dim3 Forum

Hello there folks,

I am just getting started with Dim3. Its an excellent piece of software and I am very impressed! :-)

I am having a problem using models that I have made myself that I was hoping somebody could advise me on...

I am using models that I have made in Maya and imported into Wings to make an OBJ file, which I import into animator, then the editor.

It seems though that as soon as I load the model into the animator it just appears flat. I have added a texture, but it just seems to be a flat colour with no shading.

I have looked all around but cant see what I am doing wrong so I suppose there is something I am missing to do with shaders?

Thanks,

Paul.

You have to make a UV map to tell the program which polygons correspond to which part of the texture image. Im guessing that you were just using materials.

The animator doesn't render any shadowing, so all you see is flat lighting. In game however, vertex lighting is used to give the model shadowing.

Thanks for the help folks.
How do I make a UV map?

That depends on what modeling app you're using.
Look on google for tutorials.

I am using maya and I have applied a material and it all looks shaded and nice, and though it looses its colour on import to wings, it still looks shaded.


When it arrives in animator I only see the outline of the shape. I mean, it is still 3D, I can move around it, but there is no shading. The object is made out of one solid colour.

So does this sound like I need to make a UV map then? If so, I will google UV maps in wings...

thanks!

Paul

I think I see your problem. In maya, the object probably has a smooth shadow look through the material, but dim3 doesn't use 3D materials like that. You have to UV map the object, and import the texture, there's no other way.

All 3d programs shade the model in the object/edit mode so you can see what you're doing. dim3's animator app doesn't do that, so the texture is what gives it definition. Wings3D can't import the color materials from maya, so all you get is the shaded look. dim3 can't import the color, and it doesn't even have a shaded look.

Your best bet is to look up Maya UV Mapping on Google, UV map your object, texture it and import the model and the texture. All objects you import should be UV Mapped.

Ah I see. I got it sorted by adding the texture in maya before sending to wings, just as you said.

Thanks!

Paul