IGES file usage

from Sins Forums

I only ever worked on 3d models in a parametric environment before, so when I decided to try making some spaceships for sins, I fired up Solidworks and got to work.  Then I downloaded Softimage Mod Tool to do the texturing.  I've never really textured before, so this is the learning experience.  But I also realize that the way i'm making the model might be causing some of the problems i'm running into.  For example, when I import my ship some of the edges are white when selected, instead of the default blue.  This sounds like those edges are causing a problem, but I don't know what.  They don't have a lot in common.  So when I try to make a texture projection I often get an error message "some input objects are invalid for creating a texture".  

Also I tried to export to dotXSI and then reopen it in softimage, thinking maybe the conversion process would fix any problems with geometry, but whenever I try to open the dotXSI all I get is either a crash or a scene object, with no model.

I'm wondering if anyone else uses a similar pipeline in their model making, and if so can you warn me of any rocks and shoals I may run into?  That would be awesome.

modding
1,876 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

Oh, just found out one problem, durring the import the normals are all random it seems, and I havn't found a way to display normals.  So I have to hunt for polygons that looks different and switch them around.

 

Also apparently softimage doesn't like lofts or revolutions that come to a single point. 

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

I don't really have that much expirience with 3D cad, but I'll try and help you out. I don't know how you are getting your model from IGES to xsi., but the the fact that IGES deals with solid type models may be the problem. I think you need them as a mesh type.

One thing you could try if you haven't already is "3D Object converter"

Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Softimage natively imports IGES, thats how i've been getting my model in.  After a while I figured out how to change it all over to poly meshes once I get it in (After fixing the normals).  Still working on the texturing.  

I have a specific question though, if you can help.  Is there a way to make many seperate polymeshes become one single poly mesh?  As it stands, I had to make seperate texture projections for each polymesh and then have to edit each one seperately in the texture editor.  

PS; though this hasn't a thing to do with IGES, if anyone can tell me how to do scaling in the texture editor that isn't constrained that'd also be great.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

You can overlap polygons that are the same. For example if you have a number weapons that are all the same you can subproject them 1 on top of another before scaling, rotating and transforming them all together. For ones that are orientated differently you can either rotate them to a similar orientation then snap the individual points over the the ones that correspond, or you can select the actual projection and rotate that until the mesh is orintated correctly and then snap your points to correspond also.

Another good way to reduce the polygons on your texture, if your model is symetrical, is to delete half of your model. Then do your texture's for that half hook them up and symetrize your model. Xsi. will symetrize the textures automatically, along with the polygons. This method is good for increasing your polygon size and making it easier to fit it all in, thus the amount of detail you can put on it also.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Cool, I didn't know xsi did the mirroring for the texturing as well.  Thats handy.  using mirror is how I made the model in the first place.  

 

As far as the polygons, I don't mean individual polygons, I mean polygon meshes.  So lets say you make two different ring shaped polymeshes that share an edge.  Could you somehow make that count as one whole polymesh?

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

Yes you can heal any shared edges together after the they have been subprojected seperatly or torn apart. If the rings are to have the same texture you can overlay 1 rings mesh's over the other's mesh and they will have the same texture you put on them.