Blender and Carrara Plugins

Lightwave LWO Import for Blender

Update to a LWO importer I found online. This version has been modified to enable the import of several lwo files at one time, option to combine UV maps into 1 uv map and an option to read pcx image references as if they were png image references. File dialog will filter by .lwo file extension and will connect the shader texture node if needed

Reasons for the update

Inconvenient to load 1 file at a time

PCX images files not supported in Blender so I convert them to png before importing

Exported lwo files from the DeusEx meshtool created separate UVs for each material definition. I needed 1 uv only.

Installation:

start Blender
Edit > Preferences
Add-ons
Press Install... and choose the zip archive
Find Import-Export: Import Lightwave Objects and check the box to activate it

Notes

Combine UVs wil combine all the object UVs into 1 map
Convert PCX when a PCX image reference is encountered it will look for a PNG file with the same name instead
developed in Blender v2.93
works with lightwave lwo files up to Lightwave 2015 version

October 19, 2024

fix to allow for Eevee Next

August 27, 2021

Miscelleneous Blender 2.80 Scripts

Blender scripts for saving backup scenes, center the selection without framing it and building nurbs surfaces from bezier curves.

CenterOnSelection.py

SaveWithBackup.py

ConvertBezierToSurface.py

right click the links above to download

Installation:

save the python file to the scripts/addons folder or some other convenient place
go to Blender Files -> User Preferences -> Add-ons
click the Install from File button and locate the python file
click the Install from File... button to load it
enable the addon by clicking it's checkbox
press the Save User Settings button

Center To Selection:

Center - will center the view on the selected object without framing up on it
The cursor appearance does not update properly after using the tool. Click anywhere in the 3d view to unstick it and move it back to it's original position.

Save Scene:

Save with backup - will save the scene along with a backup version of the scene
The backup files will be placed in a folder next to the scene file. The folder name will be "Backup".
The backup files will be named with the current date and time.
The file name format is filename_{Year}{Month}{Day}{Hour}{Minute}{Second}.blend
example file name: "testname_20200522195250.blend"

Bezier To Surface usage:

Create a series of bezier curves to be "skinned"
Set the number of Intermediate Segments desired
Press Start Bezier Selection and shift select the curves 1 by 1
Press End Bezier Selection to exit the tool and create the nurbs surface
Press Cancel to exit the tool without creating a nurbs surface

Notes:

The scene has to be saved once before the backup save will work.
Intermediate Segments are used for manual smoothing of the surface.
Center To Selection is an attempt to have the "numpad ."" action without the zoom in.
Box selection cannot be used with the Bezier to Surface script. Curves must be added to the selection one at a time in order.
Bezier to Surface result can be adjusted by editing the Active Spline parameters for the surface.
The resulting default appearance from Bezier to Surface tool is that the surface passes through each curve profile.
Increase Order V for greater smoothing between the "curves" of the surface.
For a bezier style surface use 6 (or 9,12,15...) profile curves, check Bezier V, uncheck Endpoint V and set Order V to 4

June 7, 2020

Lightwave Mode MDD Export for Blender

Blender script for writing MDD files compatible with Lightwave. The Lightwave mode checkbox exports the MDD with the proper orientation for use in Lightwave. Made for Blender v2.74

Blender 2.8 version - untested

Blender 2.74 version

Installation:

unzip to the script/addons folder
start Blender
File - User Preferences
Add-ons
Support Level set to "Testing"
Find Import-Export: Newtek MDD Format and check the box
Press the Save User Settings button

Feb 7 2020

blender 2.8 version

May 2, 2015

trueSpace Object(cob) and Scene(scn) Import for Blender

Blender script for reading binary format trueSpace cob files. Script only reads polygon geometry. It does not work with ascii format files. Made for Blender v2.82

right click the link above to download

Installation:

save the python file to the scripts/addons folder or some other convenient place
go to Blender Files -> User Preferences -> Add-ons
click the Install from File button and locate the python file
click the Install from File... button to load it
enable the addon by clicking it's checkbox
press the Save User Settings button

