HeardTheWord Member Posts: 224 From: Des Moines, IA Registered: 08-16-2004 |
Has anyone ever used Blender? It is a free 3D modeler. I was wondering if it had the capabilities of exporting a custom 3D format. Anyway it looked like something that could be used for anyone that is on a tight budget (like me). Here is the website if you are interested: http://www.blender3d.com/ I also found a game engine that looked promising. It is called the irrlicht engine and is free as well. The person doesn't even care if you credit him (although it would be a good idea). That site is: http://irrlicht.sourceforge.net/ I have been thinking about using the Irrlicht Engine. Hopefully this helps someone. |
AmazingJas Member Posts: 437 From: Sydney, NSW, AUSTRALIA Registered: 04-03-2003 |
Yep I've used Blender, a few years ago though. It is free and quite powerful for its diminutive install size. It's biggest problem is that it has a very complex interface that requires a bit of effort to get to grips with..more than is usual for even complex 3D tools. The other problem I had with it related to bones and IK animation, but once you know the pitfalls, you can work your way around it  Can't remember what formats it supports but I think I was using .obj or .lwo (lightwave) and they worked fine. It also includes a real time engine so that you can make 3d games with it if you like. I tried a few of them and the scripting system seemed a little limited though. Anyway, in summary, it's got heaps of features, more than any other free 3D tool, and the price is right. |
D-SIPL Moderator Posts: 1345 From: Maesteg, Wales Registered: 07-21-2001 |
quote: Both of these projects are Open Source. With regards to the Irrlicht Engine the developer is (like me) a firm believer in open source hence why he doesn't want any credit, although as you say it would be nice. Probably better to leave a donation if you are using the engine for anything commercial. Blender could in theory be able to export to a custom format, but you would need to code it yourself. You can download the source code from the Blender CVS server. http://projects.blender.org/cvsx/?group_id=9 --D-SIPL ------------------ |
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HeardTheWord Member Posts: 224 From: Des Moines, IA Registered: 08-16-2004 |
Thanks D-SIPL. Has anyone used Blender for a commercial product? |
en972 Member Posts: 562 From: NOT TELLING! Registered: 08-27-2004 |
I guess I'm ganna use it. Proably make something big after Car in Space. i plan on learning C++. ------------------ |
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en972 Member Posts: 562 From: NOT TELLING! Registered: 08-27-2004 |
Can someone please post a installation faq. I can't install it. ------------------ |
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en972 Member Posts: 562 From: NOT TELLING! Registered: 08-27-2004 |
Scratch that. Figured out you had to zip it. ------------------ |
ArchAngel Member Posts: 3450 From: SV, CA, USA Registered: 01-29-2002 |
I'd learn Java first. it's easier. ------------------ |
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en972 Member Posts: 562 From: NOT TELLING! Registered: 08-27-2004 |
Nah, I'm just ganna jump right into c++ ------------------ |
HanClinto Administrator Posts: 1828 From: Indiana Registered: 10-11-2004 |
FWIW, C was my first language (even before BASIC or anything else), and it was do-able. I didn't learn Visual Basic until about 8 years later. All that to say, it can be done, and I think I'm a better programmer overall knowing how things work on a lower-level (like pointers and such). In Christ, |
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MadProf Member Posts: 181 From: Larnaka, Cyprus Registered: 01-24-2001 |
I have been using blender extensively for the last 5 or so years. I am envolved in the the development group since it went open source, and have submit quite a few patches. I think blender is great. I have used it for some professional projects. Making DVD titles for my dads office, making theatre set mock-ups, designing posters and other artwork which we (the theatre group) have used for posters and such. I have a little of my work online http://www.madprof.net/art.htm (I think, just check madprof.net otherwise). It is slightly non-standard in the way the GUI works, but once you get used to it, it is lightning fast, and lets you do things very quickly. If I can help you at all, questions/bugs or anything just say. Dan ------------------ |
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en972 Member Posts: 562 From: NOT TELLING! Registered: 08-27-2004 |
wow awsome. I sent you a pm on what I would like to know ------------------ |
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F1LT3R Junior Member Posts: 3 From: Swindon, Wiltshire, England Registered: 09-11-2006 |
I use Blender3D commercially a lot. If you want to see what I did today, look at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9roJ9Xd6IYM This is real-time OpenGL bumpmapping using my webcam as the bumpmap surface. By the way.. I'm a Christian and I've got a great idea for a huge Christian interactive evangelistic project if anyone's interested. ------------------ |
