detbear

It comes through culled really bad. It does have the two colors. That's probably because your model doesn't have enough geometry. When I try it with a more complexed model....say the minifig. It doesn't work. Still has one solid color. No matter how simple or short the names are. I have no spaces in them. Even if you can get that to work, an obj isn't going to transfer Mapping along with it for stamps.

Which program are you taking the AMXtex export to?

I get that result as well in blender but not in Lumion. When I export the minifig into Blender it comes up with colors. I went back and shorted the names as well as removing the decals. But straight from A:M to Lumion doesn't work out very well. I could go through Blender but that would take forever.

That's my question. I have no idea. Did you use materials or just add color to the groups.

Do you think it is the same case with .3DS exports. Those carry the color info. OBJ does not. Even from Blender as I said above.

Here's a screen capture.

As far as I can tell....yes.

The obj files don't transfer group data. Needs to be 3DS Doesn't look like the whole model transferred. missing two sides.

OK....not sure I did that right. I'm fresh into Blender so I don't know all the ropes. cylinder Y&G.zip

here is the difference between the 3ds and obj. ALSO: I created that in Blender Robert. Not sure I can match it in A:M as you need.

Here is the obj and MTL files, but they don't carry the info. Only the 3DS does. OBJ CUBE.zip

That is only one file and it's not in ASCII text format and it's not OBJ. 3Ds isn't going to help us. We need to work with OBJ because that can be a text file. I need the four the four files I listed and I need them in ASCII text. See how they have readable text and readable formatting... example OBJ: # OBJ - Exported from Animation Master # 1OBJ mtllib CYL.mtl o CYL.OBJ v 6.76197 21.8464 0 v 4.79586 21.8464 4.79586 v 4.24249 15.8275 4.24249 v 5.98175 15.8275 0 v 3.68912 9.80858 3.68912 v 5.20152 9.80858 0 v 8.06357e-08 21.8464 6.76197 v 7.13316e-08 15.8275 5.98175 v 6.20275e-08 9.80858 5.20152 v 4.24249 15.8275 -4.24249 v 4.79586 21.8464 -4.79586 v 4.51609e-07 15.8275 -5.98175 v 5.10515e-07 21.8464 -6.76197 v 3.68912 9.80858 -3.68912 v 3.92704e-07 9.80858 -5.20152 v -4.24249 15.8275 -4.24249 v -4.79586 21.8464 -4.79586 v -5.98175 15.8275 -9.03218e-07 v -6.76197 21.8464 -1.02103e-06 v -3.68912 9.80858 -3.68912 v -5.20152 9.80858 -7.85407e-07 v -4.24249 15.8275 4.24249 v -4.79586 21.8464 4.79586 v -3.68912 9.80858 3.68912 # 24 verticies vt 0.00000 1.00000 # 1 texture coordinates g default s 1 usemtl UnKnown0 f 1/1/1 2/1/2 3/1/3 4/1/4 f 4/1/4 3/1/3 5/1/5 6/1/6 f 2/1/2 7/1/7 8/1/8 3/1/3 f 3/1/3 8/1/8 9/1/9 5/1/5 f 1/1/1 4/1/4 10/1/10 11/1/11 f 11/1/11 10/1/10 12/1/12 13/1/13 f 4/1/4 6/1/6 14/1/14 10/1/10 f 10/1/10 14/1/14 15/1/15 12/1/12 f 13/1/13 12/1/12 16/1/16 17/1/17 f 17/1/17 16/1/16 18/1/18 19/1/19 f 12/1/12 15/1/15 20/1/20 16/1/16 f 16/1/16 20/1/20 21/1/21 18/1/18 f 19/1/19 18/1/18 22/1/22 23/1/23 f 23/1/23 22/1/22 8/1/8 7/1/7 f 18/1/18 21/1/21 24/1/24 22/1/22 f 22/1/22 24/1/24 9/1/9 8/1/8 # 16 polygons example MTL: newmtl UnKnown0 Ns 200 Ka 1.000000 1.000000 1.000000 Kd 1.000000 1.000000 1.000000 Ks 1.000000 1.000000 1.000000 d 1.000000 Ni 1.000000 sharpness 1.000000 If it looks like this, it's not ASCII text... TextEditor.JPG obj isn't going to help me either....it needs to be a .3DS file. I don't think obj is going to carry the info.

