Specifications

[Under Ground Designs]

Hi i'm learning to program with GLUT, so i'm making a small 3D engine using Open GL. Instead of importing 3DS files (which there are tutorials ALL OVER the net) i'd like to have it import MDL files. Is there any documentation online where Hash has given specifications on exactly how their format is structured? I kind of understand it looking it over, but i'm not 100% sure.

[heyvern]

I don't know much about programming but you should check out the HA:MR link in the development forum here.

 

It is a new "SDK thingy" for viewing AM files in other applications... like web browsers... and games possibly.

 

It is currently still in development but looks very exciting. There is currently a viewer application.

 

From what I have read here on the forum... I wouldn't try to "dissect" the AM file format. Hash doesn't really document the actual file format. They prefer people use the SDK... this allows them to change the file format as needed for new versions. If you did a lot of work trying to "read" the file format... you may end up in a spot later if it gets changed.

 

Using the SDK would alleviate this...

 

This is my "non-programmer" interpretation and could be wrong... ish.

 

Vernon "!" Zehr

[ypoissant]

You are right Vern.

 

We do not document the file format because it changed many times in the past, it will continue to change and it may even change quite dramatically in the future to fit our development plans and schedules requirements. Just be aware of that and be willing to live with the future consequences if you still wants to pursue the reverse-engineering road.

 

You should use the SDK to read in A:M files. The SDK will insulate you from file format changes.

[Under Ground Designs]

I'll take a look at the SDK. Do you have any idea how fast the code is?

[mak3170]

Hi i'm learning to program with GLUT, so i'm making a small 3D engine using Open GL. Instead of importing 3DS files (which there are tutorials ALL OVER the net) i'd like to have it import MDL files. Is there any documentation online where Hash has given specifications on exactly how their format is structured? I kind of understand it looking it over, but i'm not 100% sure.

 

There is one unofficial documenting of the version 7 PRJ file format, dated July 13 2001, one copy of which is here:

 

http://meshula.net/download/AMFormat.htm

 

 

If you don't mind working with binary files, the AV2 and PLY "realtime" formats *are* officially documented. I haven't found any existing URL at which you could find the specs; so, I put a copy of ImportExport.chm, which contains them, at:

 

http://users.bigpond.net.au/mak3170/animat...mportExport.chm

 

 

To get a grounding in the technicals re A:M's mesh geometry see:

 

http://www.ibiblio.org/e-notes/Hash/Hash.htm

 

-- Mark