2009/2/5 Tim Moore <timo...@redhat.com>
> FGD ML wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >
> > Just got directed to your list today. Hope I'm posting this right as
> > that is a first for me too. Sorry if I goofed too.
> Welcome!
Thanks, that feels a whole lot better now! (seriously!)
I'm going to work through this a part at a time as there's a lot of good
issues which it raises and I'd like to do it all justice where I can, senior
moments aside of course! <g>
> I have zero experience with Lightwave, but if it's similar to the other
> "big"
> modeling packages, including Blender, then I would assume that its native
> file
> format is not suitable to be used directly in a game or real-time
> simulation.
Well, no, it's quite unlike them, which is partly why we chose to use it.
But I'd admit to some serious and very long standing bias there. In
lightwave the format is adequately agile for real time video preview using
DirectX but of far more interest to us, opengl, LW has been into using OGL
for far longer than it has DirectX.
> The set of possible modeling operations is just too rich for OSG to
> support, and
> the file format is designed for editing, not fast loading and display.
That is also probably one of the many reasons that Newtek (makers) split the
job it into two discreet programs;
The modeller produces finished objects, with ALL surface and image mappings
(including defining bump mapping) all fully addressed, more fully than I
have ever seen it done anywhere else too. These bear the .lwo extension.
Multiple model objects made by that can then be loaded into the layout
software to construct a scene, which would ultimately go on to be rendered
out to tape or film to use as special effects in tv and movies, titanic and
babylon five and all that stuff which folk seem to like to tra-la about in
the blurb! It also does good stills with quite an arsenal of real world
cameras and lenses modelled too. Most people don't spot that right away but
it does it rather well I've found.
This scene can be lit and set up for motion as required, and then saved as a
scene file, these are the .lws file you'll sometimes see with lightwave
stuff. This software also allows some additional texture tweaking and things
but that is not it's main purpose.
So we end up with all the parts of a plane (or any other vehicle) in place
and all hinged off of each other where that is desired.
This gives so many useful options from the FG stand point it's like waking
up on Christmas morning to find that Santa brought you, well, just about
everything, if one chooses to make use of what is there of course.
> What art
> path are you using now with the simulations that apparently aren't MSFS?
We have a plugin in for the current one, it's serves up some basically
functional DirectX. The sims are not overly advanced so any lacking there
would be in there is not a problem as the sim never gets as far as
discovering a lack if there was one.
I'll break there and come back with more where it seems it might be useful.
Do please nudge me if I missed anytihng that is a burning issue for you
though.
Oh and Newtek are renowned in the industry for good docs and an SDK, with a
pretty open approach to 3rd party software solution producers, freeware and
for money alike. Looks like fertile ground to me.
--
Cheers,
Ian
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Create and Deploy Rich Internet Apps outside the browser with Adobe(R)AIR(TM)
software. With Adobe AIR, Ajax developers can use existing skills and code to
build responsive, highly engaging applications that combine the power of local
resources and data with the reach of the web. Download the Adobe AIR SDK and
Ajax docs to start building applications today-http://p.sf.net/sfu/adobe-com
_______________________________________________
Flightgear-devel mailing list
Flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/flightgear-devel
