LODka3D - 3D-models editor

[Kapitan]

LODka3D - 3D-models editor

Freeware. Based on Deplhi (Pascal) and GLScene (OpenGL).


Features

* Support skeleton animations with bone weights.
* Support vertex (morph) animations.
* Colliders editor for animated models.
* Support multitexturing.
* A simple lightmap generator (Direct Illumination + Radiosity).
* Support light schemes.
* Rigid body physics editor. Support ODE and Newton primitives.
* Saving and loading models in *.3ds, *.smd, *.obj, *.md2, *.md3, *.lod file formats.
* Loading models in many GLScene formats and some exotic formats like models from games The Longest Journey, Enter The Matrix and Mafia: The city of lost heaven, Quake I.
* Proxy support. The ability to use one element in many places of your model.
* Large numbers of primitives.
* Creating a surface from selected points, joining triangles together, move, scale, rotate selected points, with or without distortion and many similar algorithms.
* Comfortable working with vertices. You do not need to enter floating numbers from the keyboard.
* Some demos for GLScene. How to load *.lod files, how to play animations, how to use colliders, physics (ODE and Newton), multitexturing, light schemes, and e. t. c.


Screenshots

http://lodka3d.googlepages.com/lodka3d-scr4.gif

http://lodka3d.googlepages.com/lodka3d-scr5.gif


Homepage

http://lodka3d.googlepages.com/indexeng.html


Please tell me about mistakes. I want to fix them all.

[savage]

Looks cool. Bumped to News item!

[Firlefanz]

Hi,

For the DirectX developers here Export to .X would be nice, and if possible Import also. :D

Firle

[Ñuño Martínez]

I should test it. Thanks. :)

[Kapitan]

Looks cool. Bumped to News item!

Thank you! :)



Hi,

For the DirectX developers here Export to .X would be nice, and if possible Import also. :D

Firle

.X in my plans.
BTW do you know any loaders or importers for .x format in Pascal? Or libraries, or samples? I am looking for something helpful.



I should test it. Thanks. :)

If you find any mistakes, i will try to fix them.

[Mirage]

.X in my plans.
BTW do you know any loaders or importers for .x format in Pascal? Or libraries, or samples? I am looking for something helpful.

D3DX is a part of DirectX (many people mess it with DirectX itself) and it contains routines to load .x files. And many other resources such as textures of various formats.
The drawback is that a .dll required in case of use of this library.

[Ñuño Martínez]

.X in my plans.
BTW do you know any loaders or importers for .x format in Pascal? Or libraries, or samples? I am looking for something helpful.

D3DX is a part of DirectX (many people mess it with DirectX itself) and it contains routines to load .x files. And many other resources such as textures of various formats.
The drawback is that a .dll required in case of use of this library. But this application is GLScene-based (no DirectX) so it's not useful.

Kapitan: IIRC Blender3D (http://www.blender.org/) has a .X importer/exporter. May be you can read it.

[NecroDOME]

Cool :). Does OBJ file format support bones, animations and stuff?

[JernejL]

Why does the program look as if it is more oriented to raw point editing and one big arrows meeting place rather than to focus on actual mesh editing?

[arthurprs]

looks good :D

[Kapitan]

.X in my plans.
BTW do you know any loaders or importers for .x format in Pascal? Or libraries, or samples? I am looking for something helpful.

D3DX is a part of DirectX (many people mess it with DirectX itself) and it contains routines to load .x files. And many other resources such as textures of various formats.
The drawback is that a .dll required in case of use of this library. But this application is GLScene-based (no DirectX) so it's not useful.

Kapitan: IIRC Blender3D (http://www.blender.org/) has a .X importer/exporter. May be you can read it.

AFAIK Blender3D on C++.



Cool :). Does OBJ file format support bones, animations and stuff?

No. *.smd (Half-Life) file format support bones animation.



Why does the program look as if it is more oriented to raw point editing and one big arrows meeting place rather than to focus on actual mesh editing?

What big arrows?
How to focus on actual mesh editing?



looks good :D
Thanks :D

[Ñuño Martínez]

AFAIK Blender3D on C++. Yes, but aren't the importers written in a script language? If so it should be easer to read than the C++ code.

I was looking for documentation but I haven't the .X format description.

I haven't more ideas.

[Kapitan]

AFAIK Blender3D on C++. Yes, but aren't the importers written in a script language? If so it should be easer to read than the C++ code.

