gbadev.org forum archive

This is a read-only mirror of the content originally found on forum.gbadev.org (now offline), salvaged from Wayback machine copies. A new forum can be found here.

DS Misc > 3D DS homebrews?

#151664 - 11X_daemon_X11 - Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:07 pm

Ok, I'm not sure if this is in the right place, I'm new here so bear with me. ANYWAY, I'm somewhat of a 3D modeller, of coarse not the best, but still. I was wondering what I would do to make 3D models for DS homebrews. I've always wanted to do this kind of stuff and things, but never knew what to look for or where to go. (I've got experience using Rhino and Bryce, along with a little bit of milkshape I believe its name was) Also, if I was going to make 3D models, I would probably need someone to implement them into some sort of game so that I could test them out. Thanks for any help you can provide for me :) (Like I said, I'm new and if this is the wrong place for this, can a mod move it to the right place?)

#151673 - nanou - Mon Mar 03, 2008 3:44 am

3D modeling for the DS is essentially "business as usual" (i.e. just make the model, the programmer will have to worry about doing the poly pushing.)

A few things to think about:

It's probably best if normals values are included in your export.

The DS can do flat shading, basic material shading (you can set ambient, diffuse, specular and emission colours) toon shading (I'm not sure how you define the toon table in your app.) The material shader is fugly. The toon shader is very nice.

Texturing is something you won't want to go overboard on since the DS has limited space for that. Personally I think the way to go is toon shading with textures used for the environment. (Ground/walls) but it really depends on the application.

Similarly. the poly count doesn't go very high. I forget the exact numbers, but basically, don't use any more polys than is useful on the DS's screen and you probably won't have any problems.

There's a bunch of other stuff I've skipped of course. Hopefully someone will fill in the gaps or maybe if you find a programmer that wants to implement your models you can hash it out with them.

HTH
_________________
- nanou

#151713 - 11X_daemon_X11 - Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:44 pm

Hmm... Well, with rhino, I'm not to into making the textures and such, so I use their premade textures, which are very simple, normally 1 color. I do know that there are different export types for the model, such as exporting it as a 3d studio max file I do believe, and many other different types which reformat it to polygonal.

#151821 - silent_code - Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:59 pm

as a programmer with a bit of modelling experience i can tell you, that it really depends on what the project's needs are.

i guess one can't make a general assumption, so the best way to find a project and ask the guys you'll be working with, what the limitations for the project are.

just a *rough* technical outline:

the nds can push up to 2k primitives (triangles, quads, strips of both types) per frame and use textures up to 2k? (i'm kinda rusty here, no time to check that, but it's either that or 1k?) with up to 16bit (15bit color + 1bit alpha - there are other 4 and 8bit formats aswell) - but iirc a 2k? 16bit texture isn't possible.

remember the nds has only a total of around 600k video (offscreen / 2D background or "layer" and sprite graphics / texture) memory and that clipped primitives (but not culled) add to the total number of *used* primitive space (a special fixed size ram, btw: there's also a vertex limitation of [?] 4k, again defined by a dedicated ram region), thus subtracting an amount of displayable primitives.

happy modelling!

#151986 - 11X_daemon_X11 - Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:26 pm

Would there be a way to, if I gave you a 3d image, see what the 3d image/character would look like on a DS? just wondering becauseI found a 3d modeller, looks kinda complecated,but I can figure it ot, that I want to try to make 3d models for the DS with (like a little world that's quite dark and mysterious that no one will ever understand I guess xD)
_________________
IRC (please join :D):

http://evilnetirc.ath.cx/

#151998 - nanou - Fri Mar 07, 2008 11:59 pm

11X_daemon_X11 wrote:
Would there be a way to, if I gave you a 3d image, see what the 3d image/character would look like on a DS?

I may be able to help. I have a wavefront .obj loader written. If you can export to that format I can get you some screen caps. If you can export vertex normals that will be a big plus, otherwise my old code will be used which just approximates them. (I haven't done much work on the loader since I started working on a 2d app.)

Actually I should be able to convert 3dsmax and nuendo objects, probably some others. I'm not sure which other formats blender and wings can import/export well, but those are what I use. (It seems blender has crap import/export for the most part.)

[Minor edit to correct wording.]
_________________
- nanou

#152002 - 11X_daemon_X11 - Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:05 am

I do believe Rhino has an export as .obj. I would have to wait until monday, though, before I could use it because i don't have a copy myself and for what ever reason, the demo won't install on my computer. I'll try again tonight, but I don't know if the trial version has the export option.

Edit: Alright, I've got rhino 3 working now, its a demo, though, so I only get 25 saves with a very limited array of commands. I made a simple pot type shape I would like to see what it would look like on the DS. Eventually, I'll make a little world like thing, with very, VERY simple textures (normally only single celled). How doyou want me to get you this file (saved as a .obj)?
_________________
IRC (please join :D):

http://evilnetirc.ath.cx/

#152006 - nanou - Sat Mar 08, 2008 3:16 am

I've PM'd you with my email address, feel free to mail it.
_________________
- nanou