The Auran Jet Resource Creation Projects
These projects expand the number of tools you can use with the Auran Jet gaming
engine. The Jet produce provides tools to export 3D models, textures, animation,
etc. from 3DS Max and Maya. These projects provide additional utilities and plug-in
modules to export 3D resources from additional modeling tools, usually ones that
cost less than the tools required by the standard Jet tools.
Last updated: 12/01/2001
Objectives
Auran Jet uses a small set of propitiatory file formats to import 3D resources
into its environment. These include:
- Indexed Mesh files
Indexed mesh files (*.IM) contain the basic geometry, texture application,
and movement capabilities of every 3D object in the Auran Jet world. Models
may be as simple as a small cube or as complex as an articulated characters
made up of a movable skeleton and one or many separate meshes.
- Progressive Mesh files
Progressive mesh files (*.PM) are an extension of indexed mesh files, and
contain additional information that allows the game to increase the level
of detail for models near the camera so they look as good as possible, or
to reduce the level of detail for models in the distance to they are easy
to draw quickly.
- Animation files
Animation files (*.KIN) contain animation that moved from one key frame to
another, and allow the developer to model movements in the development tools
rather then in the game code.
Structure
This project contains projects for utilities that are common to all resource
creation tools along with separate projects for each individual 3D editor we
are supporting.
Common utilities include:
- File Viewer
This utility can display the contents of all three types of Jet resource file
in a formatted, labeled layout, or as a hexadecimal dump of each byte of a
file's layout.
- File Formatting Framework
This class framework holds the details of the desired Jet resources from the
initial 3D editor, and formats that content into the proper Jet resource file
formats. How you get your 3D resources out of your 3D editor and into this
framework is different for each 3D editor, and is the basis for the remaining
projects on this page.
Editor-specific utilities include:
- Animation Master
(Description goes here)
- Blender
Blender is a quirky 3D editor that is available as a free download from Not
a Number (NaN) in the Netherlands.
- Milkshape
(Description goes here)