These classes are for loading 3D models in 3DS format into Java 3D.

License:
This code is being provided as a service to the Java 3D community.  It may be used and improved royalty free.  It may not be modified and sold.  All rights are reserved by the author, John Wright, and Starfire Research.  We are asking for a "donation" of $10 to help defray the cost of development and distribution.

Minimal usage code snippet (using Inspector3DS):

import com.mnstarfire.loaders3d.Inspector3DS;
...
Inspector3DS loader = new Inspector3DS("model.3ds"); // constructor
loader.parseIt(); // process the file
TransformGroup theModel = loader.getModel(); // get the resulting 3D model as a Transform Group with Shape3Ds as children

Detailed usage code snippet (using Inspector3DS):

import com.mnstarfire.loaders3d.Inspector3DS;
...
Inspector3DS loader = new Inspector3DS("D:\ThreeD\models\model.3ds");
loader.setLogging(true); // turns on logging to a disk file "log3ds.txt"
loader.setDetail(6); // sets the level of detail to be logged
loader.setTextureLightingOn(); // turns on modulate mode for textures (lighting)
// loader.setTexturePath("D:\MyTextures"); // optional alternative path to find texture files
loader.parseIt();
TransformGroup theModel = loader.getModel();

or (using Loader3DS):

import com.mnstarfire.loaders3d.Loader3DS;
// setup a file name "fileName"
try {
  Loader3DS loader = new Loader3DS();
  // optional options to be used
  // loader.setLogging(true); // turns on writing a log file
  // loader.setDetail(7); // sets level of detail of report log
  // loader.setTextureLightingOn(); // turns on texture modulate mode
  // loader.setTexturePath("D:\MyTextures"); // optional alternate path to find texture files
  // loader.noTextures(); // if you do not want to load textures
  Scene theScene = loader.load(fileName);
}
catch(FileNotFoundException fnf) {
  // Couldn't find the file you requested - deal with it!
}
// Use the scene as per Sun's documentation of SceneBase

Minimal usage code snippet (for using via URL):

import com.mnstarfire.loaders3d.Inspector3DS;
...
URL url = new URL("http://www.company.com/models/sample.3ds");
String urlBase = "http://www.company.com/models/";
...
Inspector3DS loader = new Inspector3DS(url); // constructor
loader.setURLBase(urlBase);
loader.parseIt(); // process the file
TransformGroup theModel = loader.getModel(); // get the resulting 3D model as a Transform Group with Shape3Ds as children

Features:

• Reads geometry and materials (including textures)
• Calculates normals
• Relatively fast file processing & high quality resultant images
• Materials include diffuse, ambient and specular colors; transparency is supported
• Can generate a debug log file detailing the parsing of the 3DS file and the values read.
• Isolated vertices do not need to be eliminated before usage (ie removed in 3D Studio Max prior to exportation)
• Double sided materials are supported
• Named Groups are supported
• Ability to load via URL
• "round" models (humanoids) are better supported via ability to set the crease angle
• Option to not load textures (new)
• Textures cached (new)

• 3DS format supports only 8.3 filenames for textures
• multiple textures assigned to a single object are not properly read
• Debug Log files are generated as Windows standard text files (not sure how readable they will be on other platforms)

• Texture modulate mode supports lighting on textures but also creates a performance hit
• Using models with double sided materials creates a big performance hit (doubles the number of vertices!)
• Version 2.20 introduces texture caching and improved file buffering. Together these can result in real world performance increases on the order of four times faster loading. (new)

• This design is intended to load 3D models not "scenes".
• Lights are ignored (assumed to be provided by the Java 3D scene)
• Animation information is not currently imported or used

Download:

Inspector3DS/Loader3DS - version 2.20 - February 11, 2003 - extract this for documentation and a jar file which must be placed in your class path

We recommend that you "install" this jar file to your "jre\lib\ext\" directory (both for the runtime and SDK if you are a developer).  This should automatically place it in the classpath and require no special setting of a classpath environment variable.

F.A.Q.

Q) Everything seems to work without errors but I don't see the object I'm importing.

A) This is most often due to one of two issues. Sometimes the viewpoint is "inside" the model (often invisible from the inside out). Also often "invisible" models are created in Max, they look fine in Max because of object coloring but don't have materials associated and thus are never imported.

Many people have written and asked how to move the viewpoint. So here is a code snippet of how to move the view in Java 3D:

 

TransformGroup vpTrans = simpleU.getViewingPlatform().getViewPlatformTransform(); Vector3f translate = new Vector3f(); translate.set(0,0,25); // move the view to wherever you want it. Transform3D T3D = new Transform3D(); T3D.setTranslation(translate); vpTrans.setTransform(T3D);

Q) I want to be able to access the individual Shape3Ds that have been imported. And potentially change their appearance.

A) Sun's "J3D Fly Through" code includes "com.sun.j3d.demos.utils.scenegraph.traverser" which is designed to traverse scene graphs to allow you to do things like changing appearances. Or you can do this yourself with code similar to:

BranchGroup sg = loadedScene.getSceneGroup();
Enumeration en = sg.getAllChildren();
traverse(en);

public void traverse (Enumeration e) {
  while(e.hasMoreElements()){
    Object o = e.nextElement();
    if (o instanceof Shape3D){

        // found a Shape3D do what you want with it
    }
    if (o instanceof Group) {
        Group g = (Group) o;
        this.traverse(g.getAllChildren());
    }
  } // end while
} // end traverse

Q) I want to access 3DS files from inside a Jar archive, how do I do that?

A) Here is example code:

  URL url = new java.net.URL("jar:file:/C:/dir/archive.jar!/whatever/model.3ds");
  String base = "jar:file:/C:/dir/archive.jar!/whatever/";
  Loader3DS loader = new Loader3DS();
  loader.setURLBase(base);
  Scene scene = loader.load(url);

    Inspector3DS/Loader3DS - version 1.30 - January 23, 2001 - extract this for documentation and a jar file which must be placed in your class path (this older version will remain available until the new URL support is proven reliable).

Patti Koenig has created "Fastscript3D", this uses our loader to display 3DS files via an applet:

      http://fastscript3d.jpl.nasa.gov/starfire3ds.html