strange things

[WildTurkey]

I was ready to start downloading Wings to try it out, BUT
I read something in your doc's that was like a slap across the face with a wet towel all wrapped up in barbed-wire!

I'm sure you've heard it before...BUT...this is the first time "I" have asked, so please... I really need an answer to these two questions.

1) It says, Y-axis is up and down and Z-axis is front to back!!!
I thought it was a typo at first, BUT, sure enough, that's the
way its depicted in your screen-shots and referred to the same
way in another page, and then you even make a note about
"other modelers" files will look wrong when imported.

Surly this is a April-fools joke intended to catch me off-guard
and ... I don't know what, It actually hurts my brain to think
that someone would actually write software like that! And then
cast aspersions about "other programs".

The reason it hurts so bad is because;

"IT IS COMPLETELY AGAINST EVERY OTHER KNOWN COORDINATE SYSTEM IN THE UNIVERSE"

I know, I learned mechanical drafting before I was 25 years old and then spent 40 years working in machine-shops and having my own design and lathe turning shop.

So, my question is, "Is this truly the way Wings 3D has been implemented?"

Please tell me the answer is NO.

Okay, now for question 2

2) In the doc's you say something about customizing the interface of Wings3D, so, does that mean you can change the way the Y & Z axis are referenced, depicted and used in your program?

[puzzledpaul]

Yes
No

pp

[nemyax]

The reason it hurts so bad is because;

"IT IS COMPLETELY AGAINST EVERY OTHER KNOWN COORDINATE SYSTEM IN THE UNIVERSE"

RenderMan anyone? You are a very impressionable person, aren't you?

[Ramjet]

Just a little word:

The position of Y axis as vertical axis instead of the usual Z axis is not a real problem, when you understand that you can use options when you export your object.

In File-> Export or File -> Export Selected you will find a "black rectangle" at the right of each Export items.
Select this black rectangle, and the "....Export Options" window will be displayed.

Un-notch the "Swap Y and Z Axes" and there will have no more problem in exporting your objects.

Yes I know, it takes me a (very) long time to understand this little clue!

At first, I must rotate my objects in the negative Z axis before exporting to .3ds or to .obj and use them in games!

My two pence.

[micheus]

WildTurkey, welcome to Wings3d community.

The reason it hurts so bad is because;
"IT IS COMPLETELY AGAINST EVERY OTHER KNOWN COORDINATE SYSTEM IN THE UNIVERSE"

That is for those that don't believe in mult-universe.
The orientation is the same used by OpenGL (3D Graphic with OpenGL). I think that this make the things easy to the software side.

I found this: Y-up versus Z-up

• z-up typically used by designers
  
• y-up typically used by animators
  
• orientaion by profession supposedly derives from past work habits
  
• often handled differently when moving from application to application

Aso, it doesn't cause any pain when someone is new to 3D world, since there is only a new axis added to those two already well known:

[nemyax]

Y-up is very common in modelling/animation software, renderers and games.

[greytery]

Thanks Micheus.
I knew there were other universes out there - but I never thought that there were other ways of laying out axes. Too many years since school (at least as many as WildTurkey) drawing 2D graphs!
So perhaps we shouldn't mention UV?

Anyway, glad someone is reading the Documentation :-)

greytery

[Wegg]

Drives me nuts having to work with applications that consider Z "up". Z has always been "into" my screen. Animation Master, Lightwave, messiahtudio etc. I think it is only the Autocad/3DSMax vein of the 3D world that considers Z "up".

[nemyax]

Drives me nuts having to work with applications that consider Z "up". Z has always been "into" my screen. Animation Master, Lightwave, messiahtudio etc. I think it is only the Autocad/3DSMax vein of the 3D world that considers Z "up".

Blender too. But is Autocad really Z-up without options?

[Ran13]

AutoCAD has customizable coordinate systems (UCS = "User Coordinate System") that aren't necessarily aligned, nor perpendicular with the WCS (World Coordinate System). You can even have multiple UCS's in one drawing (other apps call them "workplanes")

The OP obviously learned 3D from CAD/drafting where the top down view is the default ... and the x is horizontal, and y is vertical, leaving Z as in and out of the screen. This is considered a engineering/plan/drafting view based WCS.

In most animation apps, and therefore entertainment 3D apps outside of 3dsmax (which, of course, had its WCS basis is engineering/drafting due to its AutoDesk heritage*) the coordinate system is based on the natural orientation of the camera in entertainment... that is front view is default, and, in THAT view x is horizontal, Y vertical, and Z is camera dolly or in/out of the screen.

So, no WildTurrkey, it is absolutely NOT "COMPLETELY AGAINST EVERY OTHER KNOWN COORDINATE SYSTEM IN THE UNIVERSE".

It's just not the default in engineering/CAD. It IS, more often than not, the default in entertainment digital content creation apps, as noted by Wegg, above.

*... despite what many think, the Yost group was always backed and supported by ADSK, and developed 3D Studio under contract with ADSK
http://www.maxunderground.com/the_histor...studio_pt2)