could someone help with cleaning up a model?

Hi,
I am trying to use a model of a drink can in swift 3d.
I got the model from a free download page at 3dgate.com.
It was in dxf format, I imported into autocad and exported as 3ds. I dont own 3dsmax.

When I try to animate it in 3dswift it chokes. 16 hours and it got to frame 5!!

I dont know much about 3ds and models, I played with the export options in autocad, anything that improved speed seriously degraded the model. Would anyone with 3ds be willing to take a look at the model for me and if possible clean it up for faster rendering in swift?

Thanks if you can help Mark Gason
my email [email protected]

Hiya mgason!!!

I checked out the file you spoke of, converted it to 3ds, imported it into Swift 3D and then exported to swa. All went pretty smoothly, the export took about 7 minutes (on a 733). Maybe autocad (which I don't have) makes the model more complex than it needs to be.

If you would like to see what I did I posted the files on my ftp server, IP 204.144.133.184, login and password "flashkit". Go ahead and check them out. Hope this helps!!

RainDawg

RainDawg

I just grabbed the file from your site and it sure zips along as you said. I unfortunately do not have access to 3dsmax. I do have access to Autocad at work.

would you mind posting the 3ds file you created from the dxf on your ftp site?

Also would you consider running another (larger) model I am working on in autocad through 3ds for me. If so what format should I save it in .dwg (autocads native format, does 3ds open that?) or dxf or 3ds.

Even if you cant thanks a ton for the help with the can model

Mark Gason

I have just done a couple of animations with the swift file you made. I am having a problem, as I did with my file, of the top rim not showing properly in the finished swf.
Instead of the rim clearly sticking up and the top being indented, the top rim sticks up and top is level with it.

Strangely the preview animation looks perfect with rim clearly visible and shadows from it etc. Line rendering seems to show it too.

I have emailed erain about this as well.

Mark

Hello again mgason!

I, unfortunately, do not have 3dsmax either. I gave the last dxf file to a friend who kindly imported it into 3ds. I asked him for the file, which he sent and is on the ftp.

As for more imports, I will gladly ask mi amigo to help us out again. Let me known what/where the file is... dxf should be a fine format.

As for the can problem, I don't quite understand your problem, so if you could post the file I can take a look at it. I just checked my ftp server, which is down, of course, so I'll have to check it out tomorrow when I get to work. I'll be checking for your file.

RainDawg

Folks,

Please note that everytime you change formats you loose quality and degradation of the file structure can occur. Mgason, if you find yourself having problems converting AutoCAD (which quite frankly is nowhere near as good as IDEAS or 3DS Max) you might try starting from scratch and building your model solely in Swift. It may be time consuming, however you should not loose any quality when rendering the scene.

If that isn't an option it may also be a good idea to try rendering frames and not animations. Don't forget that Flash is an excellent platform for animation. Try importing only the frames you ABSOLUTELY have to then piece them together in Flash. Your animation will no doubt run a lot smoother if it has less complex models in each scene.

It would be nice if we all could afford 3dsmax to import models to swift. But they really are in different worlds, swift is very affordable at 150 which means there is a huge group of people out there who are in the position of not having a suitable/affordable modelling package for creating with swift.
Doesnt it seem something of an anomaly that a $150 program requires a program costing thousands to create content for it?
Modelling in swift is not really a serious option for most things.
Swift really needs to support some other import formats and I know erain is working on it.
Meanwhile, I would invite opinions from all on which other modelling packages, from their experience, do seem to do a GOOD job of exporting to a 3ds format that swift likes.

Mark

Hi RainDawg,
stopped by your ftp site, wondering if you still have the 3ds file made by your pal available, erain was going to take a look in regard to my "rendering doesnt look like preview" problem.

If you could help me out by posting it there it would be great.

Thanks Mark
PS other model I mentioned still in the works. What format would be best to supply it to your pal for conversion to 3ds, dxf or dwg