I like the b3d file format - very simply laid out and chunk based so that you can add to it without breaking it.
I too have written importers and exporters for the .b3d file format. I think basically if you don't like it, you don't have to like it - you can use .x or even write your own.
It is fairly blitz centric - but then it is the blitz 3d file format.
I am hoping though, that mark does away with the ridiculous notion of surfaces in Blitzmax.
re: xrefs - mark once said a couple of years ago in an email to me that he'd be interested in xref stuff, that is - you have one mesh in memory and the engine optimises for this when it's used several times.
The real power of xrefs would be for detail objects in games like quake3. This is where the lighting is usually baked with the object (1 or 2 uv channels) then the object, self contained is added to the level and x-referenced. It's only one object in the file format but many in game.
Obviously they need to be pre-baked and pre-lightmapped and you can't lightmap them once you've positioned them.
It's uses are definately worth having in the file format.
I too have written importers and exporters for the .b3d file format. I think basically if you don't like it, you don't have to like it - you can use .x or even write your own.
It is fairly blitz centric - but then it is the blitz 3d file format.
I am hoping though, that mark does away with the ridiculous notion of surfaces in Blitzmax.
re: xrefs - mark once said a couple of years ago in an email to me that he'd be interested in xref stuff, that is - you have one mesh in memory and the engine optimises for this when it's used several times.
The real power of xrefs would be for detail objects in games like quake3. This is where the lighting is usually baked with the object (1 or 2 uv channels) then the object, self contained is added to the level and x-referenced. It's only one object in the file format but many in game.
Obviously they need to be pre-baked and pre-lightmapped and you can't lightmap them once you've positioned them.
It's uses are definately worth having in the file format.