Go Back   AC3D Forums > General > AC3D Work In Progress / Showcase
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 26th July 2008, 06:50 PM   #1
ggunhouse
Junior Member
Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 23
Default Immersive 3D environments on the web using AC3D and Blink 3D

Hi, everyone,

I've been using AC3D for a couple of years now, mainly as a tool for creating virtual worlds for art-history teaching. By "virtual worlds" I mean immersive 3D environments that users can move around in and explore on their own, instead of just watching movies or looking at screenshots. To create my 3D web spaces, I've been using Blink 3D (http://www.pelicancrossing.com), but I do all my 3D modelling with AC3D. Since Blink uses OGRE meshes, I have to export my models from AC3D using an exporter (Pelican Crossing offers an AC3D-to-OGRE exporter based on one written by Kojack). I then import the OGRE mesh into Blink. Sometimes I bring the AC3D model into Gile[s], light it, and then export the models and lightmaps in OGRE format. Either method works pretty well.

Here is a screenshot of the garden in my virtual Roman house:



And here's a view of the atrium of the same building:



You can find more images of my various Blink 3D environments (all made with AC3D) at http://www.gsu.edu/~artwgg/atmos.htm . That page includes links to the web environments themselves, which you can visit for yourself if you get the inDuality browser plug-in from pelicancrossing.com.

I also have a web page devoted to Blink 3D at http://www.blink3dworld.com .

You can watch some YouTube videos of my AC3D/Bllink 3D environments on my YouTube channel ( http://www.youtube.com/ggunhouse ).

You could make your own web-accessible 3D models or environments by getting Blink 3D and the AC3D OGRE exporter. There is a fully-functional 30-day trial version of the standard version of Blink 3D, as well as lower-cost Lite version and free Ultra-Lite version. I see a lot of great models in the AC3D showcase. It would be nice to see some of them made available on the web using Blink 3D.

I know a lot of AC3D users are interested in Second Life. Blink 3D differs from Second Life in that the 3D worlds created with Blink 3D are hosted on standard web sites, rather than on a central grid. You don't have to buy or rent virtual real estate. All you need is space on a web server. Blink environments can be set up as mulit-user environments, in which people can meet and chat with one another in the guise of avatars. Blink uses XMPP (jabber). You can set up your own xmpp server (using Openfire, for example) or you can also use public jabber servers. Some of my Blink environments are chat-enabled (for example, http://www.blink3dworld.com/environm...ficesquare.htm ). If you get the inDuality browser plug-in and visit one of them, you may meet others there and talk to them.

By the way, I am just a user of Blink 3D (and AC3D). I am not an employee of Pelican Crossing. I have no financial interest in Blink 3D, but would like to see it thrive, and am doing what I can to spread the word about it, and AC3D.

Last edited by ggunhouse; 26th July 2008 at 07:22 PM.
ggunhouse is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 27th July 2008, 04:12 AM   #2
Mossie
Senior Member
Professional user
 
Mossie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 369
Default Re: Immersive 3D environments on the web using AC3D and Blink 3D

Very interesting work, nice modells as well. Interesting tool set, may be of use to me for building a virtual Fokker Flugzeugwerkes for someone who is building real WWI aircraft in Germany.

I'll get him to have a look.
__________________
Regards, Gerry "Mossie" Mos
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
WW1 Aircraft Library
http://ww1-aircraft.info/

Mossie 3D CAD, "Prompt and Precise"
http://mossie3dcad.com/
Mossie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28th July 2008, 02:53 PM   #3
lisa
Senior Member
Professional user
 
lisa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 917
Default Re: Immersive 3D environments on the web using AC3D and Blink 3D

Nice model! Just curious, is the lighting in Bink or baked into the model?
lisa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28th July 2008, 05:04 PM   #4
tbd
Senior Member
Professional user
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Norway
Posts: 883
Default Re: Immersive 3D environments on the web using AC3D and Blink 3D

Really nice models.
tbd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15th September 2008, 09:46 AM   #5
ggunhouse
Junior Member
Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 23
Default Re: Immersive 3D environments on the web using AC3D and Blink 3D

Quote:
Originally Posted by lisa View Post
Just curious, is the lighting in Bink or baked into the model?
Blink 3D allows for dynamic lighting, but in a model this complex the calculation of shadows can slow the frame rate, so I lit the model with Gile[s] and used lightmaps instead of dynamic lighting. The shadows are not "baked" in the sense of being combined with existing textures to produce a new texture. The lightmap image is just blended with the texture images when the Blink environment is loaded.
ggunhouse is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:02 PM.


AC3D Forum
(C) Inivis Limited 2020