FIRST Model Library

[John Gutmann]

I was just thinking, even though I am no animator, what if someone were to make a place parallel to firstcadlibrary.com but for 3-d Studio max models?

Is anyone interested in this idea? if so post here or pm me, I may know some people who will wanna help.

[rappo]

Well, there is a plugin for 3D Studio Max that allows you to import Inventor files (I think IGES is one of them), so most of the files off of FIRST Cad Library are probably already fairly compatible. Also, I'm not sure if all the separate parts are very good things to take into 3D Studio Max. From personal experience, taking the full robot from Inventor into 3DSM is the best way to go :P

[Capt.ArD]

3DSM is more like art than mechanics. The model library would be a good idea, but it will eventually end up taking the creativity out of the competition, because rookie teams would use the library for their difficult models. For inventor it is okay, because a gear is a gear, or a piston a piston, no matter who makes it.

If you want a library of game pieces or robot parts like for inventor, that would work. But i think it would be a bad idea to put cars and fish and spaceships and pre-rigged characters, etc in a free library. would take the fun out of animating.

[jdiwnab]

I disagree in that having one very complex model done and real looking lets you concentrate on more creative things. The whole team is designing the robot, your Inventor people make their model exact, why should you re-do it for creativity's sake? At the point where you are in robot design (as far as 3DSM not that you don't help else where), the robot's design and look are fact. But just having your robot in a movie is dull. You have to be creative to have it do something and have other stuff do things around it. Now it might be something if you wanted to change the look of the robot, where you could re-to it or adapt the model that is already done. But I agree with sandrag: use the Inventor model(s).

[Greg Perkins]

Not related to animation, but is there no Virtual Kit Of Parts this year?

[ebmonon36]

The VKP should be up on Streamline. The information is contained in this (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41189&highlight=2006+virtual+kit+parts) email blast. It is on there in a 24MB zip file.

As far as animation, I always port the parts from inventor also, however when they get into 3ds, the poly count is so high that they are almost unusable unless they are optimized. When the "Optimize" function is used, sometimes to get the part down to reasonable poly count, it will distort the shape of the part. I have, on several occasions, ported the parts and then used that as a model to make my own part with a much lower poly count than the inventor model, but with the same visual outcome. By now, I have my own personal collection of these models that I have made and use them when I need parts in 3ds.
ERic

[BuddyB309]

I think a website for extra movies you could make after the competition with your models would be great. I found out that If you rig your model up probably, animation very easy but time consuming.

Any ideas where I can get a free thousand dollars motion capture camera set? :)