[AS3][3d] custom binary 3d format for AS3

in short
Binary file format between 3dsmax and Flash AS3 to eleminate parsing times and dramaticly decrease loading times

Demo (for the ones who lazy bones)
http://www.renderhjs.net/bbs/flashki...demo_ss_01.gif http://www.renderhjs.net/bbs/flashki...demo_ss_02.gif
(left buttons to load 3d files [yes they are not compiled arrays but external files]- the UV map is displayed in the upper right corner)
online demo


so I was playing again with maxscript and discovered how to write binary files directly out of 3dsmax to my harddrive.
http://www.renderhjs.net/bbs/flashki...ipt_binary.gif
(3dsmax mascript interface I wrote to write the binary files)
And of course the next logical step for me was to read the binary files with AS3- and I got it working.
Since then I started writing a simplified 3d format wich I can load into AS3 really fast. The format is intended to be smal and simple stuctured (easy to read in AS3- not much re- sorting in new arrays) and should hold the following:
- vertex positions
- face(triangle) vertex id´s
- uv-map vertex positions (x,y)
- uv-map face uv-vertex id´s
- texture map URL string (e.g enemyX.png)
and yes it should only hold 1 object, the engine later should then load multiple 3d object files to compose them into 1 scene. And just in case you haven´t noticed before Binary files are very smal.

For a comparison regarding the filesize I saved the 3dsmax default teapod with 4 Segments
http://www.renderhjs.net/bbs/flashki...une/teapod.gif
(the one in the demo at the top of this post has only 3) in various formats:

Code:

---

*.3d                my format, just hit the "write file"
18.2 KB

*.obj        alias wavefront Object file: triangles + uv coordinates 6 digits (default)
66.7 KB

*.3ds        3d studio export format: preserve UV checked
31.5 KB

*.ASE        ASCI scene export: mesh defenition, 4 decimals. Used in the past (perhaps still now) for UT engines
396 KB

*.DXF        Autocad exchange format (not sure if that thingy even supports UV data)
368 KB

---

so why is my file so smal?
Most of the other formats save additional data like filename, material,... I tried to exclude as much as possible but I think alot is still stored as additional data. Also some of the file formats are stored as ASCI data wich means that a single Number is stored as a string wich results as a biger file and just like XML they are intended to be easily readable for the human eye so they contain alot of structural elements like returns, operator signs, ect.


As for my file I have to admit that I cheated a little bit:

- no floating values for the vertex coordinates (so no digits) instead only Short values (2^16 = range of 65536 or inAS3 = -32768 to 32767, a floating value goes beyond that). But for the engine I am aiming for this is perfect as I dont need tiny details to be zoomed into with big scales.

- the UV coordinates (x,y) are within a limited range wich can be defined in a variable like 512- so all floating values are interpreted into mapsize ranges. I did this because 99% of the UV vertex coordinates are values above 0 and below 1 so you get a lot of values such as 0.3546111231 wich would become then for example 182 (out of 512), that way I dont have to store them as floating values.

the advantages?
- smal loading times
- no parsing of string or xml objects,- just load the ByteArray in AS3 and directly access the values
- flexible workflow with maxscript,- no need for standard procedures like file>export>filetype>options>hit Save, instead create a custom interface for additional options or reduced ones, select object and hit "write".

disadvantages
- not readable in text editors (such as notepad)
- AS3 required
- needs a tool that writes the binary (e.g 3dsmax with maxscript, php, compiled EXE tool,..)


in near future I plan to write another thread about the how to do behind this,- I already made a table for myself with the byte write and reading functions in comparison with maxscript and AS3- and their range, limits,ect. It might be usefull for anyone else who wants to start with something similar to this.
When I started again learning AS3 (3rd time) I did not find any resources on reading (not writing in a variable) ByteArray data except some source code of the sandy project- and only because google suggested me it. Even the Adobe CS3 help says "advanced stuff" and doesn´t come with much explaination and examples, neither does colin moock´s essential AS 3.0. So more stuff about byteArray wouldn´t hurt

Is it possible to use these 3d objects with the open-source 3d engines out there? Such as Papervision and the like.

if you rewrite some of their loading classes,- but for now this is rather a personal development.
I´ll have to see within the updacomming months if the requirements I defined work out in the very end: meaning that I´ll have to see if the advantages of not using floating values will pay of in the end.
But if I put the structure online anyone with enough knowledge can code writer and reader classes for any engine and perhaps also other 3d packages.

I´ll still have to write a loader in maxscript to generate the meshes back out of the binary files- and to be able to change little things in them.

Nice work!

