Tools pipeline

Overview

This page has been created to list the tested tool chain for every path in art. It's important to note that this page lists what has been tested with real models starting from the 3d tool up to addition in game. This guide needs to be updated!

Characters

New characters follow the table below. Existing characters with a rig and animation have to be edited in the application they have been built originally.

Geometry + UV

Maya -> obj -> 3dsmax

Maya -> obj -> Blender

Blender

• 2.49 -> export_cal3d.py version 0.9 -> cal3d cmf
• 2.5 / 2.6 -> https://github.com/alexeyd/blender2cal3d -> cal3d caf (some testing is needed on this new script)

3dsmax -> cal3d cmf in game

Rigging + Animations

PlaneShift uses CAL3D as animation library. So all rigging/animation made for PlaneShift need to be then exported to CAL3D.

Maya

Not supported.

Blender

• 2.49 -> export_cal3d.py version 0.9 -> cal3d caf -> in game
• 2.5 / 2.6 -> https://github.com/alexeyd/blender2cal3d -> cal3d caf (some testing is needed on this new script)

Note: the 2.6x exporter needs a patch to work on latest Blender (to be provided); moreover it seems that the binary format is obsolete or somehow broken, so you have to export as xml then conver to binary with the converter in the miniviewer zip.

3DSMax

3dsmax -> (using the cal3d exporter) -> cal3d caf in game

Notes

It seems that the PS engine only understands cal3d binary format (caf, csf, ...) and not xml formats (.xaf, .xsf, etc.) Convert your XAF, XMF, XSF, ... to Cxx format with Cal3d binary converter

To view your models exported in CAL3D format, you need the "miniviewer" program.

Miniviewer for Windows, for Linux (?), for MacOSX (?)

Items

Existing items can easily be ported to different tools with obj format and edited.

Items which needs to be rigged/weighted with the character follow the same rules of the chapter "Characters" above. Examples: A sword, a helmet, a bracer are not rigged with the character. A hair set, a robe, a plate mail torso are rigged with the character.

Geometry + UV

Maya

Maya -> obj -> 3dsmax

Maya -> obj -> Blender

Blender

Blender (2.68, with other versions YMMV) -> io_scene_cs -> crystal space

Blender (including blender 2.5x) -> obj -> 3dsmax

Blender2.49 -> blend2cs -> meshfact (not supported on blender 2.5x but under developpement by CS team)

3dsmax

3dsmax -> maxscript exporter -> meshfact in game

Levels

Existing levels should be edited in the original application those were built in. It's possible to export in obj a part of the level and have it edited in another tool, then import it back, but this process is not preferred.

Geometry + UV

Maya -> obj -> 3dsmax -> maxscript exporter -> world in game

Blender(including blender 2.5x) -> obj -> 3dsmax -> maxscript exporter -> world in game

3dsmax -> [maxscript exporter] -> world in game

Blender -> [blender2cs] -> world in game (needs to be tested) Documentation on how to use it is here.

Dynamic Lights

Dynamic lights are the ones for the crystal and for lanterns that change intensity during the day based on the time change or an event.

Those are exported in a PS specific XML format.

Maya -> not supported

Blender 2.49-> not tested

Blender 2.5x-> Not supported

3dsmax -> maxscript for lights -> world in game