Scale for Mesh--how big do I make the original?

[WolfBaginski Bearsfoot]

I've been fiddling with mesh, and I'm getting somewhere with the basic problem of making the mesh, making the lower detail versions, and handling the UV Mapping.

But I'm finding that the mesh I make appears in SL at a smaller size than I expect.

There are various programs out there, possibly with systems to give "real" dimensions, as well as whatever internal coordinate system they use.

What I'd like to get a handle on is how big 1 unit in my editing software is when it appears in SL.

As an example of the problems I've come across outside SL, the program Poser has had a few scale variations, but 1 unit in the data format used (essentially Wavefront .obj files) has scaled out as close to 100 inches, If you want to make something for a Poser figure to handle, that comes out about right. But many other CGI models, when you import them into Poser have a scale of 1 unit to 1 inch, or 1 unit to 1 centimetre.

It looks as though the Collada import does give a figure, so nobody needs to pay a fee to find out this figure for their software. But is there a list anywhere? 

[Jacki Silverfall]

I've heard that one square on the grid is a meter. I had the opposite problem, everything was to big. Now when I finish a project I scale it down on the grid then export to collada. When I import it the model is close to the right size.

[Chodai Yoshikawa]

Hi Wolf,

1 Blender Unit is 1 metre by default.  there is also the option to work in metric or imperial and have the values displayed approprriately.    It's simplest to just leave it using Blender units I think as the unit display in Blender is not the best.

In you Collada fils its easy to see what the scale the program that output the file was working in in the <asset> section of the file near the top.

  <asset>
    <contributor>
      <author>Blender User</author>
      <authoring_tool>Blender 2.58.1 r39240M</authoring_tool>
    </contributor>
    <created>2011-08-10T14:51:04</created>
    <modified>2011-08-10T14:51:04</modified>
    <unit name="meter" meter="1"/>
    <up_axis>Z_UP</up_axis>
  </asset>

read the meter="xxx" line. The value in that entry is the size of your CAD programs units in metres ie:   meter="0.01" means you units are in centimetres.  ie: 100 of your units ( cm ) to a metre.

 

[WolfBaginski Bearsfoot]

Ah, useful to know that about the Collada file.

It looks as though Wings 3D uses 1 unit = 1 centimetre

Looking at my model, that looks right for the figure the Viewer told me.

 

[Moo Spyker]

Idk how small you are talking about but my items I've been scaleing up by 1.25 because of the size of avatars, some people even go up to 1.5. The units in SL are SUPPOSED to be in meters, but the avatars void that out by being up to like 8-9 feet tall.

[Nalates Urriah]

Chodai Yoshikawa is right. The Python file in Collada exporter does show the scale of export. In Blender 2.49 one has to manually change the value, if I remember correctly. 

If anyone is unsure of the scale their system is working at, try a test export/import of a 1 unit cube in SL's ADITI or OpenSim where uploads are free.