Easy way of generating simple objects / models for graphics teaching?

[Jonathan Campbell]

I hope readers will be tolerant of this lazy question.

I want to generate simple objects / models for graphics teaching, i.e. I
want to use polygon mesh objects and not just glu and glut objects and
simple programmed objects of my own.

Can anyone recommend either Blender or 3DStudio-Max. I'm a mainly Linux
user, so Blender is attractive. I can probably get access to a licence
for 3DS-Max via my college --- if it would be easier to use. I aged a
few years yesterday while spending an afternoon on an introductory
Blender tutorial :(

I'm attracted by Wavefront .OBJ format --- I seem to be able to
understand it in terms of OpenGL programming. Would it be wise to depend
on that format? I guess that I would like eventually to be able to
generate and use animated objects.

TIA,

Jon C.

--
Jonathan Campbell www.jgcampbell.com BT48, UK.

[fungus]

On Nov 16, 3:43 pm, Jonathan Campbell <jg.campbell...@gmail.com>
wrote:

>
> Can anyone recommend either Blender or 3DStudio-Max. I'm a mainly Linux
> user, so Blender is attractive. I can probably get access to a licence
> for 3DS-Max via my college --- if it would be easier to use. I aged a
> few years yesterday while spending an afternoon on an introductory
> Blender tutorial :(
>

Have a look at my editor - Topaz3D.

http://www.topaz3d.com/

--
<\___/>
/ O O \
\_____/ FTB.

http://www.topaz3d.com/ - New 3D editor for real time simulation

[Stuart Golodetz]

If you do decide to go the Blender route, there are good tutorials here:

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:Tutorials/BSoD

In terms of exporting, I remember the OpenInventor (.iv) format being
text-based and pretty easy to load in. If you wanted animated objects as
well, I'd recommend the (freely downloadable) Ogre meshes exporter -
it's been working well for me at any rate.

Not sure whether 3DS-Max will be significantly easier to use - most
modelling programs are tricky when you're getting started with them (I
remember trying an older version of 3DS-Max some years ago and feeling
rather befuddled).

fungus's editor looks quite cool, though - if Blender's causing you
annoyance then maybe give that a try.

Regards,
Stu

p.s. The code for the game I sent you a while ago now has a loader for
Ogre meshes already implemented if it's of any help.

[Jonathan Campbell]

Jonathan Campbell wrote:
> I hope readers will be tolerant of this lazy question.
>
> I want to generate simple objects / models for graphics teaching, i.e. I
> want to use polygon mesh objects and not just glu and glut objects and
> simple programmed objects of my own.
>

Thanks guys. And for earlier help too.

As you can probably detect there's maybe a reluctance to engage the
problem properly and also possible a desire to simplify the problem (in
terms of the amount and complexity of code to be written) more than it
can be usefully simplified.

I'll report back when I have made some progress. One approach that may
help is role-reversal with some of my students.

Best regards,

[Stuart Golodetz]

In terms of requiring less code, avoiding skeletal animation will make
your life easier - e.g. you might want to consider going the route of
using something like MD2 models and making do with canned animation.
Worth a thought, depending on what exactly you need :)

Regards,
Stu