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Home ? How Do I ...? ? Assigna Material for an imported FBX prop.

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27/05/2016 22:33:39

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		And of course I can import and move the FBX version of the same glass jug but I can't make it 2-sided!
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28/05/2016 03:33:41

ziggy72Muvizu mogulExperimental user
ziggy72
Posts: 1988 		primaveranz wrote:
I still have the problem that I can't move certain .ASE object that I import. I can't select them directly but can through the Scene manager and I can Edit the texture etc. However if I try to move them the scene moves instead.
E.g. I made a transparent glass which worked fine, then made a Jug with a few more polys and now have the issue. I will try and narrow it down but if it is Poly-related then it is a really low level of ma polys that causes the issue.

It's not polys, but rather something to do with the model's construction and/or collision. I've had it very few times though. Interestingly, one of Muvizu's own objects is also 'unclickable' in this way (a billboard sign I think it is).
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28/05/2016 03:35:38

ziggy72Muvizu mogulExperimental user
ziggy72
Posts: 1988 		Rodrisilva wrote:
Hi guys

I have been doing some tests around FBX importing, trying a way to get UV mapping tree foliage in planes. I believe muvizu is not able to use opacity maps like other 3d softwares. Imported trees always show textured planes and if I apply any transparency on it, tree leaves took the same polygon transparency level.

Do you have any idea how to get plane transparency without make leaves transparent too. I have trying something in blender that could succced but muvizu doesn't save the opacity map when you save the set.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2ire-Bv_13ibHhNVVlKcTJYbVE


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2ire-Bv_13iYl9UaFQ1R0d6c00/view?usp=sharing

Muvizu can use Opacity Masking (I use it with my trees) but only through the Alpha option on the ASE import menu, not FBX.
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28/05/2016 06:05:56

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		Well I seem to have cracked it but not really sure how. I created a transparent jug which finally worked as long as I made sure every vertice was assigned to a "joint" in Milkshape and that all groups which used the same material were grouped as one. I wanted a half-full jug - I'm that kind of guy - so I tried just putting a translucent cylinder mesh of "juice" inside the successful jug and gave it a different material. But that just caused the return of the "can't move" problem. So I deleted the cylinder and extruded the base of the jug upwards (having shrunk the extruded face slightly to fit inside) applied a different material to that and lo and behold it worked.

Also choose the "don't use ID textures option" when importing .ASE if you want to use materials rather than just colours.
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28/05/2016 06:41:15

ukBertyMuvizu mogulExperimental user
ukBerty
Posts: 975 		I usually get this with ASE files imported that are multiple objects within the same model. Once they are all attached into a single object they should import and you can select.

So in Autodesk I always make sure I "attach" all objects together. I don't know what the terminology is in Milkshape but this is definitely the fix as it's taken me about 3 years to work out what was happening.
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28/05/2016 08:12:01

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		I think the crucial thing is that all groups that use the same material must be regrouped together as one.
E.g. I have two separate groups in my recent models - one with a transparent "glass" texture and the other with a "drink" texture. I keep them as separate groups and that works fine, whereas a previous version which was all grouped as one object didn't. And another which had three groups, two using the same material didn't.
Of course YMMV if you don't use Milkshape. Still haven't figured out how to get two-sided FBX out of it, but I can't see any advantage over .ASE anyway so far at least.
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05/06/2016 05:34:13

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		Still trying to sort out FBX imports. This time with a transparency. With .ASE it seems like you can have the whole model transparent or none of it.
With FBX I am now getting a message saying "The feature you are trying to use is not licenced for this version of Muvizu." Without a transparency the model imports OK......
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05/06/2016 06:29:14

ukBertyMuvizu mogulExperimental user
ukBerty
Posts: 975 		I think that is the present situation.

Separate your model out into transparent and non-transparent elements and import them separately.

You will of course have to get rid of the dreaded collision and offset the axis to make the bits fit back together.
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05/06/2016 06:36:01

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		Thanks UKBerty, I just deleted the transparent segment and made the model two-sided instead, not as good but far less frustrating than trying to line it all up again.
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05/06/2016 15:06:51

PatMarrNCMuvizu mogul
PatMarrNC
Posts: 1738 		ukBerty wrote:
I think that is the present situation.

Separate your model out into transparent and non-transparent elements and import them separately.

You will of course have to get rid of the dreaded collision and offset the axis to make the bits fit back together.


