COLLADA reader available

[arno]

Hi all,

From tomorrow the development release of ModelConverterX supports reading of a new file format: COLLADA DAE files. This format is for example used by Google Sketchup.

The first version of this reader reads materials and geometry, it does not yet read transformations and animations. I have tried to test it with different object, but that does not guarantee you can't find a file that will crash the tool. If you have such trouble, please report here in the forum so that I can improve the reader.

 

[arno]

I have made some small improvements, now transformation matrices should be processed correctly. I still have to see if there are other kinds of transformations in the COLLADA format.

 

[Manfred Knorr]

Arno, you are a flight sim hero to me

Would you mind placing a link to where I can d/l this file please? Searching for it only found forum posts.

Thank you Sir.

 

[robystar]

Hi,

I downloaded the latest development release (for Manfred's info: tools/tools support/modelconverterX/download modelconverterx/download latest development release) to check the astonishing news that Arno managed to include a colada reader in his wonderful program.
And sure enough, it works. Well, sort of.
The shape is converted into an FSX mdl but the object remains without textures.
Leads me to the following questions:
- the fictitious simple object I made was colored red, not even textured. Is that maybe a problem?
- when speaking about textures, I guess you will have to convert the skm format into dds or bmp. What program besides Sketchup can read and convert those formats?
Anyway, congratulations for another (proto) achievement.

 

[arno]

Would you mind placing a link to where I can d/l this file please? Searching for it only found forum posts.

All the details are in this thread.

 

[arno]

Hi,

The shape is converted into an FSX mdl but the object remains without textures.
Leads me to the following questions:
- the fictitious simple object I made was colored red, not even textured. Is that maybe a problem?
- when speaking about textures, I guess you will have to convert the skm format into dds or bmp. What program besides Sketchup can read and convert those formats?

Does the object display the textures in the 3D preview? For the objects I tested it did. The problem is that KMZ files use JPG or PNG textures normally, so you will have to change that to BMP or DDS for FS. This can be done in the material editor and you would have to convert the textures manually. Doing this automatically is on my wishlist as well .

 

[robystar]

Hi Arno,

Colors as well as textures show in ModelconverterX.
After converting jpg to bmp/dds, textures also show up in FS.
Colors however do not show up in FS but that might be my mistake out of ignorance how to deal with colors.

 

[arno]

Hi,

Can you tell me which object you used for testing? It might be that I need to check if the colour information is read and written correctly.

 

[robystar]

What object?

Don't laugh but in Sketchup I just used a rectangle that I shaped into a rectangular block and then I put a cylindrical shape on top, applied two shades of red paint to the object and that is it. It was just for testing purposes and does not represent anything. I deleted it already but can make it again if so wished because that is done in a jiffy?

 

[arno]

Hi,

Ah, that was easy to try myself as well . So I made a little cube and gave it three different colours. But for me they show up correctly in FSX. So it should work.

 

[robystar]

Unfortunately it does not work for me.
I must be doing something wrong when exporting from modelconverterx.
I tried to export the object from sketchup with texture map and the object shows up with the right colors in MCX and with wrong colors if I export the object with color layers. None of the two methods gives me a colored object in FS.
Is there anything I need to do extra in MCX?

 

[arno]

Hi,

No, I just imported the DAE file and then exported again to FSX MDL. I did not do anything special in ModelConverterX.

Find attached my MDL and DAE file, maybe you can see something from that?

 

[robystar]

Well, what I do see is that when I load the dae box in MCX I get a red/blue-grey box although checking the materials it should be blue, red and white.
And when I load the mdl box I get a red and white box and the blue does not show. When I load the mdl box again I get a completely white one until I open the material editor and close it again. After that I get a red and white one.

 

[robystar]

I noticed two more things:
- neither of your two boxes show up colored in my FSX;
- you seem to have made very big boxes (~3800 X 1800 ft).
To clarify things:
- I use your latest development release;
- I use Library Object Creator to make a Library object of the shape;
- I put the library object bgl in my addon scenery/library objects/scenery (I do not have a texture for it);
- I then use ADE to put the object in the scenery.

Can you make chocolate out of it?

Rob

 

[arno]

Hi,

Well, what I do see is that when I load the dae box in MCX I get a red/blue-grey box although checking the materials it should be blue, red and white.
And when I load the mdl box I get a red and white box and the blue does not show. When I load the mdl box again I get a completely white one until I open the material editor and close it again. After that I get a red and white one.

On my PC it shows fine, but when I tried at my work PC I also got a white box. So I think I will have to check the OpenGL code used for the preview. It seems the current settings don't work on all machines.

But that should not affect the exporting, only the preview.

 

[arno]

Hi,

I noticed two more things:
- neither of your two boxes show up colored in my FSX;
- you seem to have made very big boxes (~3800 X 1800 ft).

The object is indeed a bit big, I just drew something in Sketchup. But that should not cause trouble. Do you mean that even when you place the MDL file from the ZIP file you don't see the colours? That is funny since that one works fine here on my machine.

 

[arno]

By the way, the display problems you have might be related to what Paul report in the thread about the attachpoints.

 

[robystar]

Yes, even the mdl from the zip file does not give me any color.
Will check Paul´s attachpoints.
G´night.

 

[robystar]

Yup, Paul seems to have the same problem with his textures.

 

[arno]

Hi,

Next week I am away for work, if I have some time I might work a bit on ModelConverterX, but don't expect me to report progress during that time.