First off, HUGE THANKS to NeHe for his tutorials!!! I''m a student that just started learning C++, and the OpenGL tutorials are a Godsend. Thanks! I have created some 3DS models in Poser4 and Bryce4, is there a way to import them into an OpenGL program? I''m really new to all of this, so I have no idea as to where to start, or even if it''s possible using the software that I have. I''m I using the right software (Bryce & Poser) for something like this? or should I be using something else?

1)Try to search "3d exploration" program. Is a little nice program to convert in many formats.
2)Try to convert into a ASCII format what you choice. X Ascii is very nice even for opengl.
3)Read all data, and store into a memory. Use the old fopen to do this.





-eng3d.softhome.net-

First up - the software your using, Poser is OK, but only for characters, and doing any animation using it (For games.)would be bloody difficult, if not impossible. Forget Bryce - great for landscapes, useless when it comes to polygon acurate construction, which is what you require for game production. Also, it's textures could not be used.

For game modeling you need better tools - 3D Studio Max is probably one of the best options, but I expect you won't be able to afford/get that, so get a copy of truespace off of a cover CD, or download a specialist tool for the job - loads have been made. Also, a free version of 3D Studios Max is being planned - for game use, so you might want to wait for that.

Now how do you get it into your app? You have two options - Use a standard format and get a libary to import that format(You should easily find one for 3DS format.), or write a tool for your program and get that to export the data, which you then load into your program (The most coman choice.), the first option is definatly the easier, but lacks control, and playing with other peoples libarys can be irritating and unreliable. If you want to export animation your going to probably need your own file format.

I hope that helps - but a bit of advice, I don't know how new you are to programming and C++, but before you drop into the deep end of 3D programming, you really need to be an experianced OOP programmer, with good maths if you are going to acheive anything useful/complete etc. I'm in roughly the same situation as you, except I started 7 years ago, and I still don't believe I've acheived anything:-( It's easy to follow a tutorial, the question is if you could write it yourself.
Hmmm, I really should use shorter responses:-)
-Lethe

Edited by - Lethe on October 26, 2000 2:54:36 PM

I got poser4 and you can export either single frame
or an entire animation in .obj format (wavefront).
(for an animation, it will dump out a .obj file for each
frame in your animation)

bunch of descriptions on .obj format on the web but
a library already exists to read it in....it''s called
glm....goto romka''s site
(romka.demonews.com) and get Nate Robbins'' glm
library and Romka''s demo using it
http://romka.demonews.com/opengl/utils/index_eng.htm

The glm library is pretty easy to use. I would look at that and you should be able to use it. I had found it on another web site
before but i can''t remember where...it had a description and stuff...does anyone have the url for that?

I was trying to do a simple 3d animation (just flipping through frames)...I got it to mostly work but i see part of the man disappearing when i flip thru frames...please, anyone check out my post today titled basic 3d animation for more details of my problem description....maybe someone has some ideas? kinda stuck=;P

thanks!

Thanks to everyone who replied! Lots of info that will come in handy. Thanks!

Lethe: Thanks for the info, I got a program from 3D World Magazine. It''s called Game Blender 2.0; really cool. I''m not that experienced with C++, I just started this past summer, but I''m learning tons of stuff and having fun. Again, thanks for the info.