Ah! So THAT'S the secret! Thanks for posting that UKBerty! Several months ago I created a convertible with a transparent glass windshield and couldn't overcome these same obstacles... I'll have to give it another try based on your input!
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09/06/2016 11:11:51

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		The ongoing story...the reason the FBX was"not licenced" was because the model had a skeleton. Once I removed that it imported OK but it steadfastly refuses to allow me to allocate textures inside Muvizu, just colours.
I am talking to Jamie about it and will let you know the outcome.
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07/08/2016 22:02:29

PatMarrNCMuvizu mogul
PatMarrNC
Posts: 1738 		ziggy72 wrote:
Blender's FBX exporter works well enough with Muvizu that you can retain the textures - export your model as an OBJ with materials, import into blender, export as FBX (Smoothing set to Faces not Normals) and your model should import into Muvizu with textures intact. Should


Where do you find this Blender setting "Smoothing set to faces?"
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07/08/2016 22:04:35

MrDrWho13Muvizu mogulExperimental user
MrDrWho13
Posts: 2220 		PatMarrNC wrote:
ziggy72 wrote:
Blender's FBX exporter works well enough with Muvizu that you can retain the textures - export your model as an OBJ with materials, import into blender, export as FBX (Smoothing set to Faces not Normals) and your model should import into Muvizu with textures intact. Should


Where do you find this Blender setting "Smoothing set to faces?"

There will be an option called "Smoothing" that you need to set to "Faces". I guess it's in the export menu somewhere.
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07/08/2016 22:11:44

ikesMuvizu mogul
ikes
Posts: 282 		Yes, when you export to fbx, where you type the filename, on the bottom left are options. The smoothing is under shaders.
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07/08/2016 22:47:10

PatMarrNCMuvizu mogul
PatMarrNC
Posts: 1738 		found it in the export FBX dialog (Geometries > smoothing > face )

Thanks guys!
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08/08/2016 15:55:33

PatMarrNCMuvizu mogul
PatMarrNC
Posts: 1738 		regarding Milkshape's ability to export ASE...

I Downloaded Milkshape a while ago, but never installed it (learning curve paralysis). Also my hard drive was getting full.

Now I added 3 terabytes of hard drive, so I'm reconsidering what to install. Can somebody who uses Milkshape give me an idea about how long it takes to export in ASE format from that software? I like the format because it does surface smoothing and it allows alpha and has the ability to assign multiple textures etc.

But exporting from Sketchup is much slower than blenders FBX export. If Milkshapes built-in export is faster than Sketchup's plugin export, I'll have to give it a try.

Your thoughts?
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10/08/2016 17:08:26

PatMarrNCMuvizu mogul
PatMarrNC
Posts: 1738 		Nobody replied to my question, so I just went ahead and installed Milkshape.

I haven't had time to explore its 3D modelling potential, but its lonnng list of supported formats (both import and export) alone makes it well worth the modest price tag! It only costs 25 euros (currently about $28 USD)

The good news is that its built-in ASE export is MUCH faster than Sketchup's. I exported a model that took Sketchup well over an hour to create, and Milkshape exported it in less than the time it took me to open the directory to see if it was there! I like that!

The internal format looks a bit different so I'll have to experiment to see if the batch file I use to add tiny collision works the same way... but I was impressed enough to pay the minimal fee immediately, even if I only use it for exporting ASE and FBX (But I'm sure I'll use it for more than that)

Clayster, if you read this, please let me know what check boxes you check when creating your ASE files in Milkshape.
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10/08/2016 19:59:56

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		PatMarrNC wrote:
Nobody replied to my question, so I just went ahead and installed Milkshape.


Sorry Pat, I missed ths one. Yes I use Milkshape for almost all my modelling. It is simple and pretty intuitive but a bit of a faff if you want to create organic shapes. The only downside for use with Muvizu is that it exports an old version of FBX which, even if you convert it using the Autodesk tool either won't (or won't always - I can't remember at the moment) allow you to assign textures to the finished model in Muvizu.
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10/08/2016 23:35:50

PatMarrNCMuvizu mogul
PatMarrNC
Posts: 1738 		primaveranz wrote:
PatMarrNC wrote:
Nobody replied to my question, so I just went ahead and installed Milkshape.


Sorry Pat, I missed ths one. Yes I use Milkshape for almost all my modelling. It is simple and pretty intuitive but a bit of a faff if you want to create organic shapes. The only downside for use with Muvizu is that it exports an old version of FBX which, even if you convert it using the Autodesk tool either won't (or won't always - I can't remember at the moment) allow you to assign textures to the finished model in Muvizu.


my experience with FBX in other modelling programs is as follows:

In the modelling environment, if I have assigned a color to my model before saving to OBJ file, then when I convert it to FBX in Blender and open it in Muvizu it will only let me change the color it had when exported as OBJ


But if I add a texture to it in the modelling environment THEN export as OBJ, and use Blender to convert the OBJ to FBX, Muvizu recognizes that it had a texture, and I get the option to pick between another texture OR a color.

(when you save an OBJ file, a materials file is also created, and apparently that information continues through the chain of exporting to FBX and subsequent use in Muvizu. That file must refer to a texture in order to assign another texture to it later in Muvizu.)
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10/08/2016 23:42:27

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		I never use colours to assign to Materials in Milkshape, just textures.
However the results are patchy especially if transparencies are involved. Because you have to re-group all the Milkshape groups into a single one before exporting, that means you can only have a single material and I think that is where the problem lies.
I have tried using a single .PNG file with a transparent part but it has never worked as I want it to.
Even if I get the option to choose a material inside Muvizu it "tiles" the image across the object instead of adhering to the UV mapping done inside Milkshape.
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