This week, our team undertook a series of tests to determine possible fabrication workflows, my individual task was to investigate possible ways to import models constructed in MicroStation into Sandbox2.
After doing some initial research it was evident that workflows outside the typical 3D Gaming modelling packages, (including Maya and 3D Studio Max,) were uncommon. This is in part due to the Crytek model format or a ".CGF" (Crytek Geometry File,) file. Being a proprietary format found only in CryEngine, the ability to create these files natively from a typical modelling package does not exist, with the exception being from within CryTek’s own software. In order to bring models in from 3rd party software packages CryTek and CryMod community developers have released various model translation utilities. CryTek's Mod SDK for Sandbox2 includes a 3D Studio Max plugin which allows you to create .CGF files strainght from the 3D Studio Max enviroment and appears to be the easiest and most documented way of bringing models in from outside SandBox.
A team of CryMod members have also created a model converter which changes models saved in the Collada format (*.dae), into CGF models. The Collada model format is developed by the non-profit organisation Khronos Group as a intermediate model format for sharing geometry between model packages. Since it is an XML Schema based format this makes it a prime candidate for simple parsing into other formats, in this case a CFG file. The ColladaCGF utility, developed in Python, requires that the Python Library be installed first. Once done, it installs a context menu item that allows you to run the converter straight on the file in windows explorer.
With the infrastructure in place, the first test was to bring in a series of simple boxes at various sizes, to check scaling, from MicroStation. I created 1m, 10m and 100m sized cubes using the Solid modelling tools. It is also worth noting that MicroStation has a few modelling systems, the main three being Solids, Surface and Feature Solids. More on those later. Once exported to .dae models from MicroStation, I parsed them through the converter which spits out a CGF and MLD file of the same name. The later being a texture file generated from the solid.
Once created, I moved the files into the Game\Objects\ directory so they could be accessed immediately from within the editor.
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