I was looking for documentation but I haven't the .X format description.

I haven't more ideas.

Thank you.

I added ability to save models in *.x file format.
This is very early beta version.

[JernejL]

What big arrows?
How to focus on actual mesh editing?


http://mathpudding.com/temp/arrows.jpg

Those arrows.. well, i meant as in make the gui look more professional, more interactive mouse control rather than arrows & sliders.

[chronozphere]

I agree with Delfi. Your current GUI is a little bloated IMHO. Mouse controls would be way better, and easier to use. I like GUI's to be slim and still intuitive. And eh... do you have nice tooltips and hotkey's?? :razz:

Nevertheless, i think this is a very good start. :) Hope you can improve it and *.X support is always good. :D (I'm i DX guy).

Keep up the good work. ;)

[Kapitan]

What big arrows?
How to focus on actual mesh editing?


http://mathpudding.com/temp/arrows.jpg

Those arrows.. well, i meant as in make the gui look more professional, more interactive mouse control rather than arrows & sliders.

You can select, move and rotate the bones with the mouse.

Shift+LMB - select bone (in triangle mode F1)
Ctrl+LMB - move bone (Ctrl+1...Ctrl+2 - block axises x..z, Ctrl+4 - grid)
Ctrl+RMB - rotate bone (Shift+1 - x axis, Shift+2 - y axis, Shift+3 - z axis, Shift+4 - screen).

Shift+Escape - close/open main panel.

Some arrows is the standart Windows controls. You can change there sizes in Windows options, and they must dissapear if you enlarge you window.

Blue arrows used for move selected items up or down.

Some other buttons have arrows too. Do you know any better icons for there actions?

The interval arrows and the rotation buttons is comfortable for increase or decrease value on one. Why not to use it? What is better, professional interface or comfortable working?

If you have any ideas about improving please tell me.

[Kapitan]

I agree with Delfi. Your current GUI is a little bloated IMHO. Mouse controls would be way better, and easier to use. I like GUI's to be slim and still intuitive. And eh... do you have nice tooltips and hotkey's?? :razz:


Yes. Hotkeys: http://lodka3d.googlepages.com/indexeng.html#FastKeys

I have big help on russian: http://lodka3d.narod.ru/help.html
But you can translate it with PROMT:
http://lodka3d.googlepages.com/helptransl.html
or with Google:
http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Flodka3d.googlepages.com%2 Fhelp.html&langpair=ru%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8

And i recomend flash-lessons on english: http://lodka3d.googlepages.com/flashlessonseng.html



Nevertheless, i think this is a very good start. :) Hope you can improve it and *.X support is always good. :D (I'm i DX guy).


I added *.x export in last verion. If you find any mistakes plese tell me.



Keep up the good work. ;)

Thank you. :)

[Firlefanz]

X-Export? Now I must try that, thanks :wink:

Firle

[Firlefanz]

According to my first view I must say great stuff! :D

If often need some fast made placeholders for my games.

I just made a round cube and exported it to X worked good and was very fast and easy to do.

I just forgot normals or texturecoordinates I guess.

Good work, I will have an eye on this topic from now on.
This tool could become very helpful for me :)

Thanks
Firle

[Kapitan]

According to my first view I must say great stuff! :D

If often need some fast made placeholders for my games.

I just made a round cube and exported it to X worked good and was very fast and easy to do.

I just forgot normals or texturecoordinates I guess.

Good work, I will have an eye on this topic from now on.
This tool could become very helpful for me :)

Thanks
Firle

Thank you! :)

[Firlefanz]

Hello,

this is a very good tool.

Some suggestions from my point of view:

If I save to .X it would be great next time I wnat to save whatever .X is the default for saving.

It would be great to have a very easy way (one menu click if possible) to create normals and basic (planar or whatever) texture coordinates for testing the model :)

These are just ideas or maybe suggestions :D

Excellent work.
Firle

[Kapitan]

Hello,

this is a very good tool.

Some suggestions from my point of view:

If I save to .X it would be great next time I wnat to save whatever .X is the default for saving.

It would be great to have a very easy way (one menu click if possible) to create normals and basic (planar or whatever) texture coordinates for testing the model :)

These are just ideas or maybe suggestions :D

Excellent work.
Firle

About normals. I created a flash lesson for you : http://lodka3d.googlepages.com/normalsandsmoothgroups.htm
My english is weak. Any grammatical or stylistic corrections are welcome.

