A basic, UNOFFICIAL - Blender .edm Addon

[mkiii]

I would very much like to see this updated for blender 2.8.. bumping this in hopes that it leads to just that.

...or even 2.79. I can't get it to appear in the list at all, even though the files do install in the Users folder correctly (in 2.8 too). I'm a Blender noob, so I may be doing something wrong of course :0

[NZ6258]

Could you help me out...? I have followed all info available so far but there is no way I can export anything out from Blender to edm... :(

 

The workflow I use is:

I created a 'blank' template, from one of the examples which came in the download, with everything stripped out.

- Load the 'blank' file

- Import my model (I use 3ds files)

- Ensure that all materials have a texture associated.

- Export to edm..

 

If you don't have a texture assigned to every material the export module will throw a series of errors, and you wont get a valid edm export.

 

Hope that helps

 

SeanG

[Magic Zach]

If you don't have a texture assigned to every material the export module will throw a series of errors, and you wont get a valid edm export.

 

 

 

Hope that helps

 

 

 

SeanG

 

This would explain a lot, thanks

[Grajo]

The workflow I use is:

I created a 'blank' template, from one of the examples which came in the download, with everything stripped out.

- Load the 'blank' file

- Import my model (I use 3ds files)

- Ensure that all materials have a texture associated.

- Export to edm..

 

If you don't have a texture assigned to every material the export module will throw a series of errors, and you wont get a valid edm export.

 

Hope that helps

 

SeanG

 

Hey NZ6258! Thank you very much for the advice!!!

 

Indeed never downloaded "Blender_ioEDM-0.2.2.zip" that is the "Source Code" version. Where the good stuff is... Following your instructions, I managed to export a model :D.

 

I see that in the first post NickD, speaks about:

 

"An ultra-simple mod that adds this as a 10m high monkey head ('Suzanne' under 'Structures' in the mission editor), as both a simple JSGME-ready mod example, and a proof-of-concept using Blender models can be found attached."

 

Any idea about where could I get Example Mod from? To get started doing my own things

 

Thank you

Edited May 2, 2019 by Grajo

[Magic Zach]

 

Thank you

 

Just out of curiosity, what do you have in mind to build?

[Grajo]

I would like to tweak/replace FARPs for Helicopters, especially the single one.

Also, create some Middle East small village or "rustic" buildings...

 

Anyway, just "dreaming" here. Given the time, moding knowledge and modeling skills I have... It might never happen... But would love to give it a try, a new challenge is always interesting :].

 

Do you have any project in mind Magic Zach?

[Magic Zach]

 

Do you have any project in mind Magic Zach?

 

I wanted to create starter trolleys (or accumulator?) that would appear when ground power is called for in the warbirds. I want to position the plug and door (on the plane, that pops out) so it will look right. I actually had modeled a trolley, a little over a year ago, but when I ran into errors trying to export, I scratched it.

 

Now EXACTLY what I've been wanted to do for a while now has been done by the A-4 mod, so I've had a rekindled hope for this.

[DoctorStrop]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYK0jmOtwCM

 

A little demo of exporting a cube from Blender.

[DoctorStrop]

Hi, I have put together a couple of videos regarding using Blender to create a DCS model. It is an experiment, and not a tutorial. It might not work in the end, I might hit a brick wall.

 

Part 1, whole video:

Part 1, start of modelling:

Part 2,

 

By I video it, and showing you all, I am challenging myself to take it as far as I can.

 

Sorry for quiet voice - crappy microphone.

[NZ6258]

I'm going to sit back and watch your videos.... I'm slowly learning Blender, it is quite different to what I am used to!

 

Have you managed to export the canopy material? That's got me struggling at the moment

 

Sean

 

Oh, and the BD5 looks awesome!

[DoctorStrop]

I'm going to sit back and watch your videos.... I'm slowly learning Blender, it is quite different to what I am used to!

 

Have you managed to export the canopy material? That's got me struggling at the moment

 

Sean

 

Oh, and the BD5 looks awesome!

 

Yes, I have done a couple of models before. If you look through my other videos, I did a Aston Marton, which had transparent glass, but I never finished it as CA speed seems capped at 78mph. I will cover glass texture later close to when I do the export. I will slow down for the videos for the Blender to EDM settings prior to the export as there are a few things to explain, and also I will slow down for a couple of the animations, as the Blender exporter was not completed, so workarounds must be made.

 

I also did a Lightning, but the mesh was too hi-poly. I had some fun with my friends in it though in a private MP server. I never finished the Lightning, as I could not do all the techniques I felt I needed to make the mesh look good, like cutting the airbrakes without adding 2million extra verts.

