Exploring Blend4web capabilty
12 December 2015 06:53
Hi, I'm looking for solutions to create interactive presentation and Blend4web is looking like a great tool.
However, the way I create my scene requires
- animating modifier parameters, something like generating objects along the curve with Array modifier, change the thickness of Solidify modifier, etc.
- animating multiple shape keys at the same time with custom properties defined in the armature.
- use vector graphics elements; svg.
- restrict camera movement so the composition is not destroyed by user interaction.
- play idle action in NLA while waiting for user input.
- change to another scene after user hit some keys.
I wonder if these can be done in Blend4web?
Can the simple logic - like waiting for user input and switch to next scene - be done entirely in visual programming interface?
However, the way I create my scene requires
- animating modifier parameters, something like generating objects along the curve with Array modifier, change the thickness of Solidify modifier, etc.
- animating multiple shape keys at the same time with custom properties defined in the armature.
- use vector graphics elements; svg.
- restrict camera movement so the composition is not destroyed by user interaction.
- play idle action in NLA while waiting for user input.
- change to another scene after user hit some keys.
I wonder if these can be done in Blend4web?
Can the simple logic - like waiting for user input and switch to next scene - be done entirely in visual programming interface?
13 December 2015 04:40
While I, as a beginner myself, am not the most qualified person to answer your question, I will since nobody else has.
- From the tests I have done, Blender's modifiers are only applicable within Blender. There is no standard implementation of modifiers across different 3D software packages, nor are they even called 'modifiers' in other software. Each modeling program has its own way of dealing with such tasks. So it is no surprise that when exporting Blender data for the web that modifiers must be applied before exporting, just as if you were exporting to another piece of 3D software.
- While I'm not sure what "custom properties" you may have in your armature, Blend4Web does support shape keys.
- I don't know if curve data is supported in Blend4Web, and I don't have B4W installed on the machine I'm typing this from. If I have time I will test this later and get back to you. But remember, you can always convert curve data to mesh data.
- Yes, camera movement can be restricted in Blend4Web, and it is quite simple to do.
- Yes, you can play idle action while waiting for user input.
- Yes, you can change to another scene or have a URL redirect triggered by user interaction. And yes, this can be programmed visually in the Logic Editor. Here's a tutorial to get you started with that.
- From the tests I have done, Blender's modifiers are only applicable within Blender. There is no standard implementation of modifiers across different 3D software packages, nor are they even called 'modifiers' in other software. Each modeling program has its own way of dealing with such tasks. So it is no surprise that when exporting Blender data for the web that modifiers must be applied before exporting, just as if you were exporting to another piece of 3D software.
- While I'm not sure what "custom properties" you may have in your armature, Blend4Web does support shape keys.
- I don't know if curve data is supported in Blend4Web, and I don't have B4W installed on the machine I'm typing this from. If I have time I will test this later and get back to you. But remember, you can always convert curve data to mesh data.
- Yes, camera movement can be restricted in Blend4Web, and it is quite simple to do.
- Yes, you can play idle action while waiting for user input.
- Yes, you can change to another scene or have a URL redirect triggered by user interaction. And yes, this can be programmed visually in the Logic Editor. Here's a tutorial to get you started with that.
15 December 2015 17:31
Hey, just circling back let you know that I tested a 2D curve object and it rendered in B4W. I'm not sure if it's getting converted to mesh data automatically or if it remains truly as a curve. For the purpose of importing .svg data and having it render, you should have no problems.
Rendering curves is one thing. When I tested an animated Follow Path Constraint it did not work in B4W. I guess this is to be expected.
Rendering curves is one thing. When I tested an animated Follow Path Constraint it did not work in B4W. I guess this is to be expected.
17 December 2015 16:46
Hi all.
Just want to add that switching to another scene can be done through the dynamic loading/unloading functionality. There is an article about it: link.
Just want to add that switching to another scene can be done through the dynamic loading/unloading functionality. There is an article about it: link.
I'm not sure if it's getting converted to mesh data automatically or if it remains truly as a curve.Yes, the conversion happens automatically, but if the curve hasn't any faces (degenerated case) it won't be rendered.