With the multiple viewports available using the Great White branch of PV3D, I could see this developed into a basic 3d modeling app in Flash. Utilizing your read/write capabilities, models could be created and exported from a swf file and imported into 3dsmax etc.

renderhjs, I know you've heard it many times but your work is breathtaking

I am very impressed how you were able to get file sizes even smaller with your custom .3d binary file format. Myself, I just was able to port the papervision 3dsparser to load the mesh with a simple 3d engine created (not by myself) named nd3d (which is smaller overhead size than Papervision)...I am trying to go small because my project is a 3d hourglass preloader and I cannot have the user wait for the preloader! (a preloader for a preloader...imagine that :)

may I kindly ask if there are any tutorials or source available for your .3d format? every kb I can shave would help even though .3ds is small too. I would then try to port it to get it to go...the parsing wouldn't be too much different than .3ds would it cause they are both binary...

looking forward :)

hey Wurlock
have a look at my recent tutorial getting into a own 3d engine:
http://board.flashkit.com/board/show...73#post4103573

I provided there already a maxscript that generates you 4 Actionscript arrays for the vertex, face, textureVertexes and texture Face informations.
http://board.flashkit.com/board/imag.../2008/10/1.gif
It might (not sure though) be a tiny bit bigger because all values propably will get stored as floating (Number) values instead of short/ integer values - but on the other hand your would otherwise need the binary file parsing function which would case xtra bytes on the flash movie again.

The maxscript is:

PHP Code:

---

--flashkit mesh exporter
--2008 renderhjs.net


function export_object obj=(
    try(
        
        --or classof obj == Editable_mesh
        if (  superclassof obj == GeometryClass ) then(
        
            
            local mesh         =     snapshotasmesh obj;--create a snapshot mesh
            --local num_verts =    mesh.numverts; --get the number of vertices
            local num_faces = mesh.numfaces;
            local num_tverts = mesh.numTVerts;
            local output = "";
            
            output+="//actionscript mesh export";
            output+="\nvar vtx:Array = new Array();//the vertex positions {x,y,z}'s";
            output+="\nvtx = [";

            for v = 1 to mesh.numverts do
            (
                p = getVert mesh v;
                x = (p.x as Integer) as String;
                y = (p.y as Integer) as String;
                z = (p.z as Integer) as String;
                output+="{x:"+x+",y:"+y+",z:"+z+"}";
                if (v != mesh.numverts)then
                    output+=",";
                else(
                    output+="];";
                )
            )
            --
            output+="\n\nvar fcs:Array = new Array();//the triangle faces and their vertex id's";
            output+="\nfcs = [";
            for f = 1 to mesh.numfaces do
            (
                p = getFace mesh f;
                x = (p.x as Integer -1) as String;
                y = (p.y as Integer -1) as String;
                z = (p.z as Integer -1) as String;
                
                output+="["+x+","+y+","+z+"]";
                if (f != mesh.numfaces)then
                    output+=",";
                else(
                    output+="];";
                )
            )
            --
            output+="\n\nvar tVtx:Array = new Array();//the texture vertex positions {x,y}'s";
            output+="\ntVtx = [";

            for v = 1 to mesh.numTVerts do
            (
                p = GetTVert mesh v;
                x = (p.x) as String;
                y = (-p.y+1) as String;

                output+="{x:"+x+",y:"+y+"}";
                if (v != mesh.numTVerts)then
                    output+=",";
                else(
                    output+="];";
                )
            )
            
            --
            output+="\n\nvar tFcs:Array = new Array();//the texture faces and their texture vertex id's";
            output+="\ntFcs = [";

            for f = 1 to mesh.numfaces do
            (
                p = GetTVFace mesh f;
                x = (p.x as Integer -1) as String;
                y = (p.y as Integer -1) as String;
                z = (p.z as Integer -1) as String;
                
                output+="["+x+","+y+","+z+"]";
                if (f != mesh.numfaces)then
                    output+=",";
                else(
                    output+="];";
                )
            )
            --
            --rollout_export.txt_output.text = output;

            delete mesh;
            
            return output;
        )else(
            return "object type not supported,\ntry a poly or mesh";
        )

    )catch();
)

rollout rollout_export "export Objects to Actionscript" width:223 height:274
(
    button btn_export "export" pos:[166,4] width:51 height:28
    editText txt_output "" pos:[3,35] width:214 height:230
    label txt_info "select a mesh or poly object and then hit the button" pos:[10,5] width:155 height:28
    
    
    on btn_export pressed do(
        
        local output = export_object selection[1];--first object of the selection
        txt_output.text = output;
    )

)
--initiate the rollout and floater in the interface
try (-- close existing rolloutFloater
    closeRolloutFloater floater_flashkit; 
) catch ()
floater_flashkit = newRolloutFloater "Flashkit 3d tutorial" 240 310
addrollout rollout_export floater_flashkit; 


---

a guide for using the maxscripts can be found here:
http://board.flashkit.com/board/showthread.php?t=757034

Wow render you should really turn all this info you have made into a blog. I would love to sit down and try get my head through it all.

hi RenderHJS...thanks for the info and I will certainly take a look at that now that I have gotten a preliminary 3ds parser to go with nd3d as I think going smaller with your format is the next progressive step.

Perhaps you can take a look, I mention your format in my blog article here
http://www.magicpictures.ca/blog/35-flash.html