Blender 2.5 is looking very attractive + Some good news for MoI/Rhino users


NURBS Integration + - Rhino/openNURBS import/export
http://sites.google.com/a/ckbrd.de/blender---nurbs/
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=133844&page=22
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c42dQY5GIj4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF9kTn-Q7nI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZzicDANY0A

SDS to NURBS...T-Splines (Sort off) http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~tc270/subdnurbs.html

New UI http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=143717&page=80

V-Ray/Blender http://blender.bevice.net.ru/gallery.html

They re-wrote the entire animation system. this is just an example of how it opens up more possibilities.

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I scoffed at Blender, it didn't really deserve a second look but now it seems to be posturing for some serious recognition.

It certainly is looking great. There is no need to wait until 2.5 is coming out to learn Blender though. I hope to have an MOI to Blender video tutorial out this weekend. It will also cover rendering with Lux render as well.

Yes, Blender version 2.5 is shaping up to be a great step forward, but it is very good currently. In the hands of those more skilled than I some amazing things can happen.

While I love blender though I still like to work in MoI and bring my meshes into Blender, so I'm looking forward to your tutorial Phil.

We use Moi3D for our daily business work.

Export Moi3D files as *.obj and import with Blender -> Works very well !
... many Blender import options available.

Also the usage of Luxrender in relation with Blender has a lot of important features:
Network rendering is our favorite:
[...]
LuxRender features support for cooperative cross-platform network rendering.
Whether it is on a local network or over the internet, multiple computers can render together,
both on animations and on single images. There is no limit on the number of computers that can work together.
[...]

I've finished my tutorial for MOI3D to Blender and Luxrender.

It is being processed by Vimeo currently and I'll post a link later when it's finished.

Hi Phil...

A short rendering tutorial with Luxrender will be very helpful :)

Here it is:

http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=2652.1

this is cool! much appreciated Phil. I am certainly going to give Blender a try.
I see what you mean about GUI...(it seems to be fully customizable) Never the less I think Ill wait for 2.5 since it's getting an overhaul.

I wouldn't wait. 2.5 won't be released until the fall. The workflow will still be very similar and you can still learn a ton by working with 2.48 or 2.49. Then when 2.5 comes out, you'll be familiar with the Blender way.

I see, and thanks for you prompt reply.

also if you don't mind I would like to ask few more questions.

.Does blender handle ngons?
.Any tips/links about UV, painting. MoI geometry in blender.

Thanks in advance.

about the SDS to NURBS...T-Splines (Sort off)
how to reload a "Nurbs result" SDS (format PLY) in 3DM ?

"".Does blender handle ngons?""

No, it can open the file though, converting the polygons but results are not as good.

For best results, use the "Quads and triangles" option in Moi export dialog.

Marc

n-Gons should be handled in Blender 2.5 though with the inclusion of the B-Mesh feature.

thanks Phil.
I just show this interview http://www.blendernation.com/2008/02/18/the-future-of-blender/

400.000 lines of code to be revered and converted (impressive)

< about the SDS to NURBS...T-Splines (Sort off)
< how to reload a "Nurbs result" SDS (format PLY) in 3DM ?

Found Blender who can reload PLY format but after how reload something in moi?
In fact the Subdnurbs result in PLY format must have something different than the PLY Blender format because I can't reload the result PLY :(
(no problem for load the examples PLY format existing inside SUbdnurbs)

Hi Pilou,

> Found Blender who can reload PLY format but after
> how reload something in moi?

I think that PLY format is a polygon-based format?

I mean that it contains data as a list of vertices with flat facets connecting between the vertices?

Remember - MoI works on NURBS data and not polygon data, so it is not particularly easy to bring that kind of data into MoI. MoI's type of data is completely different, using splines.

One possible way for you to get some part of it converted, is to save it as an .obj file, and then use the Obj23dmWireframe converter program to convert the polygon edges into line curves in a 3DM file which can ten be opened with MoI.

- Michael

Hi Pilou - also just to clarify, it is not unusual for Sub-d tools to only deal with polygon mesh data.

That is, they often will take in a polygon mesh structure as the "hull" of the sub-d surface, and then it is not unusual for the output after subdivision to also be polygons as well.

That is probably the case with the tool that you are mentioning, even if it has an internal mechanism where it works as NURBS.

To get a NURBS export, it needs to export surfaces to a NURBS file format like IGES or 3DM.

- Michael

Thx for all the precisions :)

I think Blander will have 3dm or iges export after full nurbana integration but this is my theory....