[WIP] PIFT

Privateer's Intellegent File Transformer.
Or the sound a cigarette makes when you drop it in a can of Beer.


What it is is a program that adjusts obj files so one can import them with TWD's GR2 program in the strict manner.

You can see this post for the problem I'm addressing.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...39#post1907739

You may need to back up several posts to fully understand what I'm talking about.
Or you can ask here and I'll explain the issue.

I got very tired of doing things by hand so I'm codeing everything to do it automagically.

What you will be able to do is import anything from SH4 with the proper AO mappings intact!
Or create all new AO's (following certian rules) and import with no problems and no unneeded overhead.


Once TDW has time to work on his code I'll explain everything to him so he can code this into his Program.
Then mine will be depricated.

[Targor Avelany]

woot! I'll test this as soon as I come back!

If one wants to see the problems as they stand now?
Try to import stuff from SH4 as exported by S3D.


That's why, I believe, we don't see a mass conversion project in the works at this point in time.

Until the imports are correct? It won't happen and your stuck with the limited dat format.

A secondary issue is that each object needs to be exported one at a time with S3D.
I'll address that later.

[gap]

Great tool privateer, can't wait to put your PIFT into action

The first part of PIFT is nearly finished and I hope to have it ready for anyone to test soon.


The first part will take files exported from SH4 and correct them so TDW's GR2 program will import them without all the overhead I'm seeing.
It should also work with self created obj files.

This first part does not address the problem of importing AO mappings yet.
The second part will handle that. (I hope! )

You'll need to download and install MeshLab as I do use the MeshLab Server to do the basic transformation.

[gap]

Originally Posted by privateer

The first part will take files exported from SH4 and correct them so TDW's GR2 program will import them without all the overhead I'm seeing.
It should also work with self created obj files.

Is it going to work the same way with SH3 exported meshes?

Yes. It will handle SH3 files as well.
I'm useing the SH4 files because they have the AO mapping already.

Going through some old Notes and code snippets I also found a few lines that will make the final code work go alot quicker.

[gap]

Originally Posted by privateer

Yes. It will handle SH3 files as well.
I'm useing the SH4 files because they have the AO mapping already.

Going through some old Notes and code snippets I also found a few lines that will make the final code work go alot quicker.

Cool. Keep us informed on any progress, please

[silentmichal]

Hmm, great name: PIFT


Like "pif-paf" :

[gap]

Originally Posted by silentmichal

Hmm, great name: PIFT


Like "pif-paf" :

yes agreed, cool name. I can imagine the following conversation taking place in a near future:

Q: "did it take very long importing the type II U-boat into SH5?"

R: "Oh, it was easy: I made it in a PIFT"

[silentmichal]

Originally Posted by gap

yes agreed, cool name. I can imagine the following conversation taking place in a near future:

Q: "did it take very long importing the type II U-boat into SH5?"

R: "Oh, it was easy: I made it in a PIFT"

Yes!!! Of course I'll use this program in future .

I wondered alot about why the GR2 editor from TDW did the loose imports the way it does. I spotted the problem after long hours of not thinking of how obj files actually work, but stareing at the exported files from GR2 files.

Then I took a step back and studied how an obj file works, looked at exports from GR2 files, and finally saw at lest part of the GR2 meshes scheme.

To encode a proper diffuse mesh and AO mesh, We need exact count matches for verts and such.

Sounds easy but it's not just that simple.
Well, it is, but it isn't also.

One major thing I found is that a mesh can contain references to a real-face/vert/texture as a placer but it does not get rendered.

It's a kind of OpenGL thing in some ways, but at render time is corrected by the granny engine.
(granny is not the only thing that handles this kind of issue)

We need to open 2 obj files, get a per vertext UV mapping for each.
Then do a bunch of compares and mixing to get 2 matched obj files for import with TDW's Program.

The hard part is what faces grouping can/should be duds to create the best false references?

[Targor Avelany]

I'll be home on saturday, my textures nearly ready too; so it is time to import my lifeboat into GR2 and start up the testing of this tool
Let me know if there are any particular things you need me to test, privateer.

That sounds great.
I did a test conversion of some files sent to me.
The files converted fine and I'm still testing the results with TDW's version 272.

I found a few things I need to re-code due to a too strict structure issue when importing.

Your project probably has a better chance at this time of working right out of the gate.

Send me a link to the obj files you have and which GR2 file you want to work with and I'll run it all through.

From what I'm seeing the idea and codeing is proper but I still need to work within what TDW's program will handle at this time.

What I'm am aiming for is to solve enuff issues to allow him to re-code when he has the time.
(Unless he wants some help in areas)

[gap]

Since you are looking for something to test your tool on, I was going to suggest you to do it with the whale I've imported for OHII...

...but then it came to my mind that the whale got animated meshes. How is going GR2 editor to deal with them? In s3d this process was automatic but now, I guess, each mesh should be imported manually. Furthermore, the dat format had a MeshAnimationData controller, but what about GR2 format? I cannot think of any GR2 animated object featured in SH5 (flags are still in dat format by the way)

Okay, just talking out lout. Time to shut up and wait for your answer... unlike me you at least know what we are talking about