Torque 3D Development - Collada Import GUI Dialog
by Deborah M. Fike · 09/05/2009 (1:22 am) · 18 comments
It's been a few weeks since we posted a Torque 3D development blog. The developers have been really jamming over here to get to release candidate state, which is why we've seemed quiet for August. But you know what they say, "No news is good news." The good news is that we are getting really close to pushing Torque 3D out to the entire world and showing everyone just how easy it is to get into cutting-edge 3D game development.
However, that doesn't mean we can't give you a really quick sneak peak at something new we've been working on. You may remember Chris Robertson as the keeper of our Collada exporter. As you can see from his account profile, he's been actively squashing art pipeline bugs for almost all of 2009. But what you haven't seen are some of the new features he's added to improve our Collada pipeline even further.
Check out the new Collada Import GUI Dialog. With this feature, you have much more control with how Collada assets load into Torque. Omit nodes and even change the scales of assets as you bring them in from 3DS Max, Maya, or any of your favorite art programs that support Collada. As always, pictures are worth a thousand words:
Want to see what you kind of worlds you can create with Torque 3D? You have to look no further than community member Travis Vroman:
Vanguard Harbour
Sweltering Sanctum
Have a good weekend guys, and happy game development!
Download Torque 3D Beta 5 from your Account
Torque 3D development blogs:
- Post #1 - Kickoff
- Post #2 - Apparatus and Warrior Camp
- Post #3 - Luma's racing kit
- Post #4 - Josh Engebretson and Web Publishing
- Post #5 - Pricing and Licensing
- Post #6 - Pricing and Licensing CONTINUED
- Post #7 - Wetness & Precipitation
- Post #8 - Screeen Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO)
- Post #9 - Matt Langley and the Torque Launcher
- Post #10 - Chris Robertson and Collada
- Post #11 - Depth of Field
- Post #12 - Advanced Lighting
- Post #13 - Soft Particles
- Post #14 - World Editor
- Post #15 - Pricing and Licensing ANNOUNCED!
- Post #16 - GDC Live Edition
- Post #17 - River & Road Editors
- Post #18 - Beta is UP!
- Post #19 - Light Rays, Undercity, and the Material Editor
- Post #20 - Mass Market Hardware
- Post #21 - Beta: Part Deux
- Post #22 - Marching Towards Beta 3
- Post #23 - pureLIGHT
- Post #24 - Lighting, Terrain, and Cloth
- Post #25 - Beta 3!
- Post #26 - Documentation
- Post #27 - Beta 4!
- Post #28 - Shape Editor
- Post #29 - Beta 5!
- Post #30 - Collada Import GUI Dialog
- Post #31 - Coming Soon!
About the author
I strengthen the Torque brand by promoting Torque-made games. Talk to me about your Torque projects - XBLA games, casual portal hits, iPhone Apps, simulations or MMOs - and we'll work together to spread the word.
#2
09/05/2009 (1:29 am)
Good job! I was just thinking today, man it's been a while since there was a blog... 
#3
Speaking about the RC coming, what's the status of the physX component on Mac ?
What's the status of Advanced Lighting on Mac too : is there a solution to enable it on Mac even if only openGL 2.1 and not 3.0 is available on our platform ?
I've been working a bit with T3D these days : it's a real pleasure over TGE/A. Thanks a lot.
Nicolas Buquet
www.buquet-net.com/cv/
09/05/2009 (1:45 am)
Cool feature !Speaking about the RC coming, what's the status of the physX component on Mac ?
What's the status of Advanced Lighting on Mac too : is there a solution to enable it on Mac even if only openGL 2.1 and not 3.0 is available on our platform ?
I've been working a bit with T3D these days : it's a real pleasure over TGE/A. Thanks a lot.
Nicolas Buquet
www.buquet-net.com/cv/
#4
09/05/2009 (1:49 am)
@Nicolas: Lots of bug squashing is going on for the Mac side of Torque 3D. There are still a lot of pieces to pull together, but we'll let you know as soon as we can the state of everything. You should see our bug-tracking log for Torque 3D...it's a constant stream of updates! 
#5
09/05/2009 (2:06 am)
Oh heelllllll yeah! This is going to help so much. Thanks Chris and all involved!
