[Nel] File formats+other stuff

Mon, 8 Jan 2001 11:33:31 +0100

Hi, and welcome on the NeL list.
+
+> I've gathered that there is support for .3ds for objects
+> and .bmp for textures.  Is this correct?
+
+> In what format is the landscape data tiles?
+
+> What glues .3ds object files to the landscape
+> data?
+
+NeL library supports only .tga file format and .dds (direct draw surface)
+for texture compression (DXTC1, 3 and 5).
+
+The NeL's way to load 3d data is the following:
+NeL only reads NeL binary files (like .shape, .bank or .zone). No support
+for .3ds files will be provided by Nevrax.
+The reason is .3ds is an old file format, and many new features simply don't
+exist in it. (vertex weigting, multiple UV by
+vertex, patches, vertex color ).
+It's easy to build and save NeL data. You only have to write a data
+converter or an export plugin for your
+3d editor linked with NeL. A paper about 'how to deal with NeL data' will
+come soon in the NeL documentation.
+
+At Nevrax, we use a set of crude plugins for 3dsmax builded with NeL, but we
+can't distribute them for the moment.
+
+> Is there any animation support?
+
+Support for animation is planed for sure. Those features will be implemented
+in NeL:
+
+ * Hierarchical animations.
+ * Skinning (with T&L support).
+ * Morphing (blend shape).
+ * IK solver (position constraints only).
+ * Animation layers (merge of weighted animations with IK constraints).
+
+> Do you have an example of a config file for the
+> client?
+
+I let my co-workers respond to this question.
+
+Thanks for your interest in the NeL project.
+---
+Cyril Corvazier
+Lead 3d programmer
+Nevrax France
+
+
+