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[REQ] Global Scale

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 1:22 pm
by CTZn
Hello, this is a request/proposition for introducing a global scale factor in the <renderer_settings>.

The reason is that depending of the 3d app/exporter used, units are not necessary meters. In my case, using Maya 8, I noticed that wether the scene was initially (in Maya) in cm or meters didn't change anything after exporting, in both case a single vertex would have the same coordinates in space. But if my scene was in meters in maya the camera settings would be screwed up after export. I think the exporter is not in cause but Maya 8 (wich is a different version the devs are using).

So the feature may look like that (or anything appropriate, this is a free proposition):

Code: Select all

<renderer_settings>
        ...
        ...
        <global_scale>0.01</global_scale>
</renderer_settings>
Wich means that 1 unit of the imported scene equals 0.01 meters, that is: 1 centimeter. Indigo would then have to adapt both geometries scale and camera settings.

Thank you !

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:35 pm
by OnoSendai
I think this would probably be better to put in the relevant exporter, as the scale factor will depend a lot on the modeling program.

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 1:44 am
by Zom-B
OnoSendai wrote:I think this would probably be better to put in the relevant exporter, as the scale factor will depend a lot on the modeling program.
The C4D Exporter by BlackLizard, just has a "Global Scale Factor" that just assign a "scale" Tag to each exported Model, and multiplies the relevant Camera settings in the exported XML... very handy since SSS is usable!

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 1:56 am
by suvakas
I think too, that scale should be something for exporter to manage. When you use meters, then you increase the scale and when millimeters, then decrese the scale. Simple enough i think.

[edit] oh ok, you mean adding a new tag for global scale. Well.. at the moment i'm defining scale for every model separately. That's about the same thing.

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:19 am
by CTZn
When you use meters, then you increase the scale and when millimeters, then decrese the scale. Simple enough i think.
That doesn't work with Maya to Indigo exporter, I said. That's why I find that would be handy to have that setting within Indigo, so in case the exporter has a limitation everyone could use this workaround. Till now I never used external meshes, and the exporter doesn't look for the scene scale, considers cm to be the default, even if my scene is told to be meters, and if meters the camera is just screwed up (the exporter does not adapt to scene scale, glad C4D has this)... I will use obj asap since UVs are screwed up as well out of maya 8, never could use a texture of any kind :(

The only workaround I found is to group the whole scene and scale it down 100 times, but then I'm not sure which are the relevant parameters in the camera to be tweaked, and not sure if that's linear too ? I assume that parameters wich units are meters are the ones, is that right then to just divide these by 100 in the xml ? Or are there some more maths to get correct values ?

- aperture_radius
- focus_distance
- sensor_width
- lens_sensor_dist

Is that all ? Thanks for helping !

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:57 am
by VictorJapi
meters is the default one?

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:26 am
by CTZn
I don't understand your question Victor, sorry. In Maya default is cm, most metrics units in Indigo are meters, unless specified in docs. Yes in Indigo 1 unit = 1 meter.
CTZn wrote:In my case, using Maya 8, I noticed that wether the scene was initially (in Maya) in cm or meters didn't change anything after exporting, in both case a single vertex would have the same coordinates in space.
I just noticed the camera was hardcoded in the exporter, hardcoded for centimeters :? The exporter doesn't test scene scale. Anyway, besides what regards exporter devs, I found that feature would be both simple and usefull, because half the dev team is away now... I'm not much productive with Indigo cause since the beginning I'm struggling with the very same issues (scale, camera and textures).

Sorry I'm complaining, I'm just frustrated, but frustration applies for MTI devs also I guess :| Sorry for that. I will try to get in touch with Arne see if I can be usefull, If he is alone I understand he lacks motivation.

My bad, then.

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:42 am
by suvakas
CTZn wrote:I assume that parameters wich units are meters are the ones, is that right then to just divide these by 100 in the xml ? Or are there some more maths to get correct values ?
yes, that should be right. 1 unit in Indigo = 1 meter. When you use cm's then for you one Indigo unit should be 1/100 = 0.01

suvakas

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:46 am
by CTZn
yes, that should be right.
Okay, that may help, thank you !
1 unit in Indigo = 1 meter. When you use cm's then for you one Indigo unit should be 1/100 = 0.01
Thus the request :)