Open Casket

[Z-Boy]

Great for a church setting

Z

[Innoventive Software, LLC]

Great for a church setting

Z

While this is a very nice looking casket, it is MUCH higher polygon than it should be, particularly in the pillow and mattress, but also in all of the parts. It comes in at 35,005 points and 12,346 polygons.

I've attached an optimized version which looks just as good but which is a fraction of the size: only 2,420 points and 3,205 polygons. I've attached it in VRML format so you can compare it with your source.

I've also added some hinging to it and gave it some optional parts.

The final .3dxf file I'm also attaching has some minor optimizations that can't be done via the VRML route so I'd recommend download it unless you are looking at the VRML as a modeling sample...

Hope this is useful!

[Z-Boy]

cool, thanks

[Kevan]

How do you optimizing Polygons?

How are you reducing the polygon count?

What are you reducing the polygon count with?

How are you converting a *.uzp file into a file type which you can work on?

Do you have a custom editor which will import *.uzp files into say Autodesk 3DS Max or Maya and this enables you to mess around with these files and correct anomalies such as polycount and points?

I Gotta admit I'm rather confused about all this stuff..

Let me explain:

I'm trying to convert various models on various file formats, some *.max, some .3ds, some FBX and some *.obj format.

I use 3DS Max v9, I've attempted exporting to *.fbx format but the polygon count is too high. Same if I export to .3ds and use your FBX to FrameForge Converter.exe - the whole process goes to crap!

I can convert these *.fbx and *.3ds and even *.obj files if they have textures (another problem, try Texturing in 3D Studio Max using UVW and Unwrap UVW Maps and even Render to Texture) all this is really messing around to get new a custom object library together..

I'm really lost on this stuff.. I mean I know crap all about 3D and have spent the last month scratching my head that I'm going bald! I even got hold of MooTools PolyCruncher plug-in for 3DS Max. I managed to export in *.vml format okay but *.3ds forget it, it maxes out and crashes.

I realize my rant here asks a lot of questions but if you could let me know how I can export lower polycount models with textures so I can convert them and get them into FrameForge 3D Studio 2 I'd be really very grateful.

I find I'm going down the long and winding 3D path here when all I want to do is convert 3D models, preferably with their textures exported to have a larger pallet for storyboarding..

I'm looking in the mirror right now, my head's scratched to the bone, the skins broken, I'm bleeding and I'm losing all my hair.

How the hell do you do this stuff?

If you can offer some brief insight (I realize I've opened up a can of worms here) I could probably stop scratching my head, grow some hair back and get back to using FrameForge for what it's supposed to be used for..

Help, I'm going nuts here!!!!

I realize I may come across as a freek here but I'm actually having a joke at my own expense so no offense intended.. Just trying to get you to answer my questions... I thought a little giggle at me might do the trick..



Kevan

[Innoventive Software, LLC]

How do you optimizing Polygons? How are you reducing the polygon count? What are you reducing the polygon count with?

Mostly by redesigning the mesh better rather than using a polygon reducing program. Though I did use the Cinema 4D internal polygon reducer for the matress and pillow in the casket because I was lazy and it was not a very important/terribly visible mesh.

But for the rest of it, I manually joined points, removed segments, recreated the meshes from scratch and so on.

Low polygon modeling is an art and there are good bucks on the subject, many under modeling for Games, which generally have the same real-time considerations as FrameForge 3D Studio.

How are you converting a *.uzp file into a file type which you can work on?

You can't. It's a proprietary in-house system that takes our .3dxf files (which are embedded in the uzp) and makes them editable. But you shouldn't need to edit our objects; they're already quite optimized.

Do you have a custom editor which will import *.uzp files into say Autodesk 3DS Max or Maya and this enables you to mess around with these files and correct anomalies such as polycount and points?

Yes. But again, we can't distribute it.

I gotta admit I'm rather confused about all this stuff..

Then we've done our job. :)

I'm trying to convert various models on various file formats, some *.max, some .3ds, some FBX and some *.obj format.

I use 3DS Max v9, I've attempted exporting to *.fbx format but the polygon count is too high. Same if I export to .3ds and use your FBX to FrameForge Converter.exe - the whole process goes to crap!

If the polygon count is too high then you need different models. It's pretty much that simple. While there are some expensive polygon reduction programs, none of the ones I've seen do even a quarter as good a job as a model that was well designed to be low polygon in the first place.

I'm really lost on this stuff.. I mean I know crap all about 3D and have spent the last month scratching my head that I'm going bald! I even got hold of MooTools PolyCruncher plug-in for 3DS Max. I managed to export in *.vml format okay but *.3ds forget it, it maxes out and crashes.

It's not simple stuff and there's no way to shortcut the learning curve. Unfortunately, all I can recommend is to either buy a good book, take a class, or hire someone with some good expertise to create whatever LOW POLY models you need.

Good luck (esp. with the hair regrowth)!

[kenmatthews]

Good stuff Z and Innoventive, this is useful info... Also LadyJaye, your modelling (now) FAQ is very illuminating... When I get some time away from storyboarding, I must try and get to grips with Sketchup... I'm going to try my hand at producing various models, particularly districts and locations...

Best regards.

Ken.