Metaverse

Inspired by the Blog from Peter Quirk (“Taking Sketchup models into realXtend“) and in preparation for the BA project modul “Identities in 3D-Online-Communities” at “Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts“, I explored how to take Cinema 4D models to RealXtend.

A) Download all you need
First you use the following 3 converting tools
(beneath realXtend Server & Viewer and Cinema 4D 10.x):

1. “Ogre3D Exporter for Cinema 4D”
   http://pagesperso-orange.fr/licorna/Ogre3D_Exporter/Ogre3D_Exporter_en.html
2. OgreXMLConverter.exe (Part of “realXtend Export Tools 0.3″)
   http://www.realxtend.org/get.php?id=17
3. Rexmeshtool (Part of “realXtend Export Tools 0.3″)
   http://www.realxtend.org/get.php?id=17
   

B) Prepare the system

1. Copy the Ogre Exporter “Ogre3D_Exporter.cdl” to the plugins folder of Cinema4D
   “C:/Program Files/MAXON/Cinema 4D R10/plugins”
2. Copy the “realXtend Export Tools 0.3″ to RexTools folder
   “C:/Program Files/RexTools/”
3. Set Path = “C:/Program Files/RexTools/”

C) Convert Datas

1. First load your Object (filename.c4d)  to Cinema
   
2. Select “Plugins” -> “Ogre 3D Exporter”
   
3. Select Objects to export [ObjectName]
4. Unselect UV-export when the model has no UV-values
   
5. Select the “OgreXMLConverter.exe” via  [Locate Converter]
   
6. Then Press [OK] and the Ogre3D-Exporter
   will create two outputfiles
   • filename.mesh.xml
   • filename.mesh

D) Use the rexmeshtool

1. Go to command line interface
2. Start the rexmeshtool with following command
   “rexmeshtool  filename.mesh“
   
3. Set the following parameters
   • Scale = 0.01 (to rescale it)
   • X ALign = Center
   • Y Align = Min
   • Z Align = Center
   • Y Rotate = 180 (rotate the chair 180 degrees).

   
   Note that the rexmeshtool grid is on 1 meter centers.
   The cursor in the screen shot is pointing to one of these dots,
   so the chair is about 1.5m high.

4. Select [Save Changes and Exit]

E) Import into RealXtend

1. Launch the realXtend viewer.
2. In the viewer, select File -> Upload 3D Model.
3. Navigate to the folder where your meshes and associated files are and select the filename.mesh file.The model will appear after some delay in a new 3D Models folder in your personal inventory.
4. Create a box prim on the ground
   
5. Set the name of the object to filename
6. Activate the rex tab.
7. Select the Extended properties and Show as mesh and Scale Mesh to Prim options.
   
8. Open your inventory folder and drag the filename 3D model onto the Mesh Name box.
9. Place the object wherever you like
   

E) Thanks

• Thanks to Peter Quirk for his tutorial
• Thanks to Jean First for compile the “Ogre3D Exporter for Cinema 4D 10.5″ for OSX
  http://wiki.animation.hslu.ch/index.php/Ogre3D_Exporter_for_Cinema_4D_OSX