Re: .obj question

[Erik <br0ke@math.smsu.edu>]

On 13-Jan-2000 Steve Baker wrote:
> Erik wrote:
> 
>> there is a vn flag which specifies a vertex normal, unfortunantly the models
>> I
>> have are sans normals.
> 
> It wouldn't help - the VERTEX normal is a very different thing
> from a POLYGON normal.  The vertex normals are typically some
> kind of average of the normals of all the polygons that share
> that vertex.  This may be a useful *hint* as to which way the
> polygon should point - but it's easy to come up with pathalogical
> cases that break this.
>  

Vertex normal is what you want for smooth shading opengl objects :) I'd
re-implemented my convert to use cw before you responded about that, and was
generating the polygon normals, then summing and normalizing those to store as
my vertex normals, but it was still pharked up :/ I may need to throw away 3
days of work and the models I had made and use 3ds or lwo or something :/ 

>> > There was a long debate about ways to possibly work around this on the
>> > OPENGL-GAMEDEV list maybe a year ago.
>> >
>> 
>> which one? I was told to get on one for good convo and all they do is flame
>> everyone for being off topic (I'm not even sure what the topic is, but
>> apperantly it's not opengl and it's not gamedev even tho those words are in
>> the
>> list name). opengl_gamedev_l is the one I see you talking in, so it's probly
>> that one :)
> 
> You are probably thinking of OGL-GAMEDEV-C, the grandiosely named
> "OpenGL Developers Consortium" (which it isn't BTW).
> 

consortium, that's what the C's for... I've been trying to figure it out but
have been clueless, thinking maybe it was for "card" since they flame everyone
with a programming or software type question, but like to talk about
non-standard card features and how great they are :/

> OPENGL-GAMEDEV-L is pretty friendly - and wouldn't have flamed you
> for asking that kind of question.
> 
> The *other* two lists of similar name are:
> 
>    OPENGL-ADVOCACY-L which is really only there to remove
>      tiresome "OpenGL versus D3D" debates from OPENGL-GAMEDEV-L
> 
>    OGL-GAMEDEV-C which is *supposed* to be only about collecting
>      and documenting bugs and extensions in OpenGL drivers and
>      pressing the vendors to get them fixed.
> 
> I have always believed that the OGL-GAMEDEV-C list would degenerate
> into just being a clone of the OPENGL-GAMEDEV-L list - and that's
> a VERY bad thing.  The owner of the list insists it won't - and
> he does flame people for asking "how do I do this" questions.
> 
> Personally, I want OGL-GAMEDEV-C to disappear - and I think it
> will...eventually.
> 

_C is the one, I was told to sign up for it for good opengl info, and have only
seen a bunch of egotistical assholes demonstrating how *NOT* to run a mailing
list... :/ 

>> I think some of the polys I have are double-faced, to boot.
>> Like the rudders and canards. Durnit, wasted days for picking
>> the wrong format :)
> 
> If you have a mixture of single- and double-faced then you are
> certainly screwed.  You need a better file format.
> 

Do you have any suggestions? I'm considering hand-editing the models I have
(ones 1652 faces, the others only 132), or attempting to switch formats and
start over :/ ). I looked on the web for specs on .3ds files, but the few hits
that looked promising were dead links :/ 

> --
> Steve Baker                (817)619-2657 (Vox/Vox-Mail)
> Raytheon Systems Inc.      (817)619-2466 (Fax)
> Work: sjbaker@hti.com      http://www.hti.com
> Home: sjbaker1@airmail.net http://web2.airmail.net/sjbaker1
> 
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        -Erik <erik@smluc.org> [http://math.smsu.edu/~br0ke]

The opinions expressed by me are not necessarily opinions. In all
probability, they are random rambling, and to be ignored. Failure to ignore
may result in severe boredom or confusion. Shake well before opening. Keep
Refrigerated.