Blender Tutorial

[heated]

So I was trying to make a part and stuff, and I realized there was a lot of different stuff you had to do to make your part work.

So I was wondering if someone could take the time to make a video tutorial (or picture tutorial) on how to make a simple part in blender (which actually works) from start to finish?

I tried making a part and it just said 'index array out of bounds exception' when I bug tested it.

[Privateer]

Did you triangulate things when you exported?

That's a common message when you don't.

I also noted that the latest release of Blender has updated code to the Collada section.

I've not tested to see if some of the many issues were corrected with the Collada import/export.

[heated]

What is triangulate?

[Darrknox]

What is triangulate?

All game engines render models on a per triangle basis. Every quad, or polygon is split in-engine to it's smallest possible geometric shape, the triangle. So when exporting, even if you stuck to all quads for your model, it cuts everything to triangles.

[mixinghoney]

That may be possible with Blender , since the 2.57 version now supports the .dae export , im hoping on a post with tutorial on how to make KSP Parts . 8)

[heated]

No cause I de-triangulated the fuel tank and it was fine.

[nivvydaskrl]

Also gonna beg a tutorial. I've made a model, made a mesh and named it node_collider, triangulated, set the scale, added textures/materials, exported as DAE, and also get array index errors.

Hate.

[Warshawski]

Also requesting a Blender tutorial. I\'ve downloaded it and messed with it a bit, but I\'d like some firm direction on how to start.

[Damonjay]

im also requesting a simple tutorial. i have no idea what im doing

[GeorgeTirebiter]

You don\'t need to manually triangulate the mesh, as Blender\'s .dae exporter takes care of that automatically.

What it won\'t do for you is UV-mapping. A mesh without UV coordinates will also cause array index errors.

If you don\'t know how to UV-map in Blender, here\'s a good introductory video tutorial:

http://cgcookie.com/blender/2011/01/21/intro_uvmapping/

[Epsilon]

Okay folks, I\'m gonna write up a comprehensive guide on part making tomorrow. I finally figured out how it all works. Expect it sometime tomorrow afternoon.

I am going to assume though, that the user has some basic knowledge of blender.

BLENDER PART MAKERS... UNITE!

[Ferrdo_Kerman]

im trying to make a blenter part, i have no problem with modeling, but dont know haw to export/import dae ... sure there is a exporter/importer, but when i tryied to import existing part, it would not import - say error while texture loading ... so i start looking for solution, and i find there was absolute path in dae file so i tried to change that ... but no success

i didnt try to export and try in game yet ... but soon

any advice would help

[Damonjay]

Okay folks, I\'m gonna write up a comprehensive guide on part making tomorrow. I finally figured out how it all works. Expect it sometime tomorrow afternoon.

I am going to assume though, that the user has some basic knowledge of blender.

BLENDER PART MAKERS... UNITE!

Thanks man

will this include Constucting a Collision mesh and setting a texture?

[Epsilon]

Thanks man

will this include Constucting a Collision mesh and setting a texture?

Absolutely.

[Ferrdo_Kerman]

does anyone tryed version 2.60 for import ? collada 1.4.1 ?

which version do you use ?

[Epsilon]

does anyone tryed version 2.60 for import ? collada 1.4.1 ?

which version do you use ?

Well for starters you should be using version 2.9, the latest.

I don\'t import any collada files mainly because they never seem to show up in Blender. Most likely because almost all parts are made with different software. Just make and save your stuff in .blend formats.

[feanor]

Okay folks, I\'m gonna write up a comprehensive guide on part making tomorrow. I finally figured out how it all works. Expect it sometime tomorrow afternoon.

I am going to assume though, that the user has some basic knowledge of blender.

BLENDER PART MAKERS... UNITE!

Looking forward to this. I am pretty computer literate, but haven\'t found the time to run through each blender tutorial, and all I want to do so far is creating KSP parts ( Minutekerbal 3 ICBM here I come ! )

[Ferrdo_Kerman]

Well for starters you should be using version 2.9, the latest.

