Offline Builder: Now in Beta

Great - thanks very much.

What is a "bo"

In any case it seem that there is no SL location with the coordinates"http://slurl.com/secondlife/Albata/21/37/45"
I tried several times to go there and nothing happens

bo=box
bo with notecard and script.. can only be a box

this is a hard problem in general: figuring out how something
works from forum threads. In this case, you run into
this great script, try to get it to work in blender and SL, and
it doesn't work right away.

everyone has to dig through 22 pages of forum posts and try
and figure it out.

what is needed is a HOWTO section that summarizes the latest
and greatest information, then a sticky post at the top of this
thread that points there..

IMHO.

I got it to work now, many thanks to the authors, great work!

(my setup:
blender 2.45, python 2.5.1, Prim_Builder 0.4.1, the "magic box"
from Brithys 111,234,54)

New Objectivity Virtual Architecture
Blender Prim Modeler and Import For Second Life Tutorial

http://www.newobjectivity.com/virarch/primblender.jsp

What you will need to download for this tutorial:

* Blender - Blender is a 3D animation program released as free software. It can be used for modeling, UV unwrapping, texturing, rigging, skinning, animating, rendering, particle and other simulations, non-linear editing, compositing, and creating interactive 3D applications. wikipedia
* Python 2.5.2 (or greater)- Blender relies on Python scripting to do all the cool custom stuff it does, this includes the ability to create the prim files that will later be imported into Second Life.
* Prim.Blender - Prim.Blender is a python plugin for Blender that allows you to model primitives for second life and export them as XML files, that can then be imported using LSL (second life scripting).
* New Objectivity LSL Scripts - These are slightly modified versions of the original prim importer scripts by Thraxis Epsilon and Jeffrey Gomez. I have modified them slightly to be more verbose and clearly named for this tutorial all are licensed under Gnu Public License v.2.0. Save these to a text file for use later in the tutorial.
o prim_importer
o origin_listener

Step 1- Install Blender

Blender is an open and free 3d modeler that is cross platform, that in itself is a great reason to use it, but it also has the ability to be extended using Python, and that's what makes all this possible. So install it, its way better than trying to do this stuff in Linden.

Step 2- Install Python 2.5.2 (or greater)

Actually I am more of a Java programmer, but I am very interested in Python just for using with Blender, basically there are a lot of plugins written for Blender using Python so it makes it essential for what we are going to do because the Second Life Prim modeler and exporter are written in Python.

Step 3- Install Prim.Blender

Prim.Blender is a set of python scripts, that act as a Blender Plugin, written by Jeffrey Gomez. You will need to find your install directory for Blender, if your in winDOZ it will probably be C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender on linux I would make a BLENDER_HOME IMHO.

When you install Prim.Blender you will extract the files into the plugins directory, this should make a file hirechy as follows: BLENDER_HOME->plugins->Prim_Builder

Step 4- Check Your Install

From the previous step you should see a file in the BLENDER_HOME->plugins->Prim_Builder directory called Prim.Blender.blend, I have only gotten the plugin to work by loading this file directly. When you do yo will see the python script on the left hand side:

Yee HAW! You are rocking now!

Step 5- Make a simple prim test object

I would normally say, GO CRAZY, build your dream house, but we want to make sure everything works so we don't get frustrated and worried that we are going to waste of creativity. So lets build a simple object made of some prims and test that everything is working, how about a table with a few prims on it to start with:

So after that you export it from Blender using the "Save" button which is part of the user interface of the running plugin.
Step 6- Create Import Objects In Second Life

Login to SL, you will need build privileges to import into SL. Once ready to build in SL

1. CREATE Mode in SL
2. Create the script prim_importer in SL. Copy the contents of this script into the script contents for the object.
3. Create the script origin listener in SL. Copy the contents of this script into the object.
4. Create a cube primitive in SL name it prim_importer. Goto the Content pane, drag and drop the same script to the selected object.
5. Create a cube primitive in SL name it origin_listener. Place this cube so it intersects with the plane, this is because the origin of the import will be at the center point for this object. Goto the Content pane, drag and drop the same script to the selected object.
6. Select the orgin_listener object and right click, the object context menu will appear. Choose "Take".
7. The object will appear in your inventory.
8. Select the prim_importer object and go to the Content pane.
9. Add the object you just took (origin_listener), to the Contents of prim_importer object. you will find it in your Inventory under Objects.

You are now ready to import prims in SL from you prim file!
Step 8- Import Prim Files

Login to SL, you will need build privileges to import into SL. Once ready to build in SL

1. Goto you notecards in Inventory in SL.
2. Create the notecard sl_prim_01.
3. Copy the contents of the text based prim file you saved earlier in Step 5 into the notecard.
4. Select the prim_importer object and goto the Content pane.
5. Add the notecard sl_prim_01 to the Contents of the object prim_importer.
6. Right click on the context menu for the object prim_importer.
7. Choose Touch.

