Hi, I am having various levels of failure importing models into Vue 4.2. For some reason most of the models geometry is all over the place. What is the best file format to import models in? Thanks Jon www.jonsmedia.com

Personally, I've been sticking to .obj formats for Vue 4.2. So far that format has provided me with the most consistent import success, outside of .vob format.

Cool, do you happen to know any good freeware model converters, basically I have a cinema 4d model that I made when I had the program and when I had it I only exported it to 3ds and dxf format, both of which give unsatisfying results. Thanks Jon www.jonsmedia.com

If you still have Cinema, .obj export is one of the options available. I use it often for converting later version Lightwave models, mainly because I'm in the process of becoming an ex-Bryce user and Bryce hated certain .lwo files.

Do a Google search on "3D Object Convertor". Free and does a ton of formats. The free "Milkshape" does many as well.

pz3 only if you have Poser of course. What you can do as well is to look for the free Amapi version. Has a lot of import and export options and then you simply can try what fits best for you! I don't think there is an overall "best" format. It depends on so much things that everybody has to find the format that works best for them.

For some reason most of the models geometry is all over the place. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by that, but in the Vue Options panel there's a selection for "resize and center imported objects". I've seen it happen before where if that's unchecked, models with specific polygon groupings might become unraveled. I can't remember specifics, though. Of course, if you're modeling things and exporting parts, you want that option UNchecked, or every object will become centered and sized according to a Vue average size. Not a good thing for most uses, but if you have a model that you're planning to move around in Vue, then it's OK. Then you also said you have had unsatisfying results with 3ds and dxf models, but not specifically waht those results are. Do the models look "polygonal"? They might need to be smoothed in Vue's Object Properties, if that's the case. Texture problems? MIght not have UV coordinates. DXF, for example, does not have UV coordinates, and is useless for anything other than procedural materials. Or maybe you're seeing "non-planar" polygons causing rendering errors. That can be fixed by turning polygons with more than 3 vertices into triangles, which by their very structure can't be non-planar. Personally, I use .OBJ because it supports UV, and the .3ds format has a vertex limit of 65,000, Although I use .3ds for "smaller" models because it's a smaller file size than .obj. Aside from what I've mentioned as being possible problems, you shouldn't be having problems importing models into Vue unless there's something "wrong" with the model itself. (I've almost always been able to fix a poorly-made model), and Vue is actually one of the least problematic programs I've ever used when it comes to importing, except for newer .lwo files and .lwo files with lots of layers.

Hi Mike , Thanks for the comprehensive reply, here is the model when imported in dxf format :- http://www.jonsmedia.com/stuff/image1.png And here is the 3ds model :- http://www.jonsmedia.com/stuff/image2.png And here is a bevelled cube imported and with a brushed gold material applied, god knows how to get rid of the green. Oh by the way, here is the original piston model :- http://www.jonsmedia.com/stuff/image3.jpg Thanks Jon www.jonsmedia.com

Regarding the first one, i.e., http://www.jonsmedia.com/stuff/image1.png: Looks like a combination of flipped polygons, and definitely non-planar. Also, the piston looks like Vue is trying to create polygons where non exist, like the model has "stray" vertex points not attached to any polygons, but Vue is trying its best to attach them to something. This can happen sometimes. I use LightWave for modeling, and sometimes when creating meshes you want to delete polygons but retain points for rearranging, and it's easy to forget there are unattached points floating around. I honestly don't know what to tell you, but I think it's pretty safe to say you won't be able to use this model in Vue, without fixing it, somehow, in some modeling program. Undoubtedly, it's optimized for whatever program it was made in, but Vue can't deal with it as-is. For one thing, it looks like it has way too many polygons than it needs. Simplification would be a good thing, if for no reason than to speed up render time, and the polygons should all be unified, i.e., facing the same direction. Sorry to be so little actual (as opposed to theoretical) help. ;) As for the cube, I believe the green is just the selected highlight color, which you can change in Vue's material editor, easily enough.

DXF - the most ancient format you could choose. Originally limited to 32000 polygons. Over the years some modifications of the format appeared. Sort of dialects. No wonder that it is a little difficult to find to what version who relates. The seconf image i don't understand really. What was it? Looks odd to me. You should test a couple of other models with the same format - from different sources. Only then you can say wether it works fine or not. Wether a problem is a Vue one or one that came from the exporting application. That does exist too!

HI, Many thanks for your comments, the second image I actually said above what it was, it's a simple bevelled cube, nothing to drastic with a brushed gold material. I will try other formats. Thanks Jon www.jonsmedia.com