Importing a Mesh from Modelling app

[acestu]

Hi,

Has anybody had any luck importing 3d Mesh from a 3rd party modelling app, I have tried:

Constructing a model in Cinema 4D, export in OBJ (Wavefront fomat) then dragging onto the sytem panel in flowcode, however flowcode opens a settings panel but when you click ok , flowcode closes.

Is OBJ the preferred format for export ?


Thanks
Acestu

[acestu]

Hi,

I have searched the forum and found this by Jonny:

"As far as 3D, yes you can import from other programs, just drag-drop the file over Flowcode, or drag a 'mesh' object on and select a .mesh file for it. We have our own XML (and compressed XML) format for meshes but allow imports from other formats. Unfortunately the formats supported at present are just OBJ, STL and binary STL. We are always interested in other formats and VRML files would be a good addition. I have found a grammar for this, any sample files you have would be great, thanks."


" Just drag the file over flowcode " what format file ?

I will try a few more formats and update in a while

thanks
Acestu

[JonnyW]

Hi Acestu.

This should work no problems and Flowcode should certainly not close without warning if you have the wrong file! If you can PM me a sample file that causes this I can look into the reason.

Different 3D model formats for import are an ongoing effort. Wavefront OBJ files should be supported. We have recently got into talks with Solidworks so hopefully will get the spec for their formats for import before long.

Cheers,

Jonny

[acestu]

Hi Jonny,

The Wavefront OBJ file is importing fine, I tried it after I found your post above thanks,

import.jpg (29.15 KiB) Viewed 14821 times

thanks
Acestu

[acestu]

Hi Jonny,

Basically my first test file in cinema 4D ws just the word Flowcode in Mo Text then exported in OBJ format, this causes flowcode to crash, I am including a pic and the file:

MoText.jpg

(94.62 KiB) Downloaded 3379 times

test11.obj

(199.16 KiB) Downloaded 337 times

Thanks
Acestu

[JonnyW]

Cheers, I'll take a look at that tomorrow, see what the problem may be.

Jonny

[acestu]

Hi Jonny

I have just created a simple Cube in Blender and exported as an OBJ file, when I drop that onto flowcode the same thing happens the panel appears but when you click ok ie crash:

blenderCube.jpg (31.49 KiB) Viewed 14816 times

blender.obj

(407 Bytes) Downloaded 314 times

Thanks
Acestu

[JonnyW]

Hi. The only things I can see is there is no normal or texture information in the file, the faces are not triangulated and the 's' option on the converter is currently ignored. Hopefully I get the same issues here and it is a quick fix - the cube causing the same issues makes life much easier!

Jonny

[acestu]

Ok Jonny,

I am just experimenting with a few different modelling apps, Autodesk's 123Design seems to work very well with it's STL export format:

AD123.jpg (43.1 KiB) Viewed 14809 times

Arduino_Uno.jpg

(62.59 KiB) Downloaded 3367 times

Thanks
Acestu

[Mantas]

Hi Jonny,

I hope you will soon add the support for solidworks object formats. This would mean that people like me will be able to rapidly develop 3D models, without learning all the flowcode modeling specifics, which I personally would prefer.
I ponder if simulink to flowcode convertion would be possible?!

Keep on amazing work!
Mantas

[acestu]

Hi Mantas,

I agree, and I did some research into modelling apps last night, I am going to do some more tonight with my Solidworks, etc, so keep your eye on this thread as I will update it later...

cheers
Acestu

[acestu]

Hi Mantas,

I have successfully imported a Solidworks model into Flowcode6:

Solidworks_Test.jpg

(39.13 KiB) Downloaded 3334 times

Basically I saved my model in the STL format then I imported it into "Meshlab" which is a free app available here- http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/ and then I exported it as a Wavefront OBJ file, then if you drag it onto FC6 then it will import fine.

cheers
Acestu

[Benj]

Cheers for the input so far guys, much appreciated.

We have just become a Solidworks partner (or something along those lines) so direct support for these files should hopefully be available shortly.

