, if it happens to be useful for some customers without having to pay for it, that's their good luck, but the real effort rightfully goes into the paid version. Also, it's been my experience that the author listens more seriously to my wants and requests after I've registered, it's like buy shares in a corporation - you now get a "vote" about what happens with the product.

PlayerX,

Thank you for your tip. I will add a parameter to my program like 'Skip the collision and bone objects' in the Options/Import window.
The default value: true.

When I finished it you can update your copy of 3D O.C. using the Help/Check for updates... function.

Ah, thanks Zoltan... being able to see the collision and other "extra" geometry is very important to me. I'm glad this will still be an option when loading in files.

I finished and uploaded it to my web page.

You can update your copy of 3D O.C. (developer version) easy using the Help/Check for updates... function.

Well, I've sent 20 USD via PayPal. Thanks a lot KZ_3D/Zoltan for the discount!

Yes, thanks Zoltan for that program alteration you did for free.

Wow, Rekubot likeeeeeey . There seems to be problems with importing a few models however. Has anyone succeeded in getting the spa2_prop_minirepassault model (The Republic frigate) into XSI? It says in the 3D Object Converter that it has some bad polygons and that it's textures are 'unsupported bitmap types'; even though they're TGA's just like all the others. Does anyone have any advice? I was actually looking forward to giving that so-called 'frigate' a hangar/size improvement etc.

Can you send me this (zipped) package (.msh and .tga files both) to
[email protected] ?

Yes, I was browsing through the models and there are several objects that come up with 'bad polygons'. I'm not sure if the converter is seeing the model erroneously or if the model is messed up.

Rekubot wrote:Wow, Rekubot likeeeeeey . There seems to be problems with importing a few models however. Has anyone succeeded in getting the spa2_prop_minirepassault model (The Republic frigate) into XSI? It says in the 3D Object Converter that it has some bad polygons and that it's textures are 'unsupported bitmap types'; even though they're TGA's just like all the others. Does anyone have any advice? I was actually looking forward to giving that so-called 'frigate' a hangar/size improvement etc.

The model turned out perfect in XSI, but there is a problem with the 3D Object Converter loading tga files with long names, there seems to be a limit to the number of characters, however, the tga data is still included in the actual save but the tga names are incomplete.
Example:
The 3DOC will load
spa2_prop_minirepassault_01.tg
(the "a" is missing at the end)
Thus not recognizing this tga with a valid file extension

but it should be
spa2_prop_minirepassault_01.tga

To fix this after saving, just open the ".mtl" file with Notepad and manually complete the names of the .tga's then save(close) and import the .obj into XSI.

Hm... I did what you said Ace but now I'm getting an 'unspecified error' in XSI when I try to import the object file. This is my MTL file:

newmtl Material1170
Ka 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
Kd 0.700000 0.700000 0.700000
Ks 0.300000 0.300000 0.300000
illum 2
Ns 8.000000
map_Kd spa2_prop_minirepassault_01.tga

newmtl Material1171
Ka 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
Kd 0.700000 0.700000 0.700000
Ks 0.300000 0.300000 0.300000
illum 2
Ns 8.000000
map_Kd spa2_prop_minirepassault_01.tga

newmtl Material1102
Ka 1.000000 0.980000 0.906000
Kd 0.700000 0.700000 0.700000
Ks 0.300000 0.300000 0.300000
illum 2
Ns 8.000000
map_Kd spa2_prop_minirepassault_02.tga

newmtl Material1103
Ka 1.000000 0.980000 0.906000
Kd 0.700000 0.700000 0.700000
Ks 0.300000 0.300000 0.300000
illum 2
Ns 8.000000
map_Kd spa2_prop_minirepassault_02.tga

newmtl Material1211
Ka 1.000000 0.984000 0.908000
Kd 0.700000 0.700000 0.700000
Ks 0.300000 0.300000 0.300000
illum 2
Ns 8.000000
map_Kd spa2_prop_minirepassault_01.tga

newmtl Material1212
Ka 1.000000 0.984000 0.908000
Kd 0.700000 0.700000 0.700000
Ks 0.300000 0.300000 0.300000
illum 2
Ns 8.000000
map_Kd spa2_prop_minirepassault_01.tga

newmtl Material1213
Ka 1.000000 0.984000 0.908000
Kd 0.700000 0.700000 0.700000
Ks 0.300000 0.300000 0.300000
illum 2
Ns 8.000000
map_Kd spa2_prop_minirepassault_01.tga

newmtl Scene_Material0
Ka 1.000000 1.000000 1.000000
Kd 0.700000 0.700000 0.700000
Ks 0.300000 0.300000 0.300000
illum 2
Ns 8.000000
map_Kd spa2_prop_minirepassault_01_lowrez.tga

newmtl Material1200
Ka 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
Kd 0.700000 0.700000 0.700000
Ks 0.300000 0.300000 0.300000
illum 2
Ns 8.000000
map_Kd spa2_prop_minirepassault_02.tga

As you can see all the TGA endings have been filled in. Have I done it correctly? Or am I still missing something? I appreciate the help. Thanks!

That looks correct.
I've found that trying to import the .obj files using the default XSI obj importer causes problems.
Go to netview within XSI then download and install the Wavefront OBJ Converter located in the "Converter" menu, it works much better.

Doh, I get an error in that too. Do you mean the addon where there's a box with two buttons up the top left? (One says Imp Obj Seq, the other says class FileBrowser.)

