On 1/31/07, leee wrote:
The RS3D format isn't included on the OSG website but I wouldn't expect it
to
be as doesn't just include surface type objects but also mathematical ones
such as analytical solids.
For example, think of a simple cylinder. As an analytical solid it is
just
defined by it's length and radius - there are no polygon surfaces as such.
Of course, it could be converted but you'd have to decide before hand what
resolution would be needed i.e. number of sides and this sort of situation
doesn't fit well with automated conversion.
I ran across a really interesting 3d model format yesterday ... this is
going to sound like a "Duhh!!!" statement, but let me explain myself ...
it's paper!
My daughter's birthday is coming up and my parents gave her something early
since they won't be here for her actual party ... it was called "Foldin'
Art" and it included everything you needed to create a 3d puppy sculpture
out of paper.
http://www.hasbro.com/default.cfm?page=ps_results&product_id=18368
This is a little above my daughter's age level so she dumped it in my lap to
assemble.
As I'm putting it together, it occured to me that this is nothing more and
nothing less than a traditional computer 3d model ... textured even. It was
really fascinating how well it went together and how nice it looked when it
was done.
Essentially this was a very low polygon model that approximated the original
shape very closely, and was textured very nicely ... the sort of thing that
takes a lot of skill to do ... especially when modeling organic shapes.
Now start unfolding the polygons and grouping them into smallish groups
(keeping the texture printed on the triangles/quads correctly). Where ever
you have to split up edges as you divide, unfold, and flatten the shape, add
a glue tab. This was done semi-intelligently so the model could be
assembled without breaking the laws of physics.
It also occured to me that you could just about automate this process
entirely ... and create your own paper 3d models from nicely done low-poly
count models.
I don't know, I thought it was really cool and I thoroughly enjoyed putting
the model together, but I often find myself in the minority on things like
this. :-) It was almost cool enough to be sucked into building a virtual ->
paper model converter ... hmmm ....
Curt.
--
Curtis Olson - University of Minnesota - FlightGear Project
http://baron.flightgear.org/~curt/ http://www.humanfirst.umn.edu/
http://www.flightgear.org
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