I don\'t import any collada files mainly because they never seem to show up in Blender. Most likely because almost all parts are made with different software. Just make and save your stuff in .blend formats.

well for starter, there is no blender 2.9 release

http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender/

blender 2.6 is using collada 1.4.1 - they said you would need some updates in code so i thing KSP could not load 1.4.1 collada

FTR i thing the point of saving something in selected format is that i could load (import) it in other .. isn\'t it ?

and it does not depend on which software DAE was exported .... but version on format used is important and KSP is using 1.4.0

- all parts are saved in version 1.4.0

that i can see, cose i actually look into 'xml' DAE

therefore i thing we need to use even older blender 2.49, which is using 1.4.0 i/e collada

and it cannot be imported cose it cannot find texture, which is on absolute path .... i don\'t want to post any user info of default parts

[Ferrdo_Kerman]

i was able to import default DAE with http://teraapi.com/collada4blender/index.htm and blander 2.49 with python 2.6.2

[Epsilon]

oOHH.

I was thinking of something else for whatever apparent reason.

Yes, your right, I\'m using 2.59 right now. I\'ll need to upgrade then.

Still, I do NOT think you can import KSP parts in the collada format.

Blender is wierd sometimes.

I apologize for confusing you.

[Ferrdo_Kerman]

np, the thing is that i was actually using newest one 2.60 ... and have problem with importing ... i pasted a link there

i was able to import default DAE with http://teraapi.com/collada4blender/index.htm and blander 2.49 with python 2.6.2

and there is plugin working for 2.49 a want to try it with 2.60

only one problem comes to my mind now - 2.60 uses python 3.x and 2.49 use 2.6.x

it should be possible but need to try

i\'m using blender for some time and also have some skills and done some project in python and in my opinion is very good

i\'ll be finally modeling this weekend

[Technical Ben]

I am unable to import collada files from the game to blender. I can export to the game, and everything works. I can import into Sketchup (with errors, but a model is loaded).

If anyone can give a run down on how to import into blender it would help. I really need the model details and axis for the Strut connector. Well, if anyone has a .blend file of a sturt connector they can send me, it would be great! Then I can edit the mesh. Currently, I can get a mesh into the game, but the strut sticks out in the wrong direction, because I don\'t know which direction to point it (Sketchup resets all axis on import. ).

[GeorgeTirebiter]

Blender\'s collada importer gets hung up on how textures are declared. Fortunately, it\'s easy to fix.

Open the .dae file in a text editor. Look for a texture assignment like this:

<diffuse>
 <texture texture='Map__1-image' texcoord='CHANNEL0'>
  <extra>
   <technique profile='MAYA'>
    <wrapU sid='wrapU0'>TRUE</wrapU>
    <wrapV sid='wrapV0'>TRUE</wrapV>
    <blend_mode>ADD</blend_mode>
   </technique>
  </extra>
 </texture>
</diffuse>

Delete everything inside the <diffuse> tags. Don\'t worry; this won\'t affect the part in KSP.

[Technical Ben]

I use the latest version. But I cannot import the game files. All I managed was the .obj file left in the parachute parts folder. I sued that as a scale reference, or use Sketchup for imports.

Blender works fine for exports, providing you remember...

Change the Z axis (height) to match the game.

Turn all Quads to triangles (should be automatic on export, but just in case).

Add a material and UV map.

Combine meshes into a single object to reduce load on the game. Keeping separate parts in separate meshes still though (like parachute 'canopy' 'cap' and 'base' would be just 3 meshes, not any more).

And to remember to give the parts the correct name if the game needs it (such as 'node_collider').

[Technical Ben]

Ok. I\'ve got a workaround working in Blender. The bug is not the games fault as such, but Blenders insistence on NOT updating the axis properly on export.

Might actually upload a tutorial in picture form if it will help.