Updating Wings3D Import script for Blender

#1

As you guys know, the Wings3D Import script for Blender has been pretty much abandoned. A friend and I have undertaken updating this script, so we can add some important features:

1 - Import all meshes (not just some)
2 - Fake hard edges by splitting the mesh
3 - Don’t import “hole” materials
4 - Import proper UVs and material settings

We’ve made some progress, we were able to find out which edges to harden, but the face reading seems to be pretty much broken.

As such, some documentation on the .wings file format would be VERY helpful, but I haven’t been able to find anything about it. Can somebody point us in the right direction? Thanks!

#2

Update: I’m making some good progress on splitting the mesh, I got it to add dupes of the hardened edges, I just have to fix up the references for things like neighbor edges and it will be all set. However, I’m still completely stuck on the face reading/materials/UVs stuff, so any info at all there would be a big help, thanks!

#3

dgud hooked me up with some info, I will be checking that out over the next couple days, thanks!

I got the mesh split stuff working now, except when there is more than one hard edge per face, it mangles those faces still. If there is 1 or less it seems to work great!

#4

I am glad to hear that you guys are updating that script - wings3d and blender are a really powerful combination.

Keep up the good work.

  • Fro.
#5

Thx Fro, here is a progress shot of what it can do right now:

Basically, it looks at what was marked as a hard edge in Wings3D and then manually splits the mesh during the import in Blender. It does not work correctly on faces with 2+ hard edges, though. If anyone has any suggestions I’m open! Here is my haxed up python script:

Download New Wings Import Script Here

I’ve never written Python or any Wings3D or Blender plugins before. I have written 3D modelers and game engines and stuff, so i’m not a total newb. But there could be some simple mistakes in there! I’ll keep posting updates throughout the week. My main goal is to get the hard edges to work. Once we have that I’d like to add stripping of the “hole” material faces, and importing UV coordinates…but a man can dream!

#6

Thanks Adam! The Blender community really needs a Wings 3d importer that works right. You should also check in with the Blender Python Script coders over at the elysiun.com Python forum- http://www.elysiun.com/forum/

Also post your project over in the news section on elysiun.com. All of the serious Blender coders and software users hang out on elysiun.com.

Your script is already looking good. The Blender community can help you further along in your efforts.

#7

Great! I was able to import some of my “fruit” model objects I modeled Wings 3d using Blender2.37a.

My normal workflow from Wings 3d to Blender is- export models from Blender as obj file/ import native Wings 3d models and tweaked originally exported Blender to Wings 3d obj files as obj format.

It’s so much better to get a Wings 3d file format import. Thanks Again Adam!

#8

No problem! I will make sure to post this over there later, thanks!

#9

I think I screwed up registration at Elysiun somehow - I got a blank e-mail that I can’t respond to, and the admin e-mail address is the same one?

#10

Well that’s not good. Try these links-

Faqs Page-

http://www.elysiun.com/forum/faq.php#5

Contact Admin Email Page-

http://www.elysiun.com/forum/groupcp.php?g=1414&sid=f8158bfa42e0a720678ebcfc50a9e9c1

I hope this helps you out.

#11

Thanks JA theeth actually straightened me out earlier tonight, i got my stuff posted over there :slight_smile:

#12

It’s good to see someone working on a better Blender/Wings integration.

Thanks for the hard work Adam. :applause:

Tried your script and found some errors:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v116/landcf/img1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v116/landcf/img2.jpg

Hope that can help solving some problems.

#13

Hi! Thanks for testing and posting, but I already know about that error. If you look closely, the faces with the errors have 2 hard edges on them. I haven’t figured out why that’s a problem yet! Thanks again though!

EDIT - Also, another update, Toastie from Game Art worked on the script some last night and fixed a lot of the problems with importing files with UVs - the UVs don’t work yet, but the importer at least reads the geometry properly (it didn’t before). We’re getting there!

#14

It just occurred to me that intergration between blender and wings using verse would be sweet

#15

What’s verse?

#16

I found out what verse was, it sounds neat! i don’t have any plans to add this support to it right now, though, just don’t have time for that yet!

I’ve made some more progress on the hard edges, sort of, but I’ve realized that Blender already HAS the algorithm and effect that I need for the hard edges to work properly. If you mark seams in Blender, and then do an auto-unwrap, it appropriately doubles all the vertices along the correct edges already (in the UV map). I just need to use that same process to correctly dupe my verts and assign the faces correctly afterward.

So, from the Py script, I need to just build the mesh normally, then mark the hard edges, and do something similar to the way the unwrap works. Also, it would be nice to incorporate this operation in the blender edge edit menu I think. Highlight some edges and then call “split” or something, and have it separate the mesh so us game modelers can have something akin to hard edges. I am kind of a Blender newb, so please, if this op already exists, LET ME KNOW!!! It will make my life a lot easier. Thanks!

#17

That is the “Rip” and/or the “Split” command in the Blender UI. You also got a “Separate Selected” command.

#18

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