So you will see allot of chatter, I put all those data server echo outs so its obvious that the script is running. It will take a LONG TIME (this took me about 30 seconds to load but looked cool while it did it) , but when it comes in it will be just what you made in Blender.

Conclusions

This really is just the start, here are some areas of further research. Creating a COLLADA to prim formats, this would allow for native editing in Blender without using this plugin. This may require working with object key words but it could be an effective way to be more native in Blender.

It's alive.... it's ALIVE!

I've updated the first post with information on the new 0.5.0 release, which adds sculpty support ported from Domino Marama's scripts.

You can get it here:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/primdotblender/


This is a beta release.

I've also fixed several bugs, including the addition of crash recovery, working undo support for the interface (thank the Blender devs for that one), plus baking, loading, and saving sculpties to .prims format.

.prims has been upversioned to version 3. Importer based on Thraxis' original is forthcoming.


Do I get a cookie? Or am I a little late to the party?

Give the man a cookie!

What great timing!

For those of you that are working with 3ds Max, I released Prim Composer for 3ds Max on Friday. It's a similar product based on SLPrims and SculptGenMax. And since SLPrims is a port of Jeffrey's original Offline Builder, Jeffrey gets *another* cookie!

Thanks Jeffrey for your pioneering spirit and dedication to the cause! Having put one of these things together myself, I *really* appreciate how much effort has gone into it. Big thanks from all of us 3dsMax guys!

http://liferain.com/downloads/primcomposer/

Undo support.. way to go. I dunno how many times I've just chucked it in and gone and done something else after automatically hitting CTL-Z.

And crash recovery, what a boomer. Sculpty support too. I gotta think of something worthwhile to make. Will go have a try now.

More than a cookie. You can have cake, or pie. It's your choice. Thanks JG.

Haven't been able to do much yet but the main issue I had was adding new objects.
Clicking the icons seemed inconsistent, sometimes working and sometimes not.
Sometimes another object type would appear.

Just tried again to make sure.
Details:

=  Blender 2.46 System Information  =

=====================================





Platform: linux2

========



Python:

======



- Version: 2.5.2 (r252:60911, Apr 21 2008, 11:38:26) 

[GCC 4.2.3 (Ubuntu 4.2.3-2ubuntu7)]

Much appreciated.

The problem you're experiencing is one that I have as well, and am still looking at good ways to fix. It's not a bug per se -- more of an issue related to Blender and the way it handles event timers.



I'll add this to my To Do list for the next revision. I want to add a couple things to the UI (face count for sculpties; some multires changes) and put some docs up on my blog in the next couple days or so.



Of course, that requires getting my blog working again after my host botched an upgrade to OpenVZ. *grumble*

(Hopefully *that* part will be fixed today when I reimage the server)

I just put out a new version that cleans up *a lot* of bugs related to the Windows build, as well as adding multires and face numbers to the interface.

Full changes include:
- Added new params: Faces and multires (previously hardcoded)
- Added new GUI components for faces and multires values
- Added "Reset Mesh" to sculpt type options
- Fixed default Prim.Blender.blend file for a GUI bug with new objects
- Performed additional regression tests
- Added Windows XP to tested OSes
- Fixed a bug related to not having a full Python installation present
(we now warn the user and catch exceptions as necessary)
- Fixed a directory bug on Windows
- Reformated this text file back to DOS mode to be readable by Notepad.exe
- Updated .prims save output to DOS mode to be readable by Notepad.exe
- Fixed a bug where changing the mirror mode would nuke sculpty meshes without warning
- Changed default LOD back to 3



In addition, I'm in the process of compiling a tutorial from installation to project completion. I just took 55 (!) images that'll be finding their way into a complete tutorial on my blog.

More to come...

I've made a new release!


0.6.0 adds a new library of default sculpties (thanks to camilla Yosuke and other contributors), as well as a lot of bugfixes.


This is the most robust version to date, hence the update in numbering.

It can be downloaded in the usual location:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/primdotblender

The radius delta setting doesn't appear to support the full range that the client does.

Prim Type = Tube

Path Cut = 0.05, 0.8

Hollow = 0.0

Skew = 0.0

Hollow Shape = Default

Twist = 0, 0

Hole Size = 1.0, 0.5

Shear = 0.0, 0.0

Profile Cut = 0.0, 1.0

Taper = 0.0, 1.0

Radius = 1.0

Revolutions = 1.0

Is one example of a SL prim I can't replicate in prim.blender

This is an unsurprising result, as there are several limitations programmed in that emulate the client behavior of SL 1.7.


Using your example, Prim.Blender's format supports the shape you mention, but I clamp the radius slider at -0.947 - 0.947, as per 1.7 specification. This has not changed since.


In fact, I just went in world and tested this exact shape in my client viewer. The limits are clamped at even worse values than that now: -0.667 through 0.667 at default, and -0.947 through 1.0 with the given taper.

