TOB feature requests/offers discussion

[remwrath]

This is probably more specifically directed at JCPalmer.

 

I have a few features I would like to see in the blender exporter TOB, most of which I am willing to try add myself, although I thought it might be a good idea to have a discussion first to see if some of the ideas are possible, worth doing and in line with what TOB might aiming for.

• export should also create html's so output  can be run straight away.(for beginners and quick testing)
• might also be handy to run and handle a python httpd server
• make more use of blender data(might make more sense to use 'blender game' render engine as the settings will be more appropriate) rather than creating own ui from which to collect data ie shadow casting, shadow receiving, collision check etc.
• live streaming from blender so you can see updates in the browser in realtime.
• this one is a bit more open ended by my intention is to allow for full development of the webgl app inside of blender including logic coding(straight javascript or maybe even some sort of logic node system visual and non visual)

Would be handy to know your thoughts and plans.

[JCPalmer]

remwrath,

Thanks for the typo fixes.  The html's are a good idea.  There are a lot of possible combinations, but if they are beginner oriented, the whole scene for both inline or JSON should probably be produced.  This project is all about computer generating code / templates.  The other recommendations I am not familiar enough to comment on.

 

As you know, I am in the process of getting a fix version (0.99.1) uploaded with multiple fixes (self inflicted problems stopping me).  Will consider doing the html outputs as part of 1.0.  After that, the more developers the merrier.  

 

I think I have everything done for 1.0 except for:

-  Should I have an import statement in the .ts output?  The .ts errors when it is generated inside a fork of BabylonJS.  On the good side, commented out, perfect .js is generated from it  (in version 0.99.1, still not in main repository).

 

- Thinking about changing the specification of position / scaling / rotation from .x, .y, .z = 123, to a new Vector3.  Something weird happened once only to .js.  Trying to remember what it was.

 

Things in my life have interrupted my work this month.  Will hopefully be active again next week.

 

Jeff

[JCPalmer]

I have now put 2 different type of .html files that can be created loading either the .babylon or .js.  Outputs .babylon, .js, .ts, xxx_JSON.html, & xxx_inline.html are now optional, generated by default.  The .log is always generated.

 

I needed to turn off backface culling for a material, so I had to find out what you were talking about with regard to the 'blender game' render engine. I see the shadow UI stuff.  Not exactly the same as the custom properties.  Shadows are difficult to get to work in Babylon.  Think they are being worked on.  Better to options open to change with custom UI.

 

Not putting in a pull request until my octree request is answered,  I figure out a little more about hot keys,  see what 'selected layer option' added to the original .py is about (thought it was already implemented with isVisible), check out 1 anomaly with rotation for the .js & .ts.

[JCPalmer]

Ah, I see what the 'Export only current layer' is about.  If lights or cameras are not in a currently selected layer they are invisible, and the is_visible() check culls them from the export (Wow, I love TOB's log file).  Meshes are not set invisible when not in a currently selected layer, so they cannot use the is_visible() check.  Am going to implement slightly differently from original.py.  Will just put in a comment for cameras & lights:

if object.is_visible(scene): # no isInSelectedLayer() required, is_visible() handles this for them

Also, remember what my rotation issue was.  Child not rotating with parent, because parent assignment line was removed, fixed a long time ago.

 

That just leaves the octrees request, and finding why the 2 babylon exports do not have a right click menu item to assign a hot-key.  Cannot find any explicit code in other exporters to enable this.  Did find code which explicitly sets something to a hot-key.  Will give that a try.