Re: Easy way of generating simple objects / models for graphics teaching?

Jonathan Campbell wrote:
I hope readers will be tolerant of this lazy question.

I want to generate simple objects / models for graphics teaching, i.e. I want to use polygon mesh objects and not just glu and glut objects and simple programmed objects of my own.

Can anyone recommend either Blender or 3DStudio-Max. I'm a mainly Linux user, so Blender is attractive. I can probably get access to a licence for 3DS-Max via my college --- if it would be easier to use. I aged a few years yesterday while spending an afternoon on an introductory Blender tutorial :(

I'm attracted by Wavefront .OBJ format --- I seem to be able to understand it in terms of OpenGL programming. Would it be wise to depend on that format? I guess that I would like eventually to be able to generate and use animated objects.

TIA,

Jon C.

If you do decide to go the Blender route, there are good tutorials here:

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:Tutorials/BSoD

In terms of exporting, I remember the OpenInventor (.iv) format being text-based and pretty easy to load in. If you wanted animated objects as well, I'd recommend the (freely downloadable) Ogre meshes exporter - it's been working well for me at any rate.

Not sure whether 3DS-Max will be significantly easier to use - most modelling programs are tricky when you're getting started with them (I remember trying an older version of 3DS-Max some years ago and feeling rather befuddled).

fungus's editor looks quite cool, though - if Blender's causing you annoyance then maybe give that a try.

Regards,
Stu

p.s. The code for the game I sent you a while ago now has a loader for Ogre meshes already implemented if it's of any help.
.

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