And version 1.52 had one bug in smooth groups. I fixed it in version 1.52.1.

And i improved default texture coordinates calculation for Round cube.

http://lodka3d.googlepages.com/roundcube2.png

About working with texture coordinates i will explain later because i tired today. :)

[Firlefanz]

I have to take a look at the flash later and try if it works.

Thanks :D

firle

[Firlefanz]

When using the auto smooth button I always get an error "range check error". After that when saving to .X the X files was created but the program seems to hang up and it not replying anymore. Maybe the error is for this special mesh, I tried to convert a 3ds to X. I can send you the mesh if you like...

Firle

[Firlefanz]

Hi!

And the X files cannot be loaded/used afterwards.

Here is the original 3ds files and the lod file.
I wanted to add normals and save it to .X, did not work.

This is just a free model I found somewhere in the web, but maybe it would be interesting to find the error.

I wanted to use it as a placeholder for my new spaceshooter until I get some own spaceships done.

Thanks! :D

http://www.ericbehme.de/public/3dm-tie-ad.lod
http://www.ericbehme.de/public/3dm-tie-ad.3ds

Firle

PS: Is there an easy way to reduce poly? I am mostly doing this: Create an own primitive, set normals and texturecoordinates and export to X. Or load a free model, scale and move it, reduce polys, set normals and texturecoordinates and then save to X. :D

[Kapitan]

Hi!

And the X files cannot be loaded/used afterwards.

Here is the original 3ds files and the lod file.
I wanted to add normals and save it to .X, did not work.

This is just a free model I found somewhere in the web, but maybe it would be interesting to find the error.

I wanted to use it as a placeholder for my new spaceshooter until I get some own spaceships done.

Thanks! :D

http://www.ericbehme.de/public/3dm-tie-ad.lod
http://www.ericbehme.de/public/3dm-tie-ad.3ds

Firle

PS: Is there an easy way to reduce poly? I am mostly doing this: Create an own primitive, set normals and texturecoordinates and export to X. Or load a free model, scale and move it, reduce polys, set normals and texturecoordinates and then save to X. :D

Hi!

Excuse me for the delay.

This big file is exported to *.x but very very slowly. I accelerate this proccess in new version of LODka3D (1.52.2).

File 3dm-tie-ad.3ds is really big. 84000 vertex. First level of Quake 1 consist of 7000 vertex. So your model as big as 12 levels of Quake 1. :)


I found one bug in Autosmooth option and fixed it. And i added many bug tests in this function just in case.



PS: Is there an easy way to reduce poly?

No. I am looking for algorithmes for this.
But i know one not easy way. :)

For example. Step by step:

1) Create a plane 4x4 : Primitives->Plane->Create
2) Select all triangles : Model->Triangles->Select All.
( or some triangles )
3) Press on button Model->Trianlges->Joint selected triangles.

Repeat third step many times and number of triangles must decreases.

[Firlefanz]

Sounds good. The file is way too big for a game, I just thought you might be interested in a sample :)

Keep me informed when the new version is out, you really have a usefull tool there :wink:

Thanks
Firle

[Kapitan]

Sounds good. The file is way too big for a game, I just thought you might be interested in a sample :)

Keep me informed when the new version is out, you really have a usefull tool there :wink:

Thanks
Firle

Thank you!


Next step of evolution.

I added a folders viewer in the program.

( Menu->File->Folders viewer )

But this is not just a one more viewer, this is like a level editor. You can see many models at the same time. Enable a checkbox near the file name and the model will appear in LODka3D. So you can editing one part of the level, and to see all other parts of the level. You can use F5 for the grid and CMB (MMB) for the focus for all viewing models.


One more feature is possibility to save small screenshots (100x100) of models in lod-files.

Save: Menu->File->Save options->LOD Set picture from screenshot

View/clear: Menu->File->Save options->LOD View picture

You can view all models screenshots in folder viewer on one page (click on Icons checkbox). So you doesn't need to read names of files, you can just to view screenshots.

Demo level: http://lodka3d.googlepages.com/level01.zip

Extract it in any folder, and view it through the folders viewer in Icons mode.

Any suggestions are welcome. :)

[Firlefanz]

Hello,

I converted some of my older models we used in Commando Xenidis (older game).

