3D model importing

    Would it be possible to implement a static model import system into the new game similar to the example plugin for the old. This could work in a similar way to the poster import system and provide for models with multiple textures and higher polygon levels than the latter and provide robust error checking so that bad models don't break the game. Maybe it could accept the .dae file format from Second Life? Also when the model is imported into the game the system could then allow the user to manipulate it in any way, rotate and move like any other building element. This system would allow for the creation of much more immersive and realistic worlds.

    Actually we don't want to offer that functionality in the vanilla game ^^ It would introduce too many problems: Unlike images, there are a lot more things to consider when it comes to models: They may use different coordinate systems, could rely on specific materials or model manipulators (nurbs), or sometimes they may be broken (invalid normals etc, especially when it comes to free models from the net). If a user loads such a model and it does not work as intended, he would consider that a bug in the game.


    Another problem is the poly count: If a user loads a model consisting of millions of triangles and places a few instances of it in the world, the performance will seriously suffer. In this case the user may think there's something broken in the game.


    IMHO it's better if we stick to a plugin to enable that feature (like the model loader in the Java version). In this case it's up to the user to decide whether or not he wants to use that particular feature ;)

    Thanks for the reply :-) , I have tried the plugin for the java game but as you say most of the models i tried had problems when imported and one actually broke the game. Maybe a better plugin will come in the future that can filter out the incompatible ones and I will try again :-)

    Quote from phill895

    Thanks for the reply :-) , I have tried the plugin for the java game but as you say most of the models i tried had problems when imported and one actually broke the game. Maybe a better plugin will come in the future that can filter out the incompatible ones and I will try again :-)

    Yeah, that's actually what I mean :D This wasn't an issue of the plugin, it's the model handling in the actual game. The internal model handling was pretty much straightforward, so the game complained about every issue in a model (e.g. missing or broken normals).

    There is room for improvements in the new version, e.g. the game could try to detect model issues and attempt to fix them automatically. But again, in this regard it doesn't matter if it's done through a plugin or not, since the actual model handling still needs to be implemented in the game (just like in the Java version) ;)

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