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I want to write a tool in Python that will help me create isometric tiles from 3D-models. You see, I'm not a very proficient artist and free 3D-models are plentisome, and creating something like a table or chair is much easer in 3D than in painting.

This script will load a 3D model in orthographic projection and take pictures from four directions so it can be used in a game. I've tried this in Blender, but the results are inconsistent, very difficult to control and take very long time to create simple sprites.

Rolling my own script will probably let me do neat things too, especially batch-genetration, maybe on texture changes, shading, etc. The game itself will probably be made in Python tpp, so maybe I could generate on the fly. (Edit: and automatically creat cut out see-through walls for when they face camera)

Now my question, what Python libraries can do something like this? I've checked both Pyglet and Panda3D, but I haven't even been able to load a model, let alone set it to orthographic projection.

John Smith
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  • Can you add details on which 3d model format(s) you want? – Danny Staple Nov 03 '12 at 11:54
  • That's less important, I've consistently been lowering my expectations since I haven't gotten it to work. I run Linux, so I have Blender installed, but that's mostly black magic to me. Formats supported by Sketchup would be nice, it's easy to use (and they have a large library of simple models I can modify, retexture etc wihout feeling too guilty).I can probably convert between most formats though t, right? I suppose something more native to OpenGL would be easier.I'm willing to learn any 3D software, really, as long as I can just get isometric tiles out of it in the end. – John Smith Nov 03 '12 at 12:03
  • It doesn't have to support quadrillions of polygons and cloths and furs and stuff, it'll kind of be an sandboxish RPG with slightly old-school graphics with some sneaking; if you've played Deus Ex, I liked just randomly lockpicking some apparment door, finding some hidden stash with money, hacking a computer and suddenly finding youself in a side-quest. I don't know much about 3D and its formats which is why I want 2D isometric sprites/tiles, any should do :) – John Smith Nov 03 '12 at 12:14
  • And I suppose some format native to OpenGL would make it easiest. – John Smith Nov 03 '12 at 12:16
  • I must be high or something my English typing is way worse than usual. I meant to write apparently, not transparently. – John Smith Nov 03 '12 at 22:59

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I found this code:

www.pygame.org/wiki/OBJFileLoader

It let me load and display an .obj file of a cube from Blender with ease. It runs PyOpenGL so it should let me do everything OpenGL can. Never knew OpenGL was so low-level, didn't realize I'd have to write my own loaders and everything.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I can modify this to project isometrically, rotate the object and grab shots and combine them into sprites. Thanks you guys!

John Smith
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    These limits are insane, first I can't post my own solution for 8 hours, then I can't mark my own question as solved for another two days.. – John Smith Nov 03 '12 at 23:04
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Since you looked at Panda3D - if you can convert your model to the 'egg' format (which blender/maya may do), then you could be able to import it.

https://www.panda3d.org/manual/index.php/Loading_Models

https://www.panda3d.org/manual/index.php/Models_and_Actors

http://www.panda3d.org/manual/index.php/Converting_from_Blender

Note: sources of this was 'python 3d mesh loader' in a popular search engine - this looks viable to me. I now need to try installing it and some code...

Danny Staple
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  • So I've installed the 'YABEE' extension - https://code.google.com/p/yabee/ - into Blender, then exported model. I've installed the pand3da sdk on a mac - ughh -2.5.6, it's usign the system interpreter - a little nasty, could see if I can make it work with a 2.7.x, and an unforewarned Nvidia tool dependancy. – Danny Staple Nov 04 '12 at 00:01