Game Development Community

XSI DTS Exporter Beta Download

by Matt Summers · in Artist Corner · 01/31/2007 (11:24 am) · 181 replies

We are still working on a few things in the core XSI DTS exporter but I wanted to at least get something out into the hands of current XSI owners so they can begin the process of exporting their content from XSI to Torque.

This is last beta version that was sent out to our small group of beta testers. Its relatively stable, and has almost full DTS feature support. Its still missing: material properties, dsq export and a few other miscellaneous things. Also no UI is included in this build as it is still a bit in flux.

Scene setup needs to be done manually, which involves creating a DTS shape using nulls, a bounds mesh, detail markers, and a mesh object with a detail number at the end of its name, etc, in an almost identical way to how the Max, GameSpace and Maya exporters work.

Basic Setup:

create two null objects named "start01" and "base01" parent them so that "start01" is the parent node and "base01" is the child node. Parent the root node of your mesh object to "base01" and then add a bounding box around your object and name it "bounds" the bounds mesh should be either at the scene root or parented to your mesh object as needed. You then need to add a detail marker to the scene named "detail(x)" where (x) = the pixel size value that this detail level should be displayed. The detail maker is just a named null object that is parented to the "start01" node. You will also need to make sure your mesh objects have a detail size at the end of their name. You can then go to file menu / export and choose export DTS.

Example scene setup:
Scene Root
|
+ -bounds (mesh)
|
+ -Start01 (null)
        |
       + -Base01 (null)
        |     |
        |    + -mesh2 (mesh)(detail size 2)
        |
       + -detail2 (null)(detail marker for size 2)

Note: make sure to freeze the transforms on your bounds and mesh objects before exporting. Because the exporter supports scale animation object scale is read by the exporter as a result if there are scale transforms on the exported shape when the object is loaded as a static shape it will appear at its un-scaled state and If it is loaded as an animated shape it would shrink down to its scaled size.

This build is compiled using the XSI 4.2 SDK, the next round of builds will also be compiled using the XSI 5.x-6 SDKs, the performance optimizations in the new SDK will equal faster export speeds than the 4.2 version. Something to note for complex shapes.

Download The Exporter

or

Download the updated exporter
#101
09/24/2008 (2:24 pm)
Ok. Seeing how that converted in and exported and I can see it in Showtool Pro, I will take your word for it. I mean, not that I didn't trust you before:)

I will try later tonight to add some stuff and animations and give it a whirl.

You had mentioned two words that i need to brush up on, freese and bounds:) I didn't have that and I was crashing as well. Yea, not very intuitive except you know that it didn't like something:)

Thanks... Almost crossed over:)
#102
09/25/2008 (8:35 am)
I just read something about XSI mod tool and Torque X (maybe some of have heard about this earlier):

www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=508463
#103
09/25/2008 (8:43 am)
The fact that Mod Tool pro is bundled only with Tx should hint at some GG & Softimage conspiracy to make us happy.. I wonder what Pro stands for in this equation since Mod Tool standard has plenty of features.
#104
09/25/2008 (9:44 am)
@Apparatus:
I'm not sure, but I believe that the only difference between the standard and pro version is in the EULA.

The article posted by Henri seems to confirm:
"Unlike the free XSI Mod Tool available on the Softimage website for non-commercial game creation, XSI Mod Tool Pro has a commercial End User License Agreement (EULA), opening the door for indie game developers to make for-profit, commercial 3D games."

Any chance that the licence to ModTool pro will be bundled with other Torque products as well (TGE & TGEA)?
#105
09/25/2008 (10:42 am)
@GG: could someone please comment on this officially? I have to make the decision whether I'll upgrade from 5.11 to version 7 as the "66% off the price" offering expires in few days. I mean if there will be another, cheaper offering of XSI Mod Tool Pro boasting all the needed features to produce complete Torque assets for commercial use on TGEA then blowing nearly $1000 on XSI 7 isn't justified from my perspective.

Any comments?
#106
09/25/2008 (11:11 am)
Does anyone know where I can find the latest XSI dts exporter from? thanks!
#107
09/25/2008 (11:19 am)
Jaren - go to the first entry and get it. Is the only version and it works great - apart from transparency (tge) and double sided material. Plus, no bones just yet - can bypass with a shadow rig.
#108
09/25/2008 (11:23 am)
K thanks just wondering if there was any updates. Thanks
#109
10/07/2008 (7:08 pm)
Quote:Jaren - go to the first entry and get it. Is the only version and it works great - apart from transparency (tge) and double sided material. Plus, no bones just yet - can bypass with a shadow rig.

So you're saying plotting animation to nulls will export ok?
#110
10/07/2008 (7:44 pm)
Yes, plotting animation to nulls will export correctly.
#111
10/07/2008 (9:14 pm)
Well that's perfect then :)
#112
10/10/2008 (6:10 am)
Oh, I should have read all the posts. :)
Displays an error when starting XSI 7.

Fingers crossed an update will be made. :)
#113
10/10/2008 (7:21 am)
What is the error you are getting?

It works fine for me in XSI 7 essentials.
#114
10/10/2008 (7:35 am)
Oh? Yes I'm using v7 Essentials, I'm getting this:

' ERROR : 2360 - This plug-in is not compatible with the current platform and will be ignored:
' <path: C:\Softimage\XSI_7.0_x64\Application\Plugins\xsi2dtsExporter.dll>
' ERROR : 2262 - This plug-in could not be loaded:
' <path: C:\Softimage\XSI_7.0_x64\Application\Plugins\xsi2dtsExporter.dll>
'

Perhaps it's a problem with Vista 64 bit?
#115
10/10/2008 (7:58 am)
Yeah, the problem is that its not a compiled as a XSI 64 bit plugin. You could install the 32 bit version of XSI 7 as well and run the plugin in the 32 bit version.
#116
10/10/2008 (2:55 pm)
Can't it just be recompiled for 64bit? I know XSI 7 x64 is what I'm running as well.
#117
10/13/2008 (11:26 pm)
For some reason when I export the file it changes into a cube... A nice cube, but a cube none the less...
Its as if the shape has been transformed to the cube. I have tried editing the bounds and everthing.

i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm164/aliasnull/sww1.jpgi296.photobucket.com/albums/mm164/aliasnull/sww2.jpg




And also I was wondering how you make nodes in XSI to work for TGE (mounting).
#118
10/14/2008 (3:27 am)
Make a screenshot with the scene explorer in XSI so we can see what's wrong there. You have to freeze all the transforms on every polymesh object before export or it will reset to the initial cube you started with.
#119
10/15/2008 (12:12 am)
Thanks for the fast reply!

Here is the screenshot,

i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm164/aliasnull/xsiexplorer.jpg
I froze evereything trying both freeze and freeze m, and it still stretches it.
#120
10/15/2008 (3:52 am)
Make sure you teselate the mesh.
Quads work but the exporter may not be teselating it on export.

When I have a moment I will be tring to get going on codeing a plugin.
I just need time to study C# and work with XSI's SDK.
I am currently programming at work and its draining.
Even though its VBA. I still find myself creating huge functions as there are a lot of things in Office VBA that is missing.