[NZ6258]

Magnificent! I look forward to it

 

Sean

[Grajo]

Hi, I have put together a couple of videos regarding using Blender to create a DCS model. It is an experiment, and not a tutorial. It might not work in the end, I might hit a brick wall.

 

Part 1, whole video:

Part 1, start of modelling:

Part 2,

 

By I video it, and showing you all, I am challenging myself to take it as far as I can.

 

Sorry for quiet voice - crappy microphone.

 

Hey DoctorStrop! Thanks for sharing this stuff with us!!! Hope you get far with your new project! :thumbup:

[lonegun]

Thanks you for sharing this

[Grajo]

After several tests, I found the reason why it was not working for me.

 

It was not working for Blender 2.78 or 2.79. ( however the workaround of using template files from Source code version provided by NZ6258 does work )

 

It WORKS with BLENDER VERSION 2.78C Downloadable here (exactly like in DoctorStrop's Cube Tutorial):

 

https://download.blender.org/release/Blender2.78/

 

The latest version ( so far... :] ) of Nicholas Devenish's UNOFFICIAL - Blender .edm Addon v.02.2:

 

https://github.com/ndevenish/Blender_ioEDM/releases/tag/v0.2.2

 

Thanks again for sharing this with us! looking forward to more videos about this tool and its edm exporting capabilities and workflow tips !!!

 

Would love to see an example of any Static Object mod that can be installed with OvGME and used in mission editor...:music_whistling: (does anybody have the example file that NickD is speaking about in the first post? )

 

*Editing the post: I made a mistake in the info I was giving sorry... 2.78C is the version that seems to work.

 

Best

Edited January 24, 2020 by Grajo

[DoctorStrop]

After several tests, I found the reason why it was not working for me.

 

It was not working for Blender 2.78C or 2.79. ( however the workaround of using template files from Source code version provided by NZ6258 does work )

 

It WORKS with BLENDER VERSION 2.78 Downloadable here (exactly like in DoctorStrop's Tutorial):

 

https://download.blender.org/release/Blender2.78/blender-2.78-windows64.zip

 

The latest version ( so far... :] ) of Nicholas Devenish's UNOFFICIAL - Blender .edm Addon v.02.2:

 

https://github.com/ndevenish/Blender_ioEDM/releases/tag/v0.2.2

 

Thanks again for sharing this with us! looking forward to more tutorials about this tool and its edm exporting capabilities and workflows !!!

 

Would love to see an example of any Static Object mod that can be installed with OvGME and used in mission editor...:music_whistling: (does anybody have the example file that NickD is speaking about in the first post? )

 

Best

 

Can I just say my videos are not a tutorial... more of a video diary of an experiment.

 

The object you refer to is the monkey head? If so it is Suzanne or "Monkey" in Blender and is a default shape in Blender. It's on the "Create" tab.

 

Otherwise I created these videos using Blender exporter... it does not have to be static models.

[Grajo]

I see your point, take no offense here, please. I say "tutorial" because it might be something we could learn in future videos if you continue "explaining" your "workflow".

 

So far there is NOTHING about this, about getting edm from Blender and putting it inside DCS. So would appreciate any beat of info you could bring in any video of your "diary of the experiment".

 

I know Blender and Suzanne pretty well so far.:smilewink:

 

Just asking if somebody has the "Mod example" of the monkey that NickD refers to in his main post, so I can check it and see how is it done and maybe be able to create my own props, some simple Static Meshes to Use in the ME would do for me.

 

Your work and achievements so far, for example, the Aston Martin, is far beyond from I would dream to achieve.

 

In any case, there is no info can help me yet anywhere about how to get any simple mesh inside DCS. Something is creating a cube in edm format, another thing is putting it ingame :music_whistling:

[DoctorStrop]

I see your point, take no offense here, please. I say "tutorial" because it might be something we could learn in future videos if you continue "explaining" your "workflow".

 

So far there is NOTHING about this, about getting edm from Blender and putting it inside DCS. So would appreciate any beat of info you could bring in any video of your "diary of the experiment".

 

I know Blender and Suzanne pretty well so far.:smilewink:

 

Just asking if somebody has the "Mod example" of the monkey that NickD refers to in his main post, so I can check it and see how is it done and maybe be able to create my own props, some simple Static Meshes to Use in the ME would do for me.

 

Your work and achievements so far, for example, the Aston Martin, is far beyond from I would dream to achieve.

