How to: work with Blender

[Ktnina2]

I'm a bit stuck on the instaling of the conventor.  I downloded blender version 2.61 andd phython 3.0.1. That works, But I have no clue how to instal the conventor. It's realy hard to read the read me file, wich doeen't make any sense at all to me. Can someone help please?

[Ingredient]

i need help with the material file. Its all random bits of words and numbers and stuff how do i make the material file?

[Thierry]

i need help with the material file. Its all random bits of words and numbers and stuff how do i make the material file?

- maybe your are opening the file with a wrong character set, try notepad, try with word or
- your are opening something that are not a material script file

[Ingredient]

- maybe your are opening the file with a wrong character set, try notepad, try with word or
- your are opening something that are not a material script file

If i convert a .txml file into a mesh that had no texture or material in Blender than i get the .xml files. I open them up in Notepad and get random words numbers and stuff, here ill copy the a bit of it

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<mesh>
    <sharedgeometry vertexcount="691">
        <vertexbuffer texture_coords="0" positions="true" colours_diffuse="True" normals="true">
            <vertex>
                <position y="-1.000000" x="0.000000" z="-0.000000"/>
                <normal y="-1.000000" x="0.000000" z="-0.000000"/>
                <colour_diffuse value="1.000000 1.000000 1.000000 1.000000"/>
            </vertex>

It goes on for ages. How can i get it to look like those normal looking material files that you and Hammy can make?

[Thierry]

im unsure if i understand correctly your problem.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<mesh>
    <sharedgeometry vertexcount="691">
        <vertexbuffer texture_coords="0" positions="true" colours_diffuse="True" normals="true">
            <vertex>
                <position y="-1.000000" x="0.000000" z="-0.000000"/>
                <normal y="-1.000000" x="0.000000" z="-0.000000"/>
                <colour_diffuse value="1.000000 1.000000 1.000000 1.000000"/>
            </vertex>

that is the 3D model in xml format without the material script.
To convert the 3D xml model in to a 3D mesh model you need to use the ogre command line tools, (if you don't know how ask me).
Then when you have the mesh file, you create the material script. you need to know the material names of your mesh objects to make correctly your material script.

[Ingredient]

im unsure if i understand correctly your problem.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<mesh>
    <sharedgeometry vertexcount="691">
        <vertexbuffer texture_coords="0" positions="true" colours_diffuse="True" normals="true">
            <vertex>
                <position y="-1.000000" x="0.000000" z="-0.000000"/>
                <normal y="-1.000000" x="0.000000" z="-0.000000"/>
                <colour_diffuse value="1.000000 1.000000 1.000000 1.000000"/>
            </vertex>

that is the 3D model in xml format without the material script.
To convert the 3D xml model in to a 3D mesh model you need to use the ogre command line tools, (if you don't know how ask me).
Then when you have the mesh file, you create the material script. you need to know the material names of your mesh objects to make correctly your material script.

I know how to convert to mesh with the ogre command line tools so im fine with that, but how do you create the material file correctly?

[Thierry]

ok.

just create a new notepad document and add this:
material materialname
{
   technique
   {
      pass
      {
         cull_hardware none
         cull_software none
         alpha_rejection greater_equal 128

         texture_unit
         {
            texture mytextureimage.jpg
         }
      }
   }
}
where is marked in red you should add the material name, and the image texture of the model. can be any image in jpg, png or bmp format.

you need to know what material name you have put at your model inside of blender.
i don't know how to use blender, I really don't know how set the material name at blender.

when saving the notepad document, you need to change the file extension from .txt to .material
NOTE: by default windows does not show extensions in file names, to show the filename extension go to folder options at your file browser.
I hope i helped with this.

[Ingredient]

The texture still isnt showing up, just one colour is showing. I dont know how to get that ogre window up in Blender on page 1. That might be how you do it but idk how to get it up.

[Thierry]

did you do the UV maping for the model? if your model does not have any UV map it will have only one color even if the material script is correct.

PD: you can try with this if you don't know what i'm talking about.
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro/UV_Map_Basics

or search UV maping blender in google

PD2: learn to make UV map is hard as learning to make models. Dont get frustrated.

[Ingredient]

Ok i dont think i did i just went into mapping and changed the projection, i didnt change the coordinates to UV if thats what you mean.