Anyone know about 3Ddrawing apps? I have some Qs in Off Topic

ID:185355
 
Feb 23 2006, 1:38 pm
I've been interested in a long time in utilizing 3D modeling programs to create nice 2D graphics. I've heard that some of these programs can save a model to a 2D image nicely, but I'm wondering more about mass image-capturing with them at the moment.

Do any 3D modeling programs offer the ability to easily capture an image of a model from a specified angle and distance that you can just type in, or coordinates and direction? I'm looking for anything that can be used to rapidly take snapshots from any point of view, and preferably has an intuitive naming convension such as "name_37,13" as opposed to "image1", "image2" and so on, so that I don't have to rename them all after. I'm asking for a lot here, aren't I?

Also, if anyone can use such a program and wants a few bucks for doing it for me, that route works too. The graphics I want don't have to be anything professional-like, just half-decent, and unless the process is simple enough, probably just a single model.
#1 Feb 23 2006, 4:23 pm
The way I've always done it in 3ds max is to set up a targeted camera, and animate it along a circular spline (that's just a 2D circle in 3D space - like a hoop). Then render the animation of the camera circling the object, but instead of renderering an AVI or whatever, render to a sequence of bitmap images.
#2 Feb 23 2006, 5:14 pm
In response to Crispy (#1)
That sounds interesting. I assume it could save to a format other than bmp though, right? I want to use the images in a program, so I'm hoping to keep the total down in the single-digit MB range.

Also, do you tell it how often to capture an image, or does it just take a ton of them?

Perhaps I should be a bit more specific about what I want. I want to capture a series of images of a model circling around it every so many degrees. I want do to this both vertically and horizontally, making for a lot of images. If I take 16 on both the vertical and the horizontal axes, for example, that would allow for a precision of up to 22.5 degrees and would allow you to view the object from any angle, and that would result in 256 images. I just scribbled some color onto a 128x128 png and saved, and it came out to almost 1kB; if I were to take that many directions each from 20 different distances, that would amount to 5MB right there.

Any better suggestions now that I've opened my mind up a bit further on the matter?
#3 Feb 23 2006, 8:26 pm
In response to Loduwijk (#2)
Loduwijk wrote:
That sounds interesting. I assume it could save to a format other than bmp though, right? I want to use the images in a program, so I'm hoping to keep the total down in the single-digit MB range.

I believe it can also save to PNG.

Also, do you tell it how often to capture an image, or does it just take a ton of them?

You tell it how many images to capture by specifying the number of frames it takes to do a full circle. If the animation takes 8 frames, you get pictures from 8 different directions.

Perhaps I should be a bit more specific about what I want. I want to capture a series of images of a model circling around it every so many degrees. I want do to this both vertically and horizontally, making for a lot of images.

So you want shots from above and below as well? Aren't we picky. =)

Any better suggestions now that I've opened my mind up a bit further on the matter?

As you're talking about all those directions, I assume you're not using BYOND. If that's the case, why not just use OpenGL and render the models in-game? There are dozens of tutorials on the subject to be found scattered on the internet.
#4 Feb 24 2006, 12:13 pm
In response to Crispy (#3)
Crispy wrote:
So you want shots from above and below as well? Aren't we picky. =)

Very

If that's the case, why not just use OpenGL and render the models in-game?

I can't for this project. I would if I could. And no, I don't just mean "I can't" as in "I don't know how." You'll see if I ever get all the images and work them in so that I can show off what I have.

There are dozens of tutorials on the subject to be found scattered on the internet.

Although I can't for this, I would like to know OpenGL. I have peeked into some tutorials for it a few times, but most of them that I have found aren't very good. Many tell you what you need but don't actually explain what the functions do or how they interact; and many start telling you then skip a lot of information and dump a full program on you, leaving you wondering where the chapters in between ran off to.

