SW to game map export plugin/ add-in

[Mindnumb]

I am currently trying to use a solidworks model to generate a Half-Life 2 map. However, the game engine has some serious limitations regarding what geometry it can render. It seems it can not display concave edges. Does anyone of you brilliant guys know if it exists, or is possible to make, an exporter that breaks up a solidworks model into non concave elements only? Currently I am using a program called softimage XSI Mod tool that can import iges files, but it can not make the map file becaus of all the concave edges. I also have access to other modelling programs for manipulating the model, but it is important that I end up with a iges file that consist of non concave elements....

I know it can be done, because the map tool (hammer) that is used to make hl2 maps have procedures to do just this thing, when for instance inserting a hole in a wall, it splits up the wall geometry to avoid concave. The problem is that I can not even get the solidworks geometry to export from XSI to vmf file format (the Hammer format).

Best regards, Bernt Ødegård, Mech. engineer/designer Alfsen and Gunderson AS, Oslo, Norway.

 

[SBaugh]

SW doens't export anything out other then the options you see in the save as menu. If your other applications can't understand the Translation, then your going to probably need a 3rd application that can understand the data. Otherwise take out the concave elements.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
3DVision Technologies

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376
faq559-716 - SW Fora Users

 

[TheTick]

Perhaps exporting in VRML or STL format? STL breaks shapes into triangles--all straight edges.

 

[Dennyd]

Mindnumb,

Would it work to export your SWX file as an STL file? STL is basically a very fine set of triangular facets.

- - -Dennyd

 

[SBaugh]

But if the Application he is bring it into, doesn't read STL it won't work. I thgught abotu STL, but I figured the other app wouldn't read it. I looked up the "hammer" app he is talking about. "Vavle Hammer" is the application I think he is talking about.

http://collective.valve-erc.com/index.php?go=hammer

Search Yahoo came up with some hits, but I never found anything about what files it opens.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
3DVision Technologies

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376
faq559-716 - SW Fora Users

 

[TheTick]

Chances ae, a video game application can understand VRML.

One possible procedure...
1.) Export model STL.
2.) Reimport STL to SolidWorks--> Now you have a faceted model
3.) Export that to VRML--> Now you have a faceted VRML model with no concave edges

 

[Mindnumb]

thanks a lot for the input, I shall test this very soon.
My application reads iges files, so if solidworks opens the stl files and keeps all the triangles, I might be good !

Thank you very much !