[Mantas]

Hello Stu,

While it works with single parts, it does not work with assemblies, and it looses much of the small feature details

Regards,
Mantas

[acestu]

Hi Mantas

I am still messing with it myself, but from what Benj says above it looks like we won't have long to wait until we have it all worked out by the experts and Solidworks themselves, if there is one thing I have learned about Matrix, it's if they say they will sort it, then they will.......


cheers
Acestu

[JonnyW]

Hi. Just to let you know the issue with some obj files failing to import is fixed now. Issue was no normal or texture data was provided in these files, and my converter was running off the end of the text.

As far as SolidWorks goes, I know our MD is big on this, so once we get hold of the spec for their file format I will be able to spend a bit of time on the conversion routines and then hopefully it will just be a matter of dropping these into Flowcode.

The other thing that needs doing is to be able to export in different formats - currently you can only save a model of the panel (or a single object) in our .mesh format, which isn't much use outside of Flowcode.

Jonny

[Mantas]

Hi Jonny,

Will FC support Solidworks assemblies?

Regards,
Mantas

[JonnyW]

Hi Mantas. I don't know without the details of the files.

I have never used SolidWorks until very recently, though now have a copy at work so can have a decent play. I hope we can support as much as possible and make it easy as we can to tie in with SolidWorks.

Jonny

[medelec35]

This maybe a big ask but since it looks like solid works will be out of a lot of peoples budget( I could be wrong but don't believe they do a free version?), can Flowcode be also be developed to work nicely with a budget/free 3D package of @mm choice.
I personally do not know/or used 3D packaging enough to be able to make any choices myself.
I'm hoping if that is possible then the less conversion to other tools prior to importing to Flowcode the better.

Regards

Some who does no know much (Still ) about 3D packages except maybe Google Sketchup..I like that one!
Perhaps the default extension of Shetchup can be used?

[JonnyW]

Hi Martin.

Unfortunately Google .skp is an undocumented proprietary format (a bit like the files of FCv5) so it is unlikely that we will be able to import these. Wavefront OBJ files and STL files are both widely accepted standard formats that many applications can export. There are plugins for Sketchup that allow this, but you have probably used Sketchup more than I have!

There are others, but some of the formats out there have much more in than just vertex data. From my days in games programming I may have the .3ds format tucked away somewhere and a couple of others, but may be remembering wrong and it may have been a proprietary format we used just on the Playstation.

Our MD is big on SolidWorks as it is available in most French schools, which is why we are interested in compatibility with it.

Jonny

[Mantas]

Many decent universities have solidworks for their BS or MS courses. Other big names for 3D modeling is COMSOL Multiphysics, Siemens NX, ANSYS, Catia, ProEngineer,Autocad Inventor. They all come in different packages, depends on how skillful you are and what you do with it, as most of them support more than 3D modeling (FEM analysis, motion analysis, ect.), so the price depends on a package. But as Jonny said, they all have the capability to exchange file formats between each other. For example if you import STL file into solidworks, it has a feature recognition feature, so it very versatile. Another thing why Solidworks is so popular is that supports add-on. It's like a plug-in where a software works in a software, so it's possible to sync to software files live. Lets say for example if you model some part in Solidworks, an lets assume there is a flowcode add-on, you would just press some button to sync and the model you design would appear in FC system panel.

Best Regards,
Mantas

[acestu]

Hi Mantas,

I fully agree with you, Solidworks is so widely used and a Flowcode interface would be very useful indeed but to appeal to all audiences I think Martin is also right saying that a lower price range or open source modelling app should be made compatible, I myself feel sure that sooner or later both options are going to happen, but how it goes is down to MM, if we get polling on the forum then it may be an idea to ask the members what they think......

cheers
Acestu

[Mantas]

Hi Acestu,

I think for the home users, there is always an option to use some free app, and use online 3D file converters, to convert to one of the supported formats by Flowcode. But I think it's just a mater of time for FC to start supporting most of the file formats. They have limiter crew working on a software, and they have to plan the time and set priorities. For MM now the solidworks support is a priority.

Best regards,
Mantas

[acestu]

Hi,

Just an update, I have just tried importing an obj file from Cinema4D64 after setting the options box after dragging on the file, Flowcode crashed and closed...

cheers
Acestu

[benp]

I was able to import the stl from Solidedge with this options:

Solidedge.jpg (24.39 KiB) Viewed 14009 times

The dimensions in mm are still correct