LOL How many forums do you frequent that allow uploading of 3DS files? Silly human. As Robert suggests any zip file can be uploaded. I'm not the best Forum user....you are correct. I'm trying to get better.

There was no .MTL created with the .3DS export. Yet it works fine in Lumion

Robert, I sent that file to your email. here is a zipped version color_cube_Blender.zip

you you guys have blender. The forum says it won't allow this type file to be uploaded

Here are two images and the file. The two images show the designated sides. They are lighting up green as selectable unlike the A:M exports. Wouldn't let me upload the 3ds file here.....wonder why??? Hmmmm

Here is the smooth model in Lumion for instance. The green shows when you hold your mouse over it in the texturing panel. If you notice the green covers the entire model rather than a specific part.

Make a very simple model with the same groups in both, then open their OBJ exports up in a text editor and the differences will probably be apparent. I didn't miss it. The files from other Apps like blender look like an alien language. So I can't tell what's going on.

Rodney. Is there a way to change the bmp default on a model file. Without spending forever. That could very well be it.

Either one I think would work. Lumion for instance will open a sketchup file with color area groups. Lumion will also open up a Blender exported .3DS with color groups. But it will not open an A:M exported .3DS with color groups. I contacted Lumion a while back concerning this and they wouldn't put any time into it. So it could be their issue possibly. But what's the difference between the sketchup/ blender exports vs Animation Master's??

IS there a way to export more than one group in 3ds or obj. I don't want to have to export with the .x route. Does anyone know why you can't export more than one map/ group??

Instead of producing individual groups, the 3ds and obj exporter exports a single map. here is the screen it brings up if your name is too long. That is the only map it will export.

Which is why I suggest augmenting A:M with other tools. Especially those tools that A:M has never had and those we shouldn't expect to see. Two things in particular come to mind that specifically fit that category... color management and video editing. Some of that can be done in the course of standard operating procedure directly in A:M but A:M is not specifically designed for that. Unless someone really surprises me A:M is never going to be a color management system. To suggest anything specific I'd have to know more about the specific frustrations and obstacles you are facing. I do know that a ton of things can be done in post... compositing and such... so that alone can save many a frustration. Who here has exported out a file from A:M and lit it in Keyshot? Probably not many because solutions don't always come cheap. Still, that kind of solution may be exactly what is required to compete. I suppose that may depend on who it is we compete with. Rodney. I have several tools that would be great for this purpose if A:M exported more than one material group either in .3ds or .obj.......HOWEVER, when I import an A:M exported model(obj or 3ds) it contains only one "Blanket" map on it. THIS RESULTS in not being able to place the other apps materials onto individual parts of the resulting model. So you cannot utilize the Physically based materials included in that App. I don't understand why this is, because .obj's/ .3ds files from other apps do import group areas for this purpose. SO that route gets shot down. IF someone could successfully export a compatible .obj or .3ds that contained individual material groups on individual parts, then that would be a great thing. BUT I haven't been able to get that to work. It makes one map for the entire model instead.

This is probably a subject for a different thread, but here goes. It's true that large studios like Pixar can afford to light every scene to obtain their artistic vision using many lights. But I think that it is not efficient or realistic to attempt this for large projects as an individual. Most of Us don't have a lighting department which is what it takes to pull that off in a realistic amount of time. We are in a different era now where tools do exist to obtain faster and more realistic results. As Robert said, radiosity is possible in AM, but takes a long time to render. That is true only because they haven't implementing a new render engine. AM has not kept up with the industry's changes unfortunately. For the individual artist relying on tools for efficiency to meet deadlines with quality that competes......well, that hurts bunches. Ahhhhh......forgive me. I will stop here. Its just frustrating to struggle obtaining the Results needed in an acceptable time frame.