Blender 2 CS

[sekhmet]

I have a copy of 3DSMAX6 but I\'d rather use blender that most of you know is free. But I\'ve read a lot of stuff around blender that you still need to export to 3DSMAX first and people seem unsure if it even works with Crystal Space and PS. Can someone bring clarity?

How well does blender2cs exporter work? Can objects made in blender be used in PS?

Thx

[Wedge]

Blender2cs is a map exporter for CS, however it does not have some of the custom things that have been added for PS with it\'s MAX exporter.  Static objects can be exported seperately as .spr files though... I\'m sure there has to be something like this for Blender, but I don\'t know where.  Characters are done in cal3d now, and I\'m fairly certain they have an exporter for Blender.

[sekhmet]

Wat do you mean by map exporter?
static objects = meshes?
So I can only export single meshes in blender?

[acraig]

There is a python script kicking around as well that you can use to convert single ( ie non animated ) meshes to .spr.    It is something that I keep in the back of my mind to try to improve to make blender a more viable tool.  The CS people may have some more ( better? ) advice in using Blender to create models.

[Erik]

Not to flame but why do you want to use Blender?

I had this discussions many times about the proffesional 3d software versus Blender. At the moment i have an iternship at a dutch game company as a 3d modeller and after my study i want to continue that kind of work.  At my internship we work with 3dsmax. I know the software used by some other companies like Valve, who use XSI, Triumph who uses Maya etc. But its never Blender...and imho its pointless to learn software that isn\'t used by any mayor 3d company. Sure, on the Blender site are some little companies that use it and it\'s very noble to develop a free and open source 3d program and that everybody need to work with it for further development but why? Blender doesn\'t get you in a 3d company...And about Blender being free and ppl have principles and stuff, 3dxmax has GMax, which is free, XSI has the XsiExpirience, which is free and Maya has the Maya PLE, which is....also...free. And then all these packages have student version which won\'t cost more then $200.

[lynx_lupo]

a) not everyone want\'s to become a pro modeller and live from it
b) those free versions of the pro programs are limited
c) there are plenty of exporters

[Altharion]

i have seen some good models been produced from Blender but the learning curve is awful.

GMAX and XSI have all the stuff and more to make great models aswell, XSI is pretty advance so it has a longer learning curve though.

[Misha]

I have problems with the Blender 2 CS.
I just follow all the instructions but It gave me some error, below the error:


Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<string>", line 47, in ?
ImportError: No module named b2cs


Please help, I don't know what to do now.

[Nikodemus]

check this if you are on windows:
http://vaalnor.mine.nu/psdoc/?q=node/24

[Induane]

@Misha

http://vaalnor.mine.nu/psdoc/?q=node/24

Are instructions on installing the tools in windows.  My website has other tutorials as well.  Some other things that need clarifying:

1.) Cal3d is used as the character format in PS.  Newer versions of blender come with a cal3d exporter built in.  So Blender can export PScharacters.

2.) Blender doesn't need to export to max first.... I'm not sure why anyone would say so really.  B2CS can export world files (terrain and map), as well as cel levels.  Basically anything thats in PS - blender can export!

3.) The bronze door region is done entirely with blender - which is a good example that it can do it all.

4.)  CrystalSpace is planned to be the replacement game engine for blender, so in the future it will be more and more integrated.  Blender is THE tool for crystalspace really.


Update: Hehe nikodemus You beat me to it!