Porting AC3D import/export to 2.5

flying toaster · Post by **flying toaster** » Sun May 01, 2011 10:11 am

Hello,

I have been using Blender quite intensively for Flight Gear model developpment (for more than 5 years now) and I have run into trouble while migrating to v2.57.
Flight gear uses ac3D files as its native file format and the import/export script has not been ported to 2.5.

I'd like to know if it is in anybody todo's list to do so or if the internals have been so messed up that it would be impractical for me to try to port ?

All this knowing that python is definitely not my language of choice, but after all, open source lives on contributions so I may give it a try

If all of this fails, is there an exporter to at least port my messed up files back to 2.49 format so that I can continue useful work until 2.5 gets somewhat more usable for my purpose ? I must admit it was an unpleasant surprise to discover there is no backward compatibility for the file format.

As a side note, the knife tool is definitely a regression compared to 2.49 for my modelling activity. Most cuts are polylines rather than free form, and a lot need axis constraints (machines are simple geometries after all). I've seen fixing the knife tool in the todo list so really that is not my point. Please just tell me that the fix is coming soon !

Regards

flying toaster · Post by **flying toaster** » Wed May 04, 2011 8:03 pm

I managed to recover the file by saving it through the 32-bits linux version...

Hummm sounds like people around are getting less and less involved with 32-bits windoze (just joking).

Anyway I'll be waitng for the Ac3D exporter until switching again to newer versions

Mossie · Post by **Mossie** » Wed Jul 27, 2011 11:52 pm

I too would like to see AC3D import/export being available in 2.5. As I'm undertaking a major project to move AC3D models to Blender and out as Collada files.

Can anyone advise a timeline for porting over the code?

farad · Post by **farad** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 10:49 am

I would also like to see this issue fixed, as some programs just rely on ac-files.
As long as importing and exporting AC3D files is not possible I will have to stick to Blender 2.4.

majic79 · Post by **majic79** » Sat Sep 10, 2011 1:50 am

I've been fustrated by the documentation supporting a mix of 2.5 and 2.4, I've got a Debian install that only distributes 2.4, although I've downloaded 2.5 and I'm running that and have worked through some of the blender noob to pro wikibook.

I want to use blender to develop flightgear stuff, so I have a need to work with .ac files. I'm a software engineer, so I thought I'd have a look at python (first dabble in it) and I've got an addon folder that looks a lot like the supported addons, I've got to a point where all I need to do now is get vertex, face and edge info from the parsed .ac file into the blender data blocks.

I reckon with a free run at it tomorrow, I'll have converted the main ac3d import module. I'll start work on the export functions after the import's working. Don't PM me asking for a copy, but do post here, if I can upload a zip file with the addon folder to this thread, I will when it's done.

Mossie · Post by **Mossie** » Sat Sep 10, 2011 9:03 am

I welcome your efforts to tackle the importer.

I would love a copy when your ready.

I'm also working on Flight Gear.

majic79 · Post by **majic79** » Sat Sep 10, 2011 4:09 pm

Well, I got the importer working mostly - it's not picking up textures, but that seems a trivial matter tbh. I'll fix that in a little while, now that it's bringing complex textures in (I brought a flightgear aircraft model in, with multiple groups, parenting etc, no problems) it'll need thorough debugging - something I hope will get done with a bit of useage!

I'll try and submit this as an alpha version today so at least people can get a hold of it, I'll update this thread and maybe start another once it's available

majic79 · Post by **majic79** » Sat Sep 10, 2011 5:39 pm

Patch submitted - if anyone wants to try it out, you should be able to download the attachements from the patch tracker page?

http://projects.blender.org/tracker/ind ... 9&atid=127

majic79 · Post by **majic79** » Sun Sep 11, 2011 2:29 am

majic79 wrote:Patch submitted - if anyone wants to try it out, you should be able to download the attachements from the patch tracker page?

http://projects.blender.org/tracker/ind ... 9&atid=127

Because I can't modify the attachments now, I've moved the project to github.com

https://github.com/majic79/Blender-AC3D