Notes 2.82:

reads scn files
reads polygons, curves, camera and lights
camera fov not imported
limited material import: color and texture map and bump map
transform animations imported
import nurbs patch
the nurbs surface will have 2 extra rows and columns of control points compared to a trueSpace nurbs patch
a polyhedron mesh will also import along with the nurbs patch

Blender 2.74 version download

June 7, 2020

import nurbs patch
improved error messages
diffuse color requires alpha value - sometime after 2.80 beta

Dec 19 2018

added uvmap node to textured materials

Dec 17 2018

material import added
found strange bug in curve import - handles are out of wack, but still work
color textures import but dont always show up
3 crude procedural textures - cubes, wrapped checker and wrapped textured brick

Dec 16 2018 later

animation import for rotation, scale and translation

Dec 16 2018

all rotations were wrong - fixed
light and camera rotations working properly

Dec 6, 2018

import scene layers into collections

Dec 6, 2018

fixed rotations for curves and meshes
light rotations off by 180 degrees

Dec 5, 2018

removed rotations - now only scale and position
reads scn file extension
reads lights

Dec 4, 2018 - blender 2.80 beta version

Dec 4, 2018

blender 2.80 beta version
added curve import (2.80)
added transformation import (2.80)

May 2, 2015

trueSpace COB Object Export for Blender

Blender script for writing binary format trueSpace cob files. Script only writes selected polygon geometry, bezier curves and nurbs surfaces with a specific bezier like format. Made for Blender v2.82

right click the link above to download

Installation:

save the python file to the scripts/addons folder or some other convenient place
go to Blender Files -> User Preferences -> Add-ons
click the Install from File button and locate the python file
click the Install from File... button to load it
enable the addon by clicking it's checkbox
press the Save User Settings button

Usage:

make selection then file save

Notes:

diffuse color will export for non-node materials
mesh vertex color will export
only bezier type curves with at least 6 control points will export

Nurbs Surface Notes:

must have at least 6 control points in each direction
number of control points in u and v directions must be 6,9,12,15...
check bezier in U and V to match trueSpace appearance
order 4 in u and v
cycle u and v off - maybe ok if first and last cp are at the same location

June 7, 2020

ASE Export for Carrara 7

This plugin for Carrara will export a vertex mesh in the ASE(Ascii Scene Exporter) format. It can be used to import static meshes to the Unreal and Doom3 game engines. The UDK imports FBX format static meshes from Carrara, so this plugin is not needed for importing static meshes from Carrara to the UDK. Click the link above to download.

Close Carrara and unzip the ASE.DAT, ASE.TXT and ASE.MCX files to the Extensions folder to install the plugin.

Select a simple, non hierarchical object, no groups allowed, and export it.; Don't use the save or save as menu options. Only export works. Texture information will only be read from the selected object. All geometry in the scene will be exported and objects with special names will import into unrealed as collision objects.

Unreal collision objects

Collisions meshes are created by using special names on extra geometry in the scene.

For UT3 use the following prefixes to create collision objects

UBX_ - Box
USP_ - Sphere
UCX_ - Mesh

For UT2004 and eariler use the following prefixes on the mesh names

MCDBX_ - Box
MCDSP_ - Sphere
MCDCY_ - Cylinder
MCDCX_ - Mesh

Unreal plugins for Carrara 4 and 5 can be found here.

An untested Carrara 8 plugin can be found at the bottom of this page.

September 14, 2010

Unreal PSK Export for Carrara 7

This plugin for Carrara will export a skeletal mesh to the PSK format and animation in the PSA format used by the Unreal game engine. Click the link above to download.

Please read the notes below. This plugin was written with zero error checking . If you get an error exit out of Carrara.

Close Carrara and unzip the PSK.DAT, PSK.TXT and PSK.MCX files to the Extensions folder to install the plugin.

