Path: chuka.playstation.co.uk!news
From: sosman@terratron.com (Steven Osman)
Newsgroups: scea.yaroze.programming.3d_graphics
Subject: Re: TOD vs VDF files...?
Date: Sat, 15 May 1999 01:46:30 GMT
Organization: PlayStation Net Yaroze (SCEE)
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Nathan, 

Thanks for your reply.

On Fri, 14 May 1999 17:27:28 -0500, "Nathan Miller" <KiRyu@aol.com>
wrote:


>>If .VDF is considerably faster, then it may be the better choice.  Is
>>there a .TOD->.VDF conversion program?
>
>Using the above two explinations as a guidline, determine whic is best for
>you to use.  I do not think that there is a conversion program due to the
>fact that they deal with two very different types of 3d animation.

Well, yes and no.  I believe that one could write a .TOD to .VDF
conversion program.  Consider this: if the position of one vertex
changes with respect to another, don't you think that it will change
with respect to the world?  (assuming they didn't all move, which can
probably be "detected" by fixing one point and taking all other
positions relative to them).

>>If not, does someone have the
>>.VDF specification that I may write one?
>>
>
>I think that VDF stands for Vertex Differential File and was made
>specifically for that project (I am speculating).  But the idea behind it is
>very simple because a VDF file uses GteMIME just like you will have to!

Where could I find a spec for a VDF or the MIME format?  I'd like to
try to write a conversion program (not that I'm ignoring your advice,
just read my next point)

>   BUT TO MAKE  EVERYTHING SIMPLE, I RECOMMEND GOING TO THE SCEE SITE AND
>GETTING CRAIG GARAHAM'S RSDANIM V1.6.  IT OUTPUTS A MIME FILE AND IS VERY
>EASY TO USE!!

If you had access to Softimage Extreme, wouldn't you rather use it?
(No offense to Craig intended, from what I've been seeing and reading,
he gets a lot of props in my book... just that  somehow I don't think
he himself has set out to compete against Softimage :)

Steven