3ds pivot points

[theuberk]

Hi,

I've been trying to move some cars (saved as a .3ds files) in vizard. I can successfully move the car and rotate the wheels but the problem lays in the center of rotation. The wheels on some cars do not appear to be rotating around the center of the wheel like they would in the real world.

I checked the pivot points in 3ds max 8 and noticed that this was the problem. The pivot points were not centered to the object. So I moved the pivot points in 3ds max to the center of the wheels and re-exported the models, but this seemed to have no effect, the wheels still rotated around the original incorrect pivot points.

Any suggestions?

[farshizzo]

Hi,

If you are working with 3dsmax, I recommend using the OSGExporter that will export the model into Vizards native format. You can find it on our downloads page.

To rotate the wheels are you using the getChild() command on the car model? If so, you need to make sure that the child you are getting is located below any transform that is being applied to the wheel. This will ensure that the rotations applied to the child are in its local coordinate system.

[theuberk]

Thanks! This seems to have solved the pivot point problem. I can't be 100% sure though because not all my materials are being exported. I think the problem is that my materials are all sub-materials of one large super-material. The sub-materials are given indexes and the faces of the mesh are all assigned a material index. Only the material with the first index is being loaded in vizard. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Rob

[farshizzo]

Hi,

Are you still exporting to the 3ds format or are you using the osg exporter?

[theuberk]

I'm using the OSG exporter. All the materials will export correctly when I use the 3ds format.

[Veleno]

Hi, theuberk.

Please attach a screenshot of the OSG export settings you are using.

[theuberk]

The image is attached

[Veleno]

Hi theuberk.

Everything on the export screen is as it should be, so no problems there.

Are you using any material types other than standard and multi/sub-object?

[theuberk]

No, there are no other material types; just those two.

[Veleno]

Hi theuberk.

I've attached a simple test file that exports correctly on this end, and an exported version of the file that runs correctly on this end. I've got a few things for you to do with them that should narrow things down a bit.

First, I'd like you to test the exported .IVE file in Vizard to see if it shows up correctly. If it does, then the top of the box will be labeled "Top", the sides will be labeled "Side" and the base will be labeled "Base." I've attached an image of what the model looks like from a couple angles.

If it fails in Vizard, then your copy of Vizard has a problem reading the files.

If it runs correctly, then I'd like you to open the max file, export the model, then run your exported version in Vizard.

If this one fails to run, then the problem is with your copy of the exporter. If it succeeds, then there is something wrong with the main file you are trying to export.

Try these out and respond with the results when you are finished.

[theuberk]

Thanks a lot for the help. That file worked properly in all aspects, so it must be something with my files. I've attached one of the files that aren't working and all of its materials. Would you mind checking to see if you can find the problem? As you can tell, I'm no pro so it might be something very simple that I just don't know about.

Thanks

[Veleno]

Hi theuberk,

I've found a solution to your problem.

I had the same problem when exporting the file that you sent and noted that the blank areas were displaying the object's base color, so I managed to narrow things down to the material by applying it to an unmodified cube, which had the same problem. Then I tried using individual materials, which exported correctly. This led me to the conclusion that the Multi/Sub-Object material was the problem.

Eventually I discovered that if I typed something in for the name of a sub-material (see attached pictures) then that particular sub-material started working correctly when exported.

On another note, vizard cannot handle separate opacity maps, and instead uses whatever is in the alpha channel of the diffuse texture. Since the max file is basically making the windows 50% transparent, for your convenience I've attached modified versions of the glass textures that have been changed to take that into account. The last attached image (opacity note.jpg) shows the changes.

[theuberk]

Thank you so much! Everything works flawlessly now. How did you find out that the material names was the problem?

[theuberk]

And how did you change the alpha levels? I'm not very good with photoshop either.

Thanks!

[theuberk]

And how did you change the alpha levels? I'm not very good with photoshop either.

Thanks!

I figured out how to change alpha levels.

[Veleno]

Thank you so much! Everything works flawlessly now. How did you find out that the material names was the problem?

In this case, it was mostly process of elimination and a bit of luck. If that hadn't worked, I probably would have had to rebuild the entire material in another slot.

[theuberk]

oh ok. Well thanks a lot for your help :)