Select the root bone, the topmost bone of the hierarchy and choose Export in the file menu. Choose PSK as the file format and save it. A PSA(animation) file will also be written to the same folder and will be named "Carranim.psa"

Limitations, Rules and Notes:

The skeleton must be attached to a single polymesh object.
The mesh object must be made of triangles only.
All the bone names must be unique.
The skeleton must not be scaled at any time.
Maximum of 8 textures(Built in characters usually use 2 textures).
BVH import adds a space to bones names. Be sure there are no extra spaces at the end of the PSK file name or Unrealed will not import it properly.
The UV editor must be used to get good results in texture translation.
A maximum of 800 bones are allowed.
Unreal Engine is limited to 4 bone influences per point/vertex.
To import several animations into Unrealed use the "Merge sequences into existing" option after renaming the animation inside Unrealed.
BVH import - do NOT scale the skeleton on import, but use the scale from the bvh file.
The animation play range determines the frames that will be exported.
Mesh at frame 0 is taken as the default pose.
Export PSK and PSA separately unless the first frame of the animation is the default pose.
- 1. Export a PSK file with a default pose at frame zero.
- 2. Export PSK file to get the animation, but don't use the resulting PSK file.

UT3/UDK skeletons for Carrara 7 - includes skeletons for Male, Female, Krall and Corrupt characters and the first person skeleton. Also includes a skinned sample of the Male character(not perfect, just something I threw together for testing purposes). Do not scale the skeletons or any part of the skeletons.

FBX meshes - exported from 3dsmax, can be used to load the character meshes. Note that the Krall imports as a tiny character inside a giant gun. It's best to orient and resize the character mesh to the skeleton by using the vertex editor. It may or may not give trouble if done using the scene transform controls.

OBJ format meshes - includes all except the Corrupt character mesh.

UT2003 skeletons and UT2004 skeletons - in most cases the skeletons are the same with small differences here and there.

Unreal plugins for Carrara 4 and 5 can be found here.

An untested Carrara 8 plugin can be found at the bottom of this page.

September 12, 2010

Unreal T3D Export for Carrara 7

This plugin for Carrara will export a vertex mesh to the Unreal T3D format. It can be used to import brushes or an entire scene(of vertex meshes) to the Unreal game engine. A single object will export as a t3d brush. Nothing selected will result in a t3d map file. Click the link above to download.

Close Carrara and unzip the T3D.DAT, T3D.TXT and T3D.MCX files to the Extensions folder to install the plugin.

To write a brush file select the vertex object and then save it/export it as a T3D format file. To write a map file deselect all objects and save as a T3D format file. Single object, brush, export does not support hierarchical structures, so no grouping is allowed. Map export(nothing selected) does support grouped objects. All geometry is exported as CSG Add type brushes and static mesh references.

The object texture mappings are jumbled when imported into the Unreal editor. Use the texture mapping inside ued to fix it. Select the surface, right click and choose surface properties.

Objects that have an "SM_" prefix will act as place holders for static meshes. The name must be the full name used in the unreal editor. example: "SM_HU_Deco3.SM.Mesh.S_HU_Deco_SM_VentWheel01" will load into the editor as the "HU_Deco3.SM.Mesh.S_HU_Deco_SM_VentWheel01" static mesh included in the UDK.

If static meshes are used, they must be fully loaded before importing the t3d map to Unreal. Static meshes can be exported from UDK as obj format files. Be sure the mesh is at the origin before exporting for the best result.

The t3d map file generated by this plugin is compatible with UT3 and UDK. It may or may not work with earlier versions of Unreal. You can use a text editor to remove the lines of the t3d map file to make it compatible:
"Begin Level NAME=PersistentLevel"
"End Level"
This may or may not work since I haven't tested with ealier versions.

The plugin does not export lights or any kind of animation.

Unreal plugins for Carrara 4 and 5 can be found here.

An untested Carrara 8 plugin can be found at the bottom of this page.

September 17, 2010