First contact with AC3D

The AC3D is a powerful tool of creation of surroundings 3D, whose minimum size and power withstand matchless to other publishers 3D of the market. Its main characteristic that makes apt for the BVE is that it can export archives in VMRL-1 although also VMRL-2 and 3 and diverse formats can more in, nevertheless the one than it interests to us is the VMRL-1. It is possible to say that any other publisher in 3D that can export archives in VMRL-1 can be used later with utility CONVOB3D to turn it a legible object for the BVE. Programs also exist by Internet numerous that can turn great amount of formats of diverse programs of 3D, formats such as 3DS(3d Studio, dxf (Autocad), in format VMRL-1, reason why would not either be necessary that the program 3D to export to this format. A program that makes these functions of conversion is by example the CROSSROADS, a powerful tool that will allow us to turn great variety of formats.

In order to explain this novel method created by BVESPANISH  to create objects in 3D in BVE, that better than to make a project example of creation of a simple bridge, like usable object in  BVE. You can also download a sample VIDEO , that demostrate how build a object with AC3D, this video you must view in FULL SCREEN ,  , DOWNLOAD video B3Dvideo.zip 1MB 2 min 40 seg time.

First we will explain the commands of the program who we used to create objects for BVE.

To = It is here where are to us the values for three vertexs X, and, z, these values work in meters, reason why a value of 1, means a meter. These values are modified automatically.

B = This section is used to select either a group of objects GROUP, or a part of object OBJECT, or if we also want we can select vertices VERTEX.

C = This part is important, because if this selected the square in ROTATE, we will be able to rotate an object, and if it is in MOVESIZE, we can alter its dimension and change it of site.

D = the function that we will use here will be only  RECT ,POLY(to 4 vertexs) and LINE(with 4 vertex, with this function you cannot apply textures) (creation of sides of four vertexs), the rest of functions like BOX, MESH, etc.. do not have to be used if it is going away to create an object for the BVE.

E = in this window is the frontal part of an object.

F = Show the sides of the object, lateral View.

G = View the object seen from above.

H = View  object in 3D

I = is Here where we will place the name of each part of the object which we create, is important to know that it cannot be written name with spaces, but in CONVOB3D it will not read it when turning it. The names of the objects can be put or be left it as this without altering it, although is advisable to put to each part of the object a name.

J = If we do click in each button we will aislate any window and one will be in great.

Other things that we will have to know are that to make a ZOOM  in a window we must press the right button of the mouse and move it of above to low. If what we want is to move by the window, it has to take control of the keys of the cursor.

Once known the functions basic that are used for the creation of objects in BVE, we began our project, that consists as we said in a simple BRIDGE.

First of everything we will construct the columns of the bridge, For it:

•  We do click in RECT, and go to FRONT window.
• We maintain pressed the left button of the mouse to draw the column in the wished place.
• We controlled the height of the column, watching the new variables that appear To, that they are W (width), H(height), if we see that the height is too small we will have to reduce the zoom  in the window front.

The result will be something thus

If we want  move or size the object, only we must locate the cursor within him and maintain pressed the right button of the mouse, although also we can change its size, locating to us in each green square of the object, expanding it or contracting it.

Finally we wrote the name this part of the object.

Now we must create the second column, normally would be due to create of the same form, but a more effective method exists, and is the one to use the function to copy and paste. For it we do click in EDIT, COPY , and after PASTE, and we already have the opposed column of the object, Now single is to locate it in the other side of the bridge, as simple as to take and to drag.

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Now we will place the ceiling. We located in the window PLAN, to see the object from above. We  click in RECT and we draw the ceiling.

 In order to raise the ceiling, we located  in the SIDE window, selected the ceiling and we raised it for above.

Now we will create the sides of the bridge, for it we located ourselves in the window of  SIDE, to draw them.

As we see the side has left in the center of the object, reason why it is necessary to move it to the left. For it we located in the window PLAN and we moved it.

And finally we make another copy of this object and make the same operation that with the columns.

We already have our elaborated bridge. Now we will apply a texture to him. For it we are selecting each part of our bridge and from menu OBJECT we selected to TEXTURE and  LOAD TEXTURE where we will select the texture to apply. Also we can apply all a texture to all for it the at the same time select objects of all the objects and we loaded the texture.

According to the texture that you insert will be left something thus, seeing the result in real time. If you want you can locate in the window 3D and   rotate the object, to approach it etc.

Also you can  manipulate the texture to place it in its suitable site, or to make duplications of the texture within an object, for it from menu OBJECT you select, TEXTURE, and  TEXTURE OFFSET/REPEAT, of this form we will manipulate the repetitions and offset of a texture, since upon some objects it can agree to us to conduct this operation.

Before exporting the file we must do  the following thing, that is very IMPORTANT. In the option FLIP that is upon the windows of views, with three values XYZ, we must do click, first in X and after in Z. It is thus because the BVE reads the objects in opposite sense, and if we did not conduct this operation, when including our object to a route, this will appear in opposed sense, with the right side in the left one and vice versa. Of this form there will be no problem and the object will be in perfect conditions for its use. Also you can use button Y for flip vertical your object if it is necessary.  

Once finalized the creation of the object, we will come to export it to format VRML-1, is very important that it is in this format whose extension is WRL. From the menu IT CASES OUT, we selected EXPORT, and we selected VRML-1   , and we kept it within the directory from the BVE where we have created the object, directory which also must contain the texture that we have applied and program CONVOB3D.

Once exported already we can close the AC3D and we located ourselves now in the directory of the BVE where we have kept the object. In order to turn the B3D, we must solely make the following thing:

We do click on the file of the bridge with extension WRL that we have created, we maintain pressed click and we dragged it on program CONVOB3D, and automatically file B3D, usable in BVE will be created. If you want  verify that the object is totally identical to which we have created using program ESTRUCTUREVIEWER.

It is very important to know that many of the options of the AC3D we cannot use them, reason why if we obtain an object that nothing is looked like the created one is because we have made use of some function that cannot read the BVE. If you centrais in the saying in the tutorial not tendreis no problem.