best method for .b3d model?

First, I'd like to say 'hat's off' to Simon for this module. excellent work!

There are 1000s of ways to create a model. What I am looking for is the best way to construct a .b3d model for miniB3D (and Max3D if it will use .b3d files) so here are my questions:

For static mesh:
1. Is it better for the entire mesh to pull the detail textures (map channel 1) from a single image (like a 2048X2048 .png file) or for each surface of the mesh load it's own texture (like a 256 X 256 .png file). For example, A level file could have 20 detail textures and 1 light map texture.

2. is it better to create geometric detail with polygons or with normal/bumpmapping. Which one offers better performance? (in the past, a stone wall would be a large polygon with a picture of a stone wall on it) would it be better to actually model the stone protrusions or create a bump map or a normal map?

3. Does/Will Minib3d (or max3d) support normal mapping? I understand that Max3D will be shader driven. I will asume it will support normal map per-pixel lighting. the .b3d format supports 2 UV sets. should there be a 3rd for Normal maps?

4. What is the best way to animate rigid bodies. I used .3ds files because they did a great job with transformations and rotations, with .b3d, everything needs a bone.

finally,
If Mr Sibly is watching this space. I understand that you are doing a rethink of Max3D. 3D Modelling is difficult work and I would like to know what I should be aiming for when creating models for MiniB3D and Max3D.

as a side note, the models that I produce for this exercise will be released as free/open/public/no restrictions.

Do you plan on making a newer .b3d file format or supporting other formats? (i.e COLLADA, Unwrap3D, FBX-filmbox, etc)

you mentioned that you wanted a Defender ship model. can you be more specific? i.e polycount, bitmap size, number of surfaces, number of UV sets, animated? , etc. (also, what other types of models are you looking for?)

(note: wow, kinda got carried away there with the questions...)

Hmmm. OK. Let me try this again...

For Blitz3D my pipeline looked something like this:

1. Create Mesh in 3DS Max
2. Texture Mesh in 3DS Max (Unwrap UVW)
4. Create a Lightmap in 3DS Max with the "Render to Texture" feature.
5. Export to .u3d (Ultimate Unwrap3D) and do some texture touchups and combine the textures into a "Composite"
6. Export to .B3D format

Load into Blitz

This worked fine but now I am curious how to move on to the new world of Shaders, Normal Maps, Physics Data, etc.

COLLADA looks very interesting for a file format and Bullet looks awesome for a Physics system.

any thoughts?

If a Bear Creates a Thread in a Forest, Does Anybody respond?

mmmm, What is a thread?

Well the only questions I can answer really are 3 and 4:


The 'official' version of MiniB3D does not support normal mapping at this time, and won't for the forseeable future.


Check out the toolbox for animating tools, I believe CharacterFX is a popular one.

You can use fragMotion (20$ only - look at http://www.fragmosoft.com/) for animated b3d. It can import/export b3d format.

I don't know whether Minib3d does too as I don't have BlitzMax yet. But with standard Blitz3d the .b3d format can be used for hierarchial mesh animation or rigid bodies as well.
E.g you can use the B3dpipeline tools to export an animated mesh without bones to a .b3d. This will animate perfectly in Blitz3d.

Where from does this strange information with "with B3D everything needs a bone" come?
B3D Format existed long before B3D supported vertex weights and thus bone deformation based animation ...

I don't care much for bullet, but a Collada importer would be awesome. I suppose (haven't actually tried it yet) that using Bruceys libxml wrapper, it would even be a fairly simple task - at least if you only needed the parts of the Collada objects that B3D supports (ie. no physics).

@ Dreamora.

I am referring to Animations. The B3d File Format does not require a 'bone' for a static mesh but for animated ones it does. Whereas the .3ds file format does not support bones but does support animations (rotation, Scale and transformations).

The nice thing about the .3ds method is that the underlying components (the parts of the .3ds model) can be individually picked and set up for collisions. with a .b3d animated mesh is very difficult to get that data.

how do you create animations in fragmotion without using bones?

I don't create animations in Fragmotion as it is geared towards bones as CharacterFX is.
Not sure if they even support nonskinned animation.

But for stuff like mechanical objects, skinned animation is highly undesired.

I'am new here but if you are talking about shaders,it supports it,now it does both.Vertex and Bone animation as well.Though currently the only lighting you have in the program is for the 2d sprite export.I did have one problem with it.It exports all my animation sets into one animation.So I'am having a heck of a time extracting all three.I have two working but the other witch is set by a key like the others is not animating,perhaps its key problems.Anyway hope that helps you out.As for my problem I will keep working on it.

spacesafterpunctuationmakesentencesinfinitelyeasiertoread.

Where's step three?
8)

For Blitz3D my pipeline looked something like this:

1. Create Mesh in 3DS Max
2. Texture Mesh in 3DS Max (Unwrap UVW)
4. Create a Lightmap in 3DS Max with the "Render to Texture" feature.
5. Export to .u3d (Ultimate Unwrap3D) and do some texture touchups and combine the textures into a "Composite"
6. Export to .B3D format

8 )

Thanks for the english lesson professor but that is not

what is missing. I will figure it out on my own. I thought

I could be of help but since you guys think you seem to

no better then forget what I said and figure it out on

your own and do us all a favor and find something

better to do with your time then teaching english. Sorry to any I offend.