Making my own objects

[madden]

Hi, I could not figure out how to make my own objects.
Could you give me some tips?:confused:

P.S RUN! MAN EATING COOKIES ARE SPYING ON YOU!:eek:

[chuck]

Objects for Alice worlds can be created using 3D Studio Max or similar software and then imported into Alice using the import feature on Alice's File menu. The process is quite involved, especially if the object has subparts, like the iceSkater's limbs, etc. Someone basically needs to learn 3-D modelling to build a new character. Some schools have art students who have learned to do this and perhaps they could help.

People interested in developing 3D worlds or games might be intereested in learning about Panda, which was developed and used professionally by Disney, but is now available free through Carnegie Mellon. (see http://panda3d.org/) Panda3D does let users create objects from simple geometric shapes, but it too can take a while to learn.

[DrJim]

Just a couple of additional notes - would also suggest you check some of the threads in the Share Objects forum. Look back for 100 days or so - nothing very new there.

1. A good estimate for the time required to become familiar with a good 3D modeling tool is that it will take the equivalent of a one-semester college level course - see http://www.alice.org/community/showthread.php?t=464&highlight=Maya

2. A very easy to learn, but also limited tool is Smooth Teddy - get it at http://www-ui.is.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~takeo/index.html and also do a search of the forums on the name. An advantage of Smooth Teddy is that it's output will import directly into Alice.

3. The main problem with 3D Studio Max is it's cost - around $2000 the last I checked. Of the free tools, Blender is probaby the most powerful but has a difficult interface to learn. Others that have been mentioned include Wings 3D and Anim8or - again do a search on the names. There is a free version of Maya also - but there hasn't been much about in the context of objects for Alice.

[chuck]

There are links to tutorials for creating models using Maya and 3D Studio Max on the Building Virtual Worlds resource Web page at Carnegie Mellon:

http://www.etc.cmu.edu/bvw/resources.html

[PogoDaMonkey]

I personally find Anim8r great for simple shapes, though it needs a converter called Biturn to put the outputs into .ase...Also, more complex objects won't import correctly into Alice, but it is a good start, and the only "portable" 3D creation program referenced here, being a single .exe file. I just keep it on my flash drive. :D

Experiment a bit with what you find, experiment more with what you can import.

[DrJim]

I have to agree that it's best to only try to import small objects into Alice. Can't say for sure that Alice has ever displayed the "wrong" thing - but it sure hasn't displayed what I thought I'd imported a lot of times. :o

A lot of the problem have to do with file conversion error, which are hard enough to detect with even small files - and nearly impossible to detect with large ones. In particular, Alice doesn't like flat surfaces or surfaces with holes - the program has a lot of trouble deciding what's "inside" and what's "outside" if there is any ambiguity at all.

Use Shadow Sovereign's “import as texture” approach to importing objects (see http://www.alice.org/community/showthread.php?t=570) - this works both for .ase objects and objects in the Smooth Teddy format (.asg). This will give you a hierarchical structure in Alice which you can then arrange and texture using Alice tools. (You have to do the texturing there anyway - see the tutorials listed in Chuck Herbert‘s post.) This saves you a lot of conversion headaches - plus you can build on the large base of Alice objects that already exists.

Finally, if you are going to make a major effort to import objects - do read the tutorials first. There are a lot of non-obvious details covered there. While they may not apply specifically to your modeling tool - the principals involved will apply.

[madden]

I have Pozer 6, Can I Import Objects From It into Alice?:confused:
Ive Tried but I cant figure out how.

P.S Nead A Hug Today?
http://yannick.fleurit.free.fr/Critiques/Screenshots/Zelda%20Wind%20Waker/Zelda%20Wind%20Waker%20(2).jpg
:D

[madden]

its so Quiet................I can Hear my gerbil Talking to me .

P.S Hes not saying nice things, please talk to me, PLEASE!

[axeraider131]

http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender/

here is a free 3d object maker. you might want to ask a friend to convert them into .ase files. :) :) i dont know much about it so if you find any cool things, please tell me about it.:D

[DrJim]

I personally find Blender's interface fairly unfriendly, with a very steep learning curve, but other like it. If you want to learn the basics of Blender, see http://www.cdschools.org/54223045235521/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=55205 . There is supposed to be a script to export from Blender to .ase, but I've never figured out how to use it.

If you're using Poser, I'd suggest Wings 3D http://www.wings3d.com/ - there seem to be a lot of people exporting from there to Poser. (Personally this is my number two preference after Anim8or http://www.anim8or.com/.)

