[REL] Blender importer/exporter for PAPA files - v0.5

I have made a blender add-on that allows importing and exporting of Planetary Annihilations .papa model files.


Installation:

1. Download the ZIP to your computer
2. Open Blender, and go to File > User Preferences
3. Go to the Addons tab, and click "Install from File", and select the ZIP
4. Click the box next to "Import-Export: UberEnt PAPA format (Planetary Annihilation)"
5. Click the Save User Settings button.

You will then see "Planetary Annihilation Model (.papa)" appear in the File -> Import and File -> Export menus.

Download:

Version History:
Version 0.5

• Should now correctly import more models, such as the terrain meshes (somewhat experimental).

Version 0.4

• Rotated Bones now correctly import

Version 0.3

• Vertex groups & texture uv coordinates now import & export

Version 0.2

• Import will no longer fail if you do not have any existing mesh (like the default cube)
• Bones no longer disappear when changing to Object mode.
• Added exporter

Version 0.1

• Initial Importer release

Known issues:

• Bones with rotation do not correctly export
• Scaling of some models is off, and the models will appear extremely large when imported (for example, pa\units\air\missile_nuke\missile_nuke.papa)

Please report any other issues or bugs you find.

Re: [WIP] Blender importer for PAPA files - Help Needed

Have you tried looking at existing modules? I've modified 3ds loader for papa format - .

You shall place it in ~/.blender/<your blender version>/scripts/addons/

Please note, that I'm using blender 2.66 and therefore recorded this version into minimal supported version field.

You should look into __init__.py file for an options, names and user-configurable options.
export_papa.py/import_papa.py are unmodified (only renamed) 3ds corresponding files.

You should look for "load" function in import_papa.py - that's the starting point.
export_papa.py should have "save" function. They both are at the end of file.

Re: [WIP] Blender importer for PAPA files - Help Needed

That's perfect, thanks!

Re: [WIP] Blender importer for PAPA files - Help Needed

NP. If you need any support or work to share - count on me =). I'm very interested in having fully working Blender import/export as it's my favorite 3d editor.

Re: [WIP] Blender importer for PAPA files - Help Needed

Please, please, please make BLENDER do this work. Don't force me to buy and learn expensive heavy modelling programs

Re: [REL] Blender importer for PAPA files - v0.1

v0.1 release - importer only for now.

Re: [REL] Blender importer for PAPA files - v0.1

EXCITING

thanks!

Re: [REL] Blender importer/exporter for PAPA files - v0.2

I believe this will see a lot of use from me.

Re: [REL] Blender importer/exporter for PAPA files - v0.2

I personally despite requests, so here's to me hating myself.

How hard would it be to work on an importer (/exporter) for 3DS Max? It's my primary modeling software, that's the only reason why I ask.

If it's too much hassle, or you're too busy just working on this in your spare time, I'll download Blender on here. I can use it (had to at university for our animation module), it's just I prefer Max by far

Re: [REL] Blender importer/exporter for PAPA files - v0.2

I'm not sure we'll need "importers" long term, Uber has said to be using .fbx, which is common to the big 3 apps and that Uber will likely be releasing the tool used to pack it up into the .papa files. We'll have to wait and see.

One thing I might get around to trying is using the blender importer but right away exporting it out of blender in a format like .obj to see if it can be opened in other apps that way.

Mike

Re: [REL] Blender importer/exporter for PAPA files - v0.2

Papa to OBJ is not that difficult to support, it's plain text and doesn't have any fancy stuff.

Re: [REL] Blender importer/exporter for PAPA files - v0.2

I don't have 3DS Max, but you can always export the model from Blender and import into 3DS, then back to blender when you need to export to .papa, thought it's cumbersome.


I've implemented Vertex Groups & nearly completed UV coordinates; these will be in the 0.3 release.

Re: [REL] Blender importer/exporter for PAPA files - v0.2

Yup, it does work like that and also as I described before;


Now comes the task of Fixing up my models.......

Mike

Re: [REL] Blender importer/exporter for PAPA files - v0.2

Does it import correctly? When I export to OBJ and import it always screws up smoothing groups, among other things (flips vertices resulting in black faces all over the place).

Admittedly, I haven't used Blender in several months.

Re: [REL] Blender importer/exporter for PAPA files - v0.2

AFAIK OBJ can't hold smoothing groups or anything fancy. Just vertices, indices, UV's and that's about it.

Re: [REL] Blender importer/exporter for PAPA files - v0.2

Ah, that's fair enough then, I didn't know that.

Re: [REL] Blender importer/exporter for PAPA files - v0.2

Ah. I forgot to take bone rotation into account. I'll look into it.

In the meantime, I'll release v0.3, as I've got Vertex groups and Texture coordinates importing & exporting. Bones should be fine on non-walkers (anything that doesn't have a rotated bone).

Re: [REL] Blender importer/exporter for PAPA files - v0.3

For smoothing uber is assuming all the edges are smooth and then spiting them where they should be sharp. If you wish to preserve those don't remove duplicate verts.

Thank you for creating this importer/exporter. Blender is my favorite modeling tool and the only one I have that works on my Linux work comp.

Tyler Seacrest

Re: [REL] Blender importer/exporter for PAPA files - v0.3

Silly question, first time trying to user Blender, I've added the files in the right location I think but they don't appear in the addons list, oddly if I add them under C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\2.67\scripts\addons as well it detects the conflict of the same named files - but still doesn't show the options.

Any clues?

Re: [REL] Blender importer/exporter for PAPA files - v0.3

@ephoscus:
In blender go to file->user preferences and then click the addons button in the window that pops up. Then click on the button on the left side of the window that says import-export and look through the list for UberEnt PAPA format. If it is there then the check box on the right enables and disables it.

If it is not there then you have not installed it correctly. On the bottom of the window there is a button that says Install from File. Click on this and browse to the ZIP file to install. Once installed, take the steps above to enable.

When enabled you will be able to find the addon in file->import->Planetary Annihilation Model

I won't have time until Sunday but if you haven't figured it out by then I can do a video step-by-step. In the meantime I'll refer you to the addons section in the blender manual. I would also highly recommend that beginners check out the manual and make an account on http://www.blenderartists.org to get started.

Tyler Seacrest