I wanted to export them to .X using your editor here, but unfortunately it does not work, could you take a look?

http://www.ericbehme.de/public/cx.zip

Thanks,
Firle

[Kapitan]

Hello,

I converted some of my older models we used in Commando Xenidis (older game).

I wanted to export them to .X using your editor here, but unfortunately it does not work, could you take a look?

http://www.ericbehme.de/public/cx.zip

Thanks,
Firle

Nice models. :)

Thank you for this bug report. I found that LODka3D doesn't know how to read a quads from obj-files. Now i fix this bug. Models viper1.obj and medic ship.obj now reads properly.

But obj-file format doesn't support smooth-groups. So if you load models, LODka3D assign them first smooth group automatically. So you need to use AutoSmooth options.

Some other models has some problems with the orientation of triangles. I loaded them in MilkShape3D and MilkShape3D doesn't know how to solve this problems too. Model "j?Ñger.obj", for example. Do you know any editors which read this models good? Because i have no ideas now.

[paul_nicholls]

If you want an editor to try those .obj files on, you could download the free lite version of the DeleD 3d editor from http://www.delgine.com/. I believe it was written using Delphi actually :)

The direct link to the editor download page is http://www.delgine.com/index.php?filename=product_deled

You can download from the same site, an Obj 3d file importer/exporter plugin for the editor (http://www.delgine.com/plugins/viewPluginCategories.php).

It is a very nice free 3d editor program perhaps you could get some ideas from it :)

It allows editing of vertices/faces/polygons, etc.

PS. I even created a plugin for the program myself using Delphi (http://www.delgine.com/plugins/viewPlugin.php?catid=41&catdesc=Extensions&contentid=22)

cheers,
Paul

[paul_nicholls]

If you want an editor to try those .obj files on, you could download the free lite version of the DeleD 3d editor from http://www.delgine.com/. I believe it was written using Delphi actually :)

The direct link to the editor download page is http://www.delgine.com/index.php?filename=product_deled

You can download from the same site, an Obj 3d file importer/exporter plugin for the editor (http://www.delgine.com/plugins/viewPluginCategories.php).

It is a very nice free 3d editor program perhaps you could get some ideas from it :)

It allows editing of vertices/faces/polygons, etc.

PS. I even created a plugin for the program myself using Delphi (http://www.delgine.com/plugins/viewPlugin.php?catid=41&catdesc=Extensions&contentid=22)

cheers,
Paul

[Firlefanz]

Accutrans3D I guess reads it well. :)

I have no problem if this does not work, I can use other tools for that (Like Accutrans), I just wanted to let you know.
Thanks :D

Firle

[Firlefanz]

Accutrans3D I guess reads it well. :)

I have no problem if this does not work, I can use other tools for that (Like Accutrans), I just wanted to let you know.
Thanks :D

Firle

[Firlefanz]

Accutrans3D I guess reads it well. :)

I have no problem if this does not work, I can use other tools for that (Like Accutrans), I just wanted to let you know.
Thanks :D

Firle

[Firlefanz]

Accutrans3D I guess reads it well. :)

I have no problem if this does not work, I can use other tools for that (Like Accutrans3D), I just wanted to let you know.
Thanks :D

Firle

[Firlefanz]

Accutrans3D I guess reads it well. :)

I have no problem if this does not work, I can use other tools for that (Like Accutrans), I just wanted to let you know.
Thanks :D

Firle

[Firlefanz]

hi!

Accutrans3D I guess reads it well. :)

I have no problem if this does not work, I can use other tools for that (Like Accutrans), I just wanted to let you know.
Thanks :D

Firle

[Firlefanz]

This forum is strange today. First I got an Insert... error when replying, now the answer is here 4 times or something?

[Firlefanz]

Some more.

When creating a primitive, and then rotate and scale it I get often Access Violations.

And it would be useful in my opinion to store the last File extension (mesh type) that has been saved, I am only using .X and it always has .Lod default.

Just my 50 cent :wink:

Firle

[Ñuño Martínez]

Finally I've tested it (v1.53). It's a nice piece of code. I had some problems loading some MD3 models ("Range check error" :?) and I can't deal with textures and animations but may be because I didn't read the documentation yet :roll: .

A suggestion. May be you can add a script or extension support. This way people can add more file formats, effects and automation without modify the sources. Wy the way, there's no sources so it's hard to say if it's a hard issue, but I think it's something to think about for a future release, may be version 2.0. ;)

But it looks good as it is. :)