In any case, to get to the .ase format to import to Alice, you'll need either Biturn (from Mirex) http://mirex.mypage.sk/index.php?selected=1 or 4DBlue http://www.4dblue.com/. Expect problems at this step - this is probably the biggest barrier to importing objects into Alice. :( (I'd even rethink my opinion of Blender if I ever could get the .ase export to work. :p ) Also remember (read the tutorials) that you can't import textures directly with your model - you have to import them separately.

For all of these, do a search of the forums on the program name before you invest a lot of time. There are quite a few posts - unfortunately nobody has really had great success.

Re Poser 6 specifically - I personally have never used it other than to load a demo version and take a very quick look. But my understanding is that it is primarily for rendering and animation and does not have the capability for actually creating models - you have to create the models elsewhere and import them into the program. Since this also describes Alice's basic functionality (although with a completely different implementation and goal), I don't see where Poser would be at all useful for creating inputs to Alice.

[axeraider131]

i found out about blender in school and a am just beggining to use it. but.......it is FREE.:D :D .

[madden]

So is everything free?

P.S I'll do this if it all is :eek: , or I'll do this if it all isn't :mad: < I don't get This Face:D

[DrJim]

Everything that's been listed is free - and worth every penny. :D There is an amazing amount of free stuff available, and a lot of it is quite good, see - http://www.m3corp.com/a/download/freesoftware01.htm or http://www.machinima.com/PHPBB/viewtopic.php?t=5520 .

If you are just doing this for fun, look at several and see which one you like. If you are thinking of this as a possible career, I'd recommend you look at the free version of Maya and invest the time to learn it - it's one of the three or four "industry standards".

Panda3D, mentioned earlier, is also free and a "high end" program, but it doesn't seem to have the same widespread acceptance. (That might change with the Pixar/Disney merger, since Panda3D is a Disney product.)

[madden]

So Alice dosn't have a bult in object creator

P.S. Icecream!:p

[madden]

ok Im trying to get panda3D but all it gave me were Tutorials.
(help?):confused:

P.S. Hi

[Shadow Sovereign]

Well, this is just me, and DrJim knows this too from previous events, but I just take Alice objects (2 or more) and I tend to move several of the subparts around to a configuration I like. Use that in conjunction with the blank shapes, do a bit of color changing, and voila!

[madden]

ya, thats what I've been doing:D

P.S I'll try to keep my monkeys restraind:D

[madden]

I just found this site, I have not tried it yet but... well here it is http://www.gravimetricstudios.com/software/objectcreator/download.cfm

P.S Gotta run I hear the ice cream man coming .....ooooo liver flavor:rolleyes:

[DrJim]

I just found this site, ....

Here is my first try with "Object Creator". Nothing great - but also less than 30 min invested and different textures on all faces. :) (Doesn't show well in the Alice world but I also put the model into Tales Animator for the jpg.)

Still need Biturn for Alice and Alice doesn't like the resulting TGA images - but afraid we're stuck with those problems.

P.S Gotta run I hear the ice cream man coming .....ooooo liver flavor:rolleyes:
:p :p :p YUK :eek:

[ChyTheTasmanianTiger]

Using the basic shapes found in the web gallery you can make al sorts of things, so far I made a Bazooka, an Uzi, and a Grenade

[Raptor]

I personally find Blender's interface fairly unfriendly, with a very steep learning curve, but other like it. If you want to learn the basics of Blender, see http://www.cdschools.org/54223045235521/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=55205 . There is supposed to be a script to export from Blender to .ase, but I've never figured out how to use it.

If you're using Poser, I'd suggest Wings 3D http://www.wings3d.com/ - there seem to be a lot of people exporting from there to Poser. (Personally this is my number two preference after Anim8or http://www.anim8or.com/.)

In any case, to get to the .ase format to import to Alice, you'll need either Biturn (from Mirex) http://mirex.mypage.sk/index.php?selected=1 or 4DBlue http://www.4dblue.com/. Expect problems at this step - this is probably the biggest barrier to importing objects into Alice. :( (I'd even rethink my opinion of Blender if I ever could get the .ase export to work. :p ) Also remember (read the tutorials) that you can't import textures directly with your model - you have to import them separately.

For all of these, do a search of the forums on the program name before you invest a lot of time. There are quite a few posts - unfortunately nobody has really had great success.

Re Poser 6 specifically - I personally have never used it other than to load a demo version and take a very quick look. But my understanding is that it is primarily for rendering and animation and does not have the capability for actually creating models - you have to create the models elsewhere and import them into the program. Since this also describes Alice's basic functionality (although with a completely different implementation and goal), I don't see where Poser would be at all useful for creating inputs to Alice.
how do you import files from gmax to alice?