 

In any case, there is no info can help me yet anywhere about how to get any simple mesh inside DCS. Something is creating a cube in edm format, another thing is putting it ingame :music_whistling:

 

I mentioned some great resources in the chatter at the beginning of the first video, about 2 minutes in. In the resource from ED, it tells how to create the folder structure and files for DCS mods. The only difference is how the model is created. The blender export tool when used creates an EDM file, so imagine anything referring to 3DsMax as being done with Blender. I have done a lot of research on this. There is still much more to learn.

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=116901

[DoctorStrop]

If anyone is interested I have done a load more on this model. The videos include everything I have done since part 2.

 

[Magic Zach]

Update: A reminder about this plugin:

 

 

 

e.g. ED's models and intellectual property remain their own, this changes nothing about that.

 

---

 

After starting playing DCS in VR I wanted to measure exact panel sizes on the SU-25T in order to be able to build a replica autopilot panel, so I started poking the .edm files.

 

It somewhat spiralled out of control.

 

 

This is a HIGHLY EXPERIMENTAL, completely UNOFFICIAL attempt at building a .edm exporter for Blender. There is currently very basic import/export functionality, handling basic position/rotation keyframes and single texture diffuse mapping. Lots of things don't work; this includes, nonexhaustively; bones/skinning, in-file LOD, collision shells, scale animations and exporting anything that uses a parent/child hierarchy.

 

Modelviewer reads the exported models fine, and with the core functionality the game reads the models fine without complaint. While it doesn't have a lot of features, what it does let you do, is make simple models to test in the game without having to own an (old) version of 3DS.

 

As an example, here is an in-game screenshot of something you hopefully don't see on the runway every day:

 

(for those not in the know, 'Suzanne' the monkey is Blender's version of the classic teapot - a reasonably complex test object that it includes with all of the other primitive creation). An ultra-simple mod that adds this as a 10m high monkey head ('Suzanne' under 'Structures' in the mission editor), as both a simple JSGME-ready mod example, and a proof-of-concept using Blender models can be found attached.

 

In its current state it's probably mostly of interest to hybrid developer/modellers who know a little bit about using blender internals or programming 3d - as with everything else about it, there are certainly no guarantees as to the fragility of model/material settings that it will handle without just failing to export, so I present it merely as a proof-of-concept rather than a complete modelling solution, for people who can't access or afford 3DS max 2014.

 

Like Blender, it's open source, and is available on Github:

 

https://github.com/ndevenish/Blender_ioEDM/releases/latest

 

And more details can be found in the projects README and spec files.

 

I'm not very experienced working on models for DCS - so I'm not sure whether there would be any interest in this at all. And other than working on the hierarchical animations (using tests/MonkeyCannon.blend as a self-generated example) I have no idea what any future wishes/priorities might be - remembering that this isn't for hard-core game-feature-pushing models.

 

But I hope it proves of interest to somebody.

Any plans to improve this again to the latest EDM used by the F-14, Anton, and iirc the F/A-18?

[Wrench]

I'm getting this error in B 2.78

[lee1hy]

This plugin is outdated , no work with 2.81

[dolfo]

I am using 2.78. Replicating the steps in the cube export video I can get the edm export without any error messages. When I try to open the edm file in the modelviewer I get the following message:

 

20.8570 ERROR NGMODEL The following exception was caught: Wrong version of model file.. During loading of: //models/cube1611.edm.

 

Have any other users experienced this or could any user point possible causes and ways to fix?

 

Thanks.

 

(Yes, unofficial, unsupported.)

[Grajo]

Is 2.78C the version that is compatible with the Addon. Sorry if I gave some misleading information by mistake.:(

 

 

 

By the way, same issue here dolfo, I have Open Beta and I have been "out of the scene" for a while... Now the ModelViwer2 does not open my blender generated EDM files anymore :huh:.

 

It says the same thing...:

 

100.7418	ERROR  	NGMODEL	The following exception was caught: Wrong version of model file.. During loading of: //models/desert_house_001.edm.

 

Wrong version of model file !!! :cry: I am 100% sure I was able to open these files with it some few months ago.

 

I hope that DCS still supports edm generated with this Blender Addon, somehow...

 

Just Watched latest video from DoctorStrop and seems like he is still advancing with his project (what it is great) and ModelVier2 seems still working for him ??? Any clue?

 

I finally figured out, I think, the process to put these models inside DCS, and now I am stuck again :[.

Edited January 24, 2020 by Grajo

[freebirddz]

This Blender Plugin is not maintained since DCS 1.5, the Import and Export work for DCS 1.5, after the DCS upgrade 2.5, they change EDM File format.

Even if it's working the plugin is not ED production and it miss lot of functionality to be in production env. I hope day coming see it up, before that I Build my mesh in Blender then animate and export from 3D max.

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by freebirddz