So, if you would like me to support these native values and feel I missed something, please supply me with testing data.

/me shrugs.. I thought I did..

The prim is part of a build I've been planning on bringing into Blender for texturing for awhile. I got sidetracked with sculpties and just came back to it

I didn't do any exhaustive testing or anything, just tried to recreate the build in prim.blender and hit this problem.

You did.

You also seemed to indicate other issues, which I would be interested in.

Thus: if you run into anything *else*, forward it to me and I'll fix it.

I've pushed this change out with a new release, that fixes some newer image culling issues.

Hey is there a way currently (I may have missed it), or possibly a future way, to access UVmaps for prims? If not, it would be great to have texture offset and repeat options in the UV editor so we could zone several textures to one image. Then we would just have to preview a render, bake, upload, and click- whoosh, instant build.

Even without offsets, just some way to automatically apply textures in Blender and have it build inworld would be great.

It's in the cards, under a few other projects I need to take care of first.


I'd love to hear suggestions like this one -- currently, I'm at a bit of a loss of how to cleanly pull this off with regular prims.

Sculpties are easy (and will probably end up on the chopping block first, with baking if I can get it), but regular prims are a bit more of a puzzler due to several quirks in how faces render in Second Life.


Most likely, I'll end up with baking a custom texture per prim from what's already present.

Clear as mud?

Hey Jeff, glad to see you are still working so hard at this its been 2 years since i got your builder. Still my hero!

Niice!!! Got it working on SL now trying to port it to open life


Got the scripts to compile, mostly was straight cut and paste thought the notecard parser script gave me a bit of as headache because the words "channel" and "params" are reserved and you had variables with that name.

Still didn't get it to rezz anything but I think the region I was building has some security issues so it might be just that. Hopefully I'll get past this soon, being able to import prim.blender made prims into OL

http://www.openlifegrid.com/

First of all, an enormous TY to the author(s) of these great tool(s) and scripts.

Blender version : 2.48
Python version: 2.6
Prim.blender version: 0.6.5
SL version: 1.21.6

I am currently doing some tests with the Sculpties side of things, it would appear that the saved TGA is not recognised by the SL importer which gives me the following error message:

"Unable to read image, try saving image as 24 bit targa (.tga)"

I tried to open the freshly created tga in Photoshop too but to no avail, getting the following message:

Could not open "C:\mytests\num_14454541.tga because" the file-format module cannot parse the file.

Well after further investigation and looking into the binaries, it would appear that the sculpties map exported by prim.blender is not a TGA but a PNG.

Being still quite new to SL - I do not know if PNG is a recognised SL importer file format (never tried).

If it is though, a quick fix (waiting for a new release) is as follows:
Just replace the .tga extension of the sculpties picture by .png and make sure that in the .prims file, the line <sculptimage val="Num_xxxxxxxx.tga" /> is modified to reflect the file extension change <sculptimage val="Num_xxxxxxxx.png" />

Another possible workaround (easiest and likely to work) is to open the sculpties map file in the Gimp (yes Gimp is intelligent enough to base itself on the internal format instead of the extension) and save it as TGA.

Didn't have the time to test all this though... no grief if it doesn't work lol).

Hope this helps.

Once again thanks and big respect to you guys for sharing these great tools with us and for free.

Looking forward for next version
Best!!

Thanks for the report.


The export side of image processing for Blender still has some API gremlins.

Particularly, current iterations of the Blender API assume an export of a default file format (TGA 24-bit or PNG), without the ability to specify this behavior manually, and only kludges to test what the final file type will be.

This is especially irritating, because there's no simple way to test this behavior internally. I've documented this previously, with similar workarounds to what you've described above.



See this API link for where I'm "stuck" on a reliable fix:
http://www.blender.org/documentation/248PythonDoc/Image.Image-class.html

I could test the bit depth prior to saving, but I feel this is insufficient should the saving assumptions change (as they're not consistently documented).



This particular issue has been on my "To Do If Implemented" list for quite some time now.


PS: It's just me working on this particular tool, and in more of a "maintenance mode" capacity. My real "big project" will be revealed sometime in a year or three...

Jeffery, I wanted to bump this wish this was stickied.
I am not sure if I will be able to figure it out, been trying for over 10 years to figure out Blender.
I am curious if I can figure it out will you ever make something available for Stand alone sims?

Morning! Glad I still have email alerts set up on this thread.

Theoretically, the importer code should work standalone as more LSL functions are implemented in OpenSim.


Big picture, I'm still watching the codebase for Prim.Blender, though I don't have any further major developments planned at this time.

I've considered playing around with Qarl's newer sculpties code and texture wrapping, but beyond that, I'm refocusing my time on larger issues than this little project. No promises.



Though as an aside, I intend to take the work I've done here with Blender and extend it into something... well, we'll just say a bit more robust.

I don't want to let anything slip yet, but if I have my way with the code, good things are on the way.