LWO importer/exporter for 2.69+

Looking for someone to either port LWO export/import add-on from Blender 2.49 to Blender 2.69+, or improve existing LWO import add-on and create LWO export add-on.

Export add-on only needs to export static meshes, with multi-UVs, vertex color, multi-material, multi-mesh, vertex normals, etc.

Please e-mail me at jobs AT kot-in-action.com

I had made several attempts, but my coding skills have yet to make it work… close, but not close enough. Glad to see someone else who thinks this is important, as I move back and forth between Blender, Lightwave, modo, and 3D-Coat, and exporting from Blender is the BIG stumbling block in my workflow, as I tend to stay with LWO. I hope you are able to find someone up to the task. I keep thinking that it shouldn’t be that hard, as there is Importing already, and the ‘old exporter’ that needs updating…
Paul

Well, I wonder if it’s even feasible to find such programmer here :confused:

I might as well just post on BlenderNetwork.

That would be incredibly useful. Any progress made so far? I 'd even be willing to sponsor this financially with a small donation. Perhaps we can get some interested users together to support it with donations. It would be easier to find a developer prepared to develop an updated lwo importer/exporter.

I too, would be willing to donate some funds to this, much needed addition. There is a exporting script for 2.49, but I no long run that version on my station. It seems (?) that it shouldn’t be that had to port it to the 2.7+ Blender by updating the relevant bits of code that have changed in the interval of time. Motosep, up above, threatened (?) to check over on BlenderNation for a coding person, but I did not see any evidence yet. Please, someone??!!

Hi motorsep,

Circumstances are I have some time to work on something at the moment and since this would benefit the Blender community as a whole, Im inclined to take on the job.
Just looked at the old exporter quickly and it seems quite comprehensive, only missing vertex normals, which I could add if Blender Python API already supports them. Is the current importer good enough or does it need work too?
I would be interested to get some pay out of this, since things are quite dense projectwise lately. We could talk here (or on Google+) whenever you (or anyone else) wants too. Maybe getting funding ould be done by launching a mini “crowd-funding” thread on the forum?

I don’t know how to finesse the funding, maybe someone else has an idea, but I would contribute to the development. It shouldn’t be all that difficult (he says innocently) as the old exporter worked on 2.49, so mostly it is the changes to Python?? I think that the Importer works okay, maybe someone else could comment. I did create an init.py file in a folder to parallel the structure of the io_scene_fbx and other Importer/Exporters, and got it to work except for the Exporter portion kept throwing errors that I didn’t yet know how to problem solve, outside of my “coding” depth. Anyway, I think this is worth supporting and maintaining, as LWO is a useful format and I don’t know why the Exporter was dropped???
Motorsep, in the first post said, “Please e-mail me at jobs AT kot-in-action.com

I started work on the Lightwave exporter today. Its progressing nicely. But as always coding goes slow.
I talked with motorsep about pay for this but additional donations are more than welcome. Use the “donate” button on the top ofthis page.

Thanks for all people who participated and responded.

We (@paleajed actually did) tried porting original LWO exporter from 2.49, and I tried using 2.49 exporter with 2.49. It produces Lightwave compatible LWO files. However the output it produces is incompatible with Doom 3 (something has to do with formatting of the file and how meshes/surfaces/UVs are represented). Therefore I abandon the idea of using LWO files for the game. Will stick with ASE format instead.

Motorsep, Hello… So? Did you try the new script that iPLEOMAX created to see if it generates a more compatible LWO file?? Just curious, since it was your request that prompted the new exporter. I hope that Blender keeps it updated until a more established common format is agreed upon, as I am frequently moving files back and forth, making the best use of each of the programs.

Well, exporter I needed should have worked for Doom 3. I didn’t really see this issue coming :frowning:

We tried and tested and had some progress making it more compatible but it would take weeks to get it done right. If you open Doom 3 LWO files and Blender generated ones in Notepad++, you’ll see files are very different.

Right now LWO users should be happy as it just works - export from LWO can be loaded in Blender and vice versa.

Here is source code for LWO loader in Doom 3: https://github.com/RobertBeckebans/RBDOOM-3-BFG/blob/master/neo/renderer/Model_lwo.cpp and if anyone has a lot of free time on their hands, please check it out and see what’s required from LWO file. Maybe Blender’s exporter can be adjusted to produce LWO files that follow original specs strictly.