I found some for C++ and VB that looked good at first glance once upon a time (At NeHe I think), but the code exmples ended up having errors on them and I didn't know how to go any further with the broken code.
#5 Feb 24 2006, 1:38 pm
In response to Loduwijk (#4)
Loduwijk wrote:
Crispy wrote:
So you want shots from above and below as well? Aren't we picky. =)

Very

If that's the case, why not just use OpenGL and render the models in-game?

I can't for this project. I would if I could. And no, I don't just mean "I can't" as in "I don't know how." You'll see if I ever get all the images and work them in so that I can show off what I have.

There are dozens of tutorials on the subject to be found scattered on the internet.

Although I can't for this, I would like to know OpenGL. I have peeked into some tutorials for it a few times, but most of them that I have found aren't very good. Many tell you what you need but don't actually explain what the functions do or how they interact; and many start telling you then skip a lot of information and dump a full program on you, leaving you wondering where the chapters in between ran off to.

I found some for C++ and VB that looked good at first glance once upon a time (At NeHe I think), but the code exmples ended up having errors on them and I didn't know how to go any further with the broken code.

Have you tried the OpenGL main guide? It helped me when I was learning open.
#6 Feb 24 2006, 2:19 pm
In response to Green Lime (#5)
Green Lime wrote:
Have you tried the OpenGL main guide? It helped me when I was learning open.

I have not. Do you mean to tell me that the OpenGL main site has guides that I missed and that nobody has ever told me about in my search for good tutorials?
#7 Feb 24 2006, 3:09 pm
In response to Loduwijk (#6)
Loduwijk wrote:
Green Lime wrote:
Have you tried the OpenGL main guide? It helped me when I was learning open.

I have not. Do you mean to tell me that the OpenGL main site has guides that I missed and that nobody has ever told me about in my search for good tutorials?

But I thought the NeHe talked about them? Don't they on the first tutorial at the top? Sorry if Im wrong.
http://www.opengl.org/documentation/red_book_1.0/
#8 Feb 24 2006, 3:43 pm
In response to Green Lime (#7)
Green Lime wrote:
Sorry if Im wrong.

It's probably more me not being observant. I miss things all the time, and I probably don't put enough effort into finding things half the time also.
#9 Feb 24 2006, 4:16 pm
In response to Crispy (#1)
Interesting approach. I was thinking that it may be acheivable with scripts(such as Maya's MEL Scripts), but I'm not too fresh on those. I do have a book lying around on MEL Scripting, and the help file has some good documentation for it, so I figured I may be able to utilize those to help Lod.

Tell me if it can't be done that way, though, so I don't waste a good part of my night brushing up on scripts that I don't feel I'd care much for elsewise.

Hiead
#10 Feb 24 2006, 6:27 pm (Edited on Feb 24 2006, 6:47 pm)
In response to Hiead (#9)
My post is the same as yours, except with LScript replacing MEL script, and 100% certainty of being able to do it, somehow, instead of your not completely sure. :P
#11 Feb 24 2006, 6:44 pm
In response to Jon88 (#10)
Er, where's your post at? I don't see it in this thread at all. o.O

Hiead
#12 Feb 24 2006, 6:49 pm
In response to Hiead (#11)
I think that was it. I think that was his way of saying "Using this other script, I am sure that I could do all of it."
#13 Feb 24 2006, 6:51 pm
In response to Loduwijk (#12)
Yeah, I just asked him about it in wiz_chat and that's what he said. I probably should've edited/deleted my post to signify that it had been clarified. =P

Hiead
#14 Feb 25 2006, 12:49 am
In response to Loduwijk (#8)
Loduwijk wrote:
...I probably don't put enough effort into finding things half the time also.

which is probably the real reason for this post in the first place!

:p
#15 Feb 25 2006, 1:07 pm
In response to digitalmouse (#14)
I didn't mean it in that I'm lazy; I meant it in that I never seem to be able to navigate to the right places to find what I need - website layouts hate me, and I don't go out of my way to associate with those that hate me.