Help a newbie - Issues while importing to SL

[RedNepata]

Hi

I would really appreciate help with this issue. I've asked in the blender chat already and got no answer.

I've finished my work on a bed (Just model and colours no textures of now) and it looks like this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3b84e0ye1m2sa1q/Futurebed%20%282%29.png

So I go to file>export>Collada, export it, get onto the beta server on SL to check how it looks and am greeted by this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tlzwxtw4pln2739/blruaahg.jpg

Now, I get where the issue is. My rendered picture is from around frame 100 after I simulated the floating blanket falling onto the bed, and the export obviously is grabbing frame one with it floating around. So what interests me is can I actually capture a specific frame for my still model (Its a bed, I don't need it animated, just staying still) and if it is possible, how?

Also, what is up with the matress and pillows? Does SL not like 'subdivision surface' applied to objects or something?

If any other information about my model is required for solving this problem I will provide it. I want to get over this last hurdle, considering I just spent a whole day learning 3d modeling basics, blender, and built a model from scratch, amazed myself, and then just got annoyed at the export/import of all this. Used Blender 2.68, no add-ons.

Thanks in advance~

Neps

[Devriv]

Hello RedNepata

"Can I actually capture a specific frame for my still model and if it is possible, how?”

You certainly can.

Simply choose the desired frame in the timeline and apply the cloth modifier. Also, when saving the collada file, “Apply Modifiers” should be checked in the export panel.

Now, naturally if the cloth (your blanket) and the collision object (the bed) are two different objects you would join them first before creating the collada file and exporting (this as opposed to pinning vertices of a single object).

I hope this helps.

[RedNepata]

Thank you so much Devriv, after I have joined all 5 objects and exported them, I got exactly the frame that I wanted!

Sadly I still have some issues for some reason. I tried the apply modifiers in the export window and that didn't work well but I tried something on my own hand. Before joining the objects I applied the modifiers right onto the object, and exporting that way, the matress and pillow don't look like boxes. So finally looking sort of like what i want it too, I import it into SL's beta grid to check it out and get this:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1szrm1muntsjubz/Lel.jpg

First off, no idea why I lost the materials texture. Secondly whats going on with the blanket now? Parts of it are invisible and the rest is just weird. Quite frustrated at this.

Also on an unimportant note: Why did the price skyrocket from 35 to 275 linden after having applied the modifiers? Does subsurface add a huge bunch of polygons?

Thanks again, hopefully I'll sort this out somehow.

[Gaia Clary]

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RedNepata wrote:

Thank you so much Devriv, after I have joined all 5 objects and exported them, I got exactly the frame that I wanted!

Sadly I still have some issues for some reason. I tried the apply modifiers in the export window and that didn't work well

but

I tried something on my own hand.

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The option "Apply modifiers" should work for you here. Note that modifiers have sometimes 2 sets of properties, one for rendering and one for the viewport. The export option lets you choose which data set you want to get applied.

 

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So finally looking sort of like what i want it too, I import it into SL's beta grid to check it out and get this:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1szrm1muntsjubz/Lel.jpg

First off, no idea why I lost the materials texture. Secondly whats going on with the blanket now? Parts of it are invisible and the rest is just weird. Quite frustrated at this.

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If you have defined a material with a procedural texture then you will have to "bake"  the texture beforehand.then you can export your object with the option "include UV Textures". You can find hints about how this can be done here:

Your blanket looks pretty much like it has not been unwrapped. Maybe this can give you some help:

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Also on an unimportant note: Why did the price skyrocket from 35 to 275 linden after having applied the modifiers? Does subsurface add a huge bunch of polygons?

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depending on the modifiers you can get a LOT of extra faces. I bet you have used the subdivision modifier to get some 'smoothness" into your pillows. Note that the number of faces raises by a factor of 4 with each level of subdivision.

Example:

 

1. Assume your pillow has 200 Faces in your base object.
2. Assume you add a subdivision modifier and add 4 levels of subdivision.

You end up with 200 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4 = 51200 faces

[Drongle McMahon]

It is tempting to use a lot of subdivision in cloth to get the detailed folding you need. However, there are limits (see below) to what can be uploaded, and the LI will become excessive far below those limits. So if you do use lots of subdivision for this, you will have to reduce the poly count afterwards by simplifying the geometry without ruining the folds. That's hard work. (Don't for get to do the UV mapping before the cloth simulation and then use only UV preserving edits. Otherwise it's even worse.)

People also use subdivision to get smooth shading, as I suspect you did with your pillows. This is a big mistake causing unacceptable LIs. Use the minimum subdivision to get the basic shape. Then use smooth shading (Mesh->Faces->Shade smooth). You can use the edge-split modifier to keep some edges sharp.

Have a look at message 17 in this thread. The blanket on that bed (LI=1) was made with the Blender cloth simulator and then manually decimated.

ETA - Now that we have materials, you can add the finer fold detail by baking a normal map from a highly subdivided cloth simulation onto your lower poly mesh that has only the major folds. This will be very efficient for LI, and avoids the tedious poly reduction step. Of course you have to learn about normal maps and baking.....

(Technical)

There is a (bug that makes) a maximum triangle count per material of 21844. When the count exceeds this, the viewer code secretly makes a new material. When you use subdivision, the triangles are presented to the uploader in an interspersed order. This creates the sort of patterning you are seeing on your blanket. It also causes large LI increases (if you are using smooth shading - otherwise it's already high) because the vertices have to be duplicated in multiple material lists. When the secret material count goes above 8, the uploader carries on, but the extra materials are dropped from the upload. This leaves holes in your mesh where the 9th and further materials were. This means there is an absolute maximum of 174752 triangles that will get uploaded. The effective limit can be lower if some materials use less than their 21844 triangle maximum.

 

[Devriv]

You're almost there RedNepata

The replies above are by experts, but I wish to clear up one point, which I'm positive you already know, yet just to make sure....

“I tried the apply modifiers in the export window and that didn't work well but I tried something on my own hand. Before joining the objects I applied the modifiers right onto the object, and exporting that way, the mattress and pillow don't look like boxes.”

Checking the “Apply Modifiers” option in the export panel alone will not apply the modifiers to your mesh. That check-mark is for export purposes only. Therefore, after you've applied the modifiers in the object modifiers panel, as you've correctly done (and which you must), you would then, when exporting as Collada, also check the option in the export panel.

I think of it as putting a “contains modifiers” label on a package

And don't let it make you feel frustrated. You're beginning with a very complex model.

[Gaia Clary]

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Devriv wrote:

Checking the “Apply Modifiers” option in the export panel alone will not apply the modifiers to your mesh. That check-mark is for export purposes only. Therefore, after you've applied the modifiers in the object modifiers panel, as you've correctly done (and which you must), you would then, when exporting as Collada, also check the option in the export panel.

I think of it as putting a “contains modifiers” label on a package

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[edit] it looks like i need glasses i was reading "expert purposes" where you wrote "export purposes". Apologize for the misreading.

It is true that the "Apply modifiers" option in the collada export panel only affects the exported data. that is: this option ensures the exported mesh will have its modifiers applied.

So on the other side it is true that the "Apply modifiers" option in the export panel does not apply the modifiers to the mesh in your viewport. The tool tip says it:

"Apply modifiers to exported mesh (non destructive)"

This option has been added to the exporter for ease of usage. It is not "an expert option" as you mentioned. In fact this option avoids to apply the modifiers in the viewport, so you can do your export, be sure the modifers get applied, and continue working on your mesh with all modifiers still intact.

Having said this i think maybe the option's short label could be changed to "use modifiers" to distinguish it from the "Apply" button in the modifiers panel...