#6
09/05/2009 (2:25 am)
Hope it will be released soon :) when its out we can start on our mmorpg! 
#9
Sincerely hope the same effort is being put into fixing iTorque 2d into a "finished and polished" product that deserves the money we paid for.
That and some optimization documentation would be awesome...
09/05/2009 (4:26 am)
"It's been a few weeks since we posted a Torque 3D development blog. The developers have been really jamming over here to get to release candidate state, which is why we've seemed quiet for August."Sincerely hope the same effort is being put into fixing iTorque 2d into a "finished and polished" product that deserves the money we paid for.
That and some optimization documentation would be awesome...
#10
I do have to say, though, that it's unfair to say Torque 2D for iPhone is not a "finished and polished" product. If that were true, BioWare wouldn't have even looked at us for Mass Effect for the iPhone. We've also had several dozen other developers complete games with the engine. I'm not saying there is not room for improvement, but if people can make games with it, it obviously was worth paying for when we released it.
@Steve and OmegaDog: You read correctly. Mrs. Fike. That happened. :D (If you want to say congrats, but still keep the thread on topic, feel free to drop me and/or Jacob a line at deborahm AT torquepowered DOT com or jacobf AT torquepowered DOT com.)
09/05/2009 (5:49 am)
@Tiago: August has also been a quiet month for Torque 2D for the iPhone for the same reasons that Torque 3D has. It's been a very "polish for release" month around here. The iPhone developers have actually been taking some really great fixes from Torque 2D development work to make that happen. I do have to say, though, that it's unfair to say Torque 2D for iPhone is not a "finished and polished" product. If that were true, BioWare wouldn't have even looked at us for Mass Effect for the iPhone. We've also had several dozen other developers complete games with the engine. I'm not saying there is not room for improvement, but if people can make games with it, it obviously was worth paying for when we released it.
@Steve and OmegaDog: You read correctly. Mrs. Fike. That happened. :D (If you want to say congrats, but still keep the thread on topic, feel free to drop me and/or Jacob a line at deborahm AT torquepowered DOT com or jacobf AT torquepowered DOT com.)
#11
but That is new beta5?
and +scatterSKY can set fog color?
09/05/2009 (5:44 pm)
Wa.....so good...but That is new beta5?
and +scatterSKY can set fog color?
#12
09/05/2009 (9:51 pm)
@Szzg007: It's not in beta 5. It's in development for the next release of Torque 3D. 
#13
to change fog color in scattersky add a "LEVEL INFO" datablock from the Level drop down. you can then use fog and change the color with scattersky by using the "LEVEL INFO" datablock. mine looks like this:
09/05/2009 (10:39 pm)
@Szzg007 "and +scatterSKY can set fog color?"to change fog color in scattersky add a "LEVEL INFO" datablock from the Level drop down. you can then use fog and change the color with scattersky by using the "LEVEL INFO" datablock. mine looks like this:
new LevelInfo(theLevelInfo) {
nearClip = "0.1";
visibleDistance = "5000";
decalBias = "0.0015";
fogColor = "128 128 128 1";
fogDensity = "0.0003";
fogDensityOffset = "0";
fogAtmosphereHeight = "0";
canvasClearColor = "253 253 253 255";
advancedLightmapSupport = "0";
}; 
#14
09/05/2009 (11:31 pm)
I hope to finally see transparent objects with specular/glow in the release version in both Basic and Advanced lighting :)
#15
Thanks....
I know add fog in LEVEL INFO..but..if add scatterSKY in .mis files so fog color conversion to whiter....I think that is bug...
09/06/2009 (5:38 pm)
@stadi thompsonThanks....
I know add fog in LEVEL INFO..but..if add scatterSKY in .mis files so fog color conversion to whiter....I think that is bug...
#16
09/12/2009 (6:23 am)
ROCK ON!
#17
09/12/2009 (10:50 pm)
waht t3d beta4&5 can't use repeated dea and cached.dts files in server?
#18
03/08/2010 (3:20 am)
I think you mean "Sneak Peek" not "Sneak Peak"
Torque 3D Owner Matt Young (MDI)
Another Suggestion: Object Physic Properties For Non Programming Guys Like Me :D Kind like a dialog like this, only with a library of physx properties that you can apply to you shape.
Heres To The Release!