How do I export from Maya?

[elyon]

I am working on my first project that requires custom models. I have
tried using MD2 files in the past, exporting from Misfit Model 3D, but
I have heard that the best is to use the Collada file format. I am
using the trial for Maya 2010, and so far everything has been great.
That is, until I tried importing my model into Flash.

I FINALLY found a good example of using an embedded Collada file,
along with an embedded texture image. I'm sure you've all seen it
before:

http://sleepydesign.blogspot.com/2008/07/away3d-collada-animation.html

This is a great help, but unfortunately I cannot get my model to
appear. Do I need to do something special to export a Collada from
Maya 2010? I've seen mention elsewhere of using the OpenCollada or
ColladaNextGen plugin ... is Maya's built-in exporter insufficient? I
tried installing the latest version of OpenCollada but I can't see how
to export using the plugin instead of the normal FBX exporter.

Here's a ZIP with my simple little project, loading the cat from
Sleepy Design's example, and loading the cabinet I made ... at least,
trying to:

http://www.eclecticdesignstudio.com/code/flashdevelop/Collada%20Test.zip

The model I'm testing with is pretty simple. It's two cubes, and one
PNG file with texture UV mapping. I used "Export All", unchecked
things I didn't need like lights and animation, and have tried a
number of different version revisions. If this isn't the way I'm
supposed to export a Collada file from Maya, PLEASE document it. I
guess most people just develop using Blender? I know most people can't
afford Maya (I know I couldn't if my client wasn't offering to
purchase it) but I find Blender to be cumbersome. I see a lot of talk
of using Maya with AwayBuilder to set up your scene, so in ways it
seems that Maya + Away3D is sort of the "ideal" workflow, but it's
frustrating that I can't get a simple model to import properly. It
helps to see the cat working, but I still need to be able to load my
own models.

Thank you SO much! This will be so cool if I can get this working!!

[katopz]

we didn't support ColladaNextGen yet, plz try ColladaMax 3.05C instead

http://sourceforge.net/projects/colladamaya/files/

more examples here

http://code.google.com/p/away3d/source/browse/#svn/trunk/fp9/Examples/Collada/src

hth

2009/12/13 elyon <jos...@joshuagranick.com>

--
katopz
http://www.sleepydesign.com

[Joshua Granick]

Thank you! I can finally see my model!

FYI for anyone reading this, here are the steps I have followed (using
Maya 2010):


1. I created the model using standard geometry

2. I put all the texture graphics together into one PNG file

3. I applied the texture using the UV Texture Editor (Window > UV Texture
Editor)

4. I downloaded the latest version of OpenCollada
(http://opencollada.org/download.html) and installed it. ColladaMaya 3.05C
didn't officially support Maya 2010, and I wasn't sure how to "copy the
files manually" like the installer suggested.

5. I enabled the plugin by going to Window > Settings/Preferences >
Plug-in Manager, then I checked "Loaded" and "Auto load" next to
"COLLADAMaya.mll" and restarted

6. I started exporting by going to File > Export All, then by selecting
"OpenCOLLADA exporter"

7. I clicked "Options" and checked the boxes for "Bake transforms",
"Relative paths" and "Triangulate". The model imported weird before I
checked those options. I'm not sure which was the one I needed.

8. Then I clicked "Apply" and let it export as a DAE file.

9. In Flash, I'm using FlashDevelop, so I wanted to embed the model
directly rather than loading it. I'll write the key code snippets below.


In order to embed objects in FlashDevelop, you can right-click on the file
in the Project panel and select "Insert Into Document" and it will
automatically generate the Embed tag for you. This is what the general
format looks like:


[Embed(source='MyModel.dae', mimeType='application/octet-stream')] private
var MyModel:Class;
[Embed(source='MyTexture.png', mimeType='image/png')] private var
MyTexture:Class;


Once you declare (and embed) your mesh and your texture, you can use it in
your code later like this:


var MyCollada:ObjectContainer3D = Collada.parse (MyModel, { material:
MyTexture } );


I hope this helps someone! There's a number of steps here that might not
be immediately obvious, or clear at all until someone tells you how things
work.

[katopz]

oops!, just saw that you on Maya so it's ColladaMaya, not ColladaMax sry ;)

cheers

2009/12/13 Joshua Granick <jos...@joshuagranick.com>

--
katopz
http://www.sleepydesign.com