Well, thanks for the help, I'll see if I can get it sorted out tomorrow. <yawn>

Download and install #3 located in XSI Net/convertors

squipple wrote:Yes, thanks Zoltan for that program alteration you did for free.

Okay, I was going to say let's just take this to pm, but I decided that it would only continue to shroud a point that perhaps needs clarifying more directly than in my previous posts.

He did that alteration on my behalf. I am a registered user and as noted, with a bit more influence than a non-registered one. (You may also notice that Zoltan is helping both Acemastermind and Rekubot, two other registered users). Also, the fix is correctly a part of the free evaluation version for good reason: if you are a potential customer interested in registering for 3doc, and you load up a MSH that has the excess collision and skeletal geometry onscreen, you may assume that the product was poorly designed and not capable of distinguishing the true geometry that the user wants converted and the excess that should be left out. Hence such a feature is a requirement for proper evaluation of the tool before deciding whether or not to register. The potential customer should know that they can filter out unwanted mesh data if they so choose. Otherwise they assume they can't and may not buy the program. Zoltan's fix for the MSH loader supported by the free version is the logical one to make.

In your original post, you specified three features you wanted. These were not really, as you noted, part of the scope of the program (conversion) but that they would help YOU out greatly. You asked me if I thought Zoltan would be up to adding these features. I tried to politely suggest that the answer was "your chances are slim to none". I noted you'd have a better chance if you registered and your reply was to indicate that you wanted him to do the work upfront, essentially for free since it would be then given away as part of the evaluation and offers no incentive whatsoever to future users to register. Thus the only reason for him to really to do it: Zoltan would be rewarded with $20US for his work. Uhhhhmmmm, if there are other programmers reading this, they can probably tell you what they think of this offer. I was a programmer for 11 years myself and I will spare you the expletives I would utter; regardless of whether you're a teen and that $20 is a lot for a teen to offer to someone, it is still expected that you first understand whether such an offer should be expected to be taken seriously or not by the person you are offering it to - lest it actually backfire and be treated as more of an insult.

Let me explain clearly how the shareware model works: the free version is a demo, the program is not a resume to encourage users to offer the author contract work, least of all for the sum of $20. One does not "reward" the author with anything. You try the program with what it is offering, decide you like it and want more, register, and it is YOU who are rewarded with the full functionality.

If you want something more from the author, you enter into an asymmetrical negotiation where he holds all of the cards and you are in a VERY low sphere of influence. In your case, until you do register, you are in the absolute lowest tier of influence (none) and the only genuine recourse is to plead for the features, perhaps make a business case argument that convinces him it will help future registrations, and hope that he is generous enough or sees the logic of your argument. You are not in any position to dictate terms of work for him. Pleading, and may I suggest very humble begging, is primarily your option. Or as you said, you can walk away from it and continue on as is with what the free version offers you right now. The latter, in my honest opinion, is your best choice. Zoltan may give you what you want (because he does listen and I personally am surprised at how generous he has been on many levels) but if I were him, I wouldn't: it is said that "it never hurts to ask" but it does when the offer is insulting to that other person. And if Zoltan were bombarded with more equally insulting offers along these lines, he'd eventually conclude that the SWBF modding scene is filled with people who just want free features and completely misunderstand the shareware model. And then he'd quietly leave and stop adding any future enhancements to the module and people would just whine and complain and fail to understand their own role in causing the support to stop.

If you think less about how the author can help you, and more about how you can help the author with his goals (registration, spreading the word, helping to find bugs, etc) then as an act of good will he may also reward you (not the other way around). Shareware is a very symbiotic relationship, moreso than commercial software. Take advantage of that and be as helpful to them as you want them to be to you.

Thank you for this bug report.

Last night I tracked down this situation (very long texture names, length >30 chars) and I fixed this in my program.

At this morning I uploaded it to my web page.

You can update your copy of 3D O.C. (developer version) easy using the Help/Check for updates... function.

being a modeler programer for years you all should appercate the hard work people do here, on there own time, this is not a job for most, To ask for such things with a small offer, IFIND STRANG, you would not go take your time to clean out some ones car, for nothing, nothings free. and all thou you get a lot here for free it coast some one time or money to bring it to you free, I spent over $400us for XSI 5.0, I didn't need it I have lightwave, cinema 4d maya poser bryce, why another 3d modeing animation program, I did it so all you can enjoy new models for there maps, I could charge for my models. and Mappers could charge to download there maps. and mods, be feel lucky you even have people willing to give there time. and if he made the changes for you, spacificly, maybe offering more for the product, to show yor appercation for the time they are spending, espacialy if they are give such a heavy discount to begain with.

very good point ghost, thats why i bought the 3DobjectConverter Yesterday...

Thanks KZ_3D, the texture loads in your program now, and in XSI. Thanks a lot for the update!

@AceMastermind: Thanks for the help, I appreciate it.

Concerning the price issue, $20 is equal to £10.45 here in England (according to PayPal), and to a 15 year old like me with a weekend paper round, that's not that much. I'm not from a rich family, and I never get money from my parents, yet I can still afford an amazing program like this. But meh, maybe I don't conserve my money much.

I added the SW Battlefront (terrain) .ter file format loader module to my program.

You can update your copy of 3D O.C. (developer version) easy using the Help/Check for updates... function.