Fri, Aug 21, 2015

In the tutoriel bellow I use jME3 as render engine, but xbuf is not limited to jME3. It’s just the first target engine I work on.

Level 1

The quickest way to give a try : blender_io_xbuf + jme3_xbuf_viewer.

jme3_xbuf_viewer

Install a pre-configured application ready to connect to blender.

1. install java 8
2. download jme3_xbuf_viewer-201510171736.tgz + unarchive + run ./launch (or launch.exe)

On Blender 2.74+

1. click the Download ZIP button on blender_io_xbuf
2. install add-on into blender
   • File > User Preferences ... > Addons > Install from file ... select the downloaded zip file
   • enable the plugin Import-Export: Xbuf Exporter & Render Engine (check the checkbox)
3. open or create a model
4. select Xbuf Render in the render engine combobox (top)
5. set the render properties. To see them, click on the camera in the property sheet. (eg: Xbuf > assets_path the directory where to export images, … so mostly myproject/assets or myproject/src/main/resources)
6. in the 3D view select viewport shading > rendered could take/freeze a moment to transfer the initial data.
7. You should see your model rendered by jme3_xbuf_viewer inside blender viewport, play with the camera, lights, … (animation should store in a strip on NLA Editor, click on the strip)

Level 2

On Blender

1. repeat steps 1 - 5 from Level 1 / On Blender
2. export your data from Blender via File > Export > xbuf, tips : choose the same directory or a subdirectory of assets_path

On your project (myproject)

1. add jme3_xbuf_loader as a depencencies, eg for gradle : ~~~groovy repositories { mavenLocal() jcenter() maven { url “http://updates.jmonkeyengine.org/maven/"} maven { url “https://jitpack.io" } }

def jme3_xbuf_version = ‘213c6a499d’

dependencies { compile ‘org.xbuf.jme3_xbuf:jme3_xbuf_loader:${jme3_xbuf_version}’ …

2. load your xbuf data into your jME app :
~~~java
import jme3_ext_xbuf.XbufLoader;
...
assetManager.registerLoader(XbufLoader.class, "xbuf");
Spatial s = assetManager.loadModel("Models/xxxxx.xbuf");

1. run

See :

• samples/simple for a simplest code to load your model (model not include in this project).
• samples/xbuf_jaime for a runnable sample with Jaime, the jME’s mascot.

Level 3

Use your jME3 application (with all your scene, post-process, UI, …) to render data from/to Blender.

On your project (myproject)

1. add jme3_xbuf_loader as a depencencies, eg for gradle : ~~~groovy repositories { mavenLocal() jcenter() maven { url “http://updates.jmonkeyengine.org/maven/"} maven { url “https://jitpack.io" } }

def jme3_xbuf_version = ‘213c6a499d’

dependencies { compile ‘org.xbuf.jme3_xbuf:jme3_xbuf_loader:${jme3_xbuf_version}’ compile ‘org.xbuf.jme3_xbuf:jme3_xbuf_remote:${jme3_xbuf_version}’ …

2. load your xbuf data into your jME app :
~~~java
import jme3_ext_remote_editor.AppState4RemoteCommand;
import jme3_ext_xbuf.Xbuf;
...
app.setPauseOnLostFocus(false); //<-- Required else remote application will not receive image (eg: blender freeze)
app.getStateManager().attach(new AppState4RemoteCommand(4242, new Xbuf(app.getAssetManager())));

1. run

On Blender

see Level 1 / On Blender