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HanClinto Administrator Posts: 1828 From: Indiana Registered: 10-11-2004 |
Hey Filter! Welcome to CCN! Wow, that realtime bumpmapping thing is pretty cool! Did you have to patch Blender to be able to use a dynamic source for the input of the bump map, or were you able to do that with just normal stock Blender? I'm sure we'd all love to hear about your Christian interactive evangelistic project! If you'd like to share your idea publicly, definitely create your own thread about it in the Game Design section. Very glad to have you on the boards with us! In Christ, P.S. For anyone else reading this thread who is interested in learning modeling and/or animation with Blender, here are two of the most useful tutorials that have taught me a lot about Blender in the past month or two: Animating a walk cycle: |
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F1LT3R Junior Member Posts: 3 From: Swindon, Wiltshire, England Registered: 09-11-2006 |
Yes my friend. I used "GameBlender Video Texture Player" by Ashsid. You can find the thread on Elysiun.com at... http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=65107 I offered Ashsid some money to develop certain functions into this script, and he's doing a wonderful job so far, and as almost completed it to the point where I will soon be transfering some cash :-P. My boss also loves it and wants to send some money his way too when it starts getting some use in our company! It's cool how OpenSource software can be developed for specific needs and everyone can take something good from it. - - - It's funny how a lot of people assume that OpenSource software is rubbish. I think this has really changed in the last few years. I use OpenOffice, Audacity, Gimp, PHP, Apache, Blender3D and VirtualDub all the time. Commercially and personally. Of course there are things these progams cant do, but there's "usually" other free peices of software that can. Regardless, integrating OpenSource and industry standard tools is not only more cost-effective... it also gives you an edge on the competition, as every program's output has a slightly different flavour. And if your work is creative, you're going to get picked for the job over someone who's styles look "too much" like everyone else's. For example: everyone in the west is witnessing this huge 60s revival with a 21st Century twist.... where a multitude of simple shapes and curves invade the main artwork like some kinda of explosion at a font factory. Most people doing this are using Adobe Illustrator, naturally, but go find some free off-the-wall tool to creative it with, and you'll have a really unique peice of work! Ok rant over :-P Peace, love and low income taxes! Al ------------------ |
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Matt Langley Member Posts: 247 From: Eugene, OR, USA Registered: 08-31-2006 |
Torque Game Engine has a community supported Blender Exporter... It's been a while since I've used it (since before I worked at GarageGames in fact), though I used to export full characters + animations with it. A bit quirky to learn at first but then wasn't so hard. ------------------ |
Faith_Warrior Member Posts: 490 From: So.Cal. Registered: 09-05-2006 |
quote: No, I haven’t used Blender commercially, but I have used Blender, I’ve gone through the tutorials, built some stuff but I don’t use it regularly. For commercial projects I use Wings3D, DeleD, Silo and gameSpace. Wings3D is free but the others cost a little, depends on what you are looking for. Blender is a good modelling app, but I’d recommend looking at others as well, especially if you are new to modelling in general since the Blender interface is cryptic and confusing. |
steve_ancell Member Posts: 37 From: Brighton, East Sussex, Southern England, United Kingdom. Registered: 09-16-2006 |
One thing I was wondering... Is there a B3D exporter available for Blender for use with Blitz3D ?. Thanks in advance. |
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HanClinto Administrator Posts: 1828 From: Indiana Registered: 10-11-2004 |
Hrm, wasn't able to find much. This thread talks about some of the available formats and their ups-and-downs, and this one has a little bit more information too. Basically, it looks like there are a few different methods -- some involving UV Unwrap as an intermediate step, others into a known-lossy format like .x or .obj, but just making sure you don't need any of the features that are lost. --clint |
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Faith_Warrior Member Posts: 490 From: So.Cal. Registered: 09-05-2006 |
quote:Nope, not yet, that's one of the leading reasons I don't use Blender. I know a lot of people that would love to have such a plug-in. Except for Wings3D the other ones I listed have a b3d pipeline and there are some others that do as well. |
