More Cooperative Modeling Ideas
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I've been mucking around on blender, trying to get to a stage where I can make an animation for a school project when I stumbled across this little gem: http://www.uni-verse.org/ also more on the site hosted by blender: http://verse.blender.org/
The really amazing thing about this project is that it has the potential to unite any 3d app for cooperative modeling, and I've noted that plugins for blender and 3ds max have already been developed, although the blender one is only included in the source code (not implemented as a python script) and is a little archaic (the compiled version on the site is for blender 2.2 or something) there is still potential for this project to be revived.
I'm not a programming expert by any means but I also noticed that someone has worked on "ruby bindings for verse" on the links page so that might also be usefull (i have no idea about these things, just thought i'd mention this cause sketchup uses ruby too, it might be usefull!
)So the framework is all there for doing cooperative modeling, that's just what the project was designed for: "Our goal is to create an open source Internet platform for multi-user, interactive, distributed, high-quality 3D graphics and audio for home, public and personal use. The platform will support high-quality 3D-graphics as well as high-quality 3D-audio and acoustic simulation." we just need some experienced ruby programmers to make the link to sketchup.
so if anybody else out there thinks there is some potential in this idea, please comment!
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ok then, no potential?
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I.frisken
This is very interesting, it could be a huge benefit right now in the credit crunch. If it was used to facilitate a commercial project, perhaps by linking those of us that live in the more out of the way places with "anchors"; entrepreneurial forum members that work in major cities where there is a larger potential client base, this could start to function as a business very quickly. The anchors are essential to pull it out of the ether and market it as a tangible outsourcing option.Or it could be used to self generate a potentially commercial project for instance a product design. As I am spending this morning trying to drum up more business, I would be interested in any possibilities that are put on the table.
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I can say now that I've tried the system out with a few friends over an ad-hoc wireless network with blender and it is pretty much realtime! Even if the system doesn't produce that kind of performance over the internet, it is still just as useful. It does have a few limitations, and I'm yet to work out whether they are to do with the blender side or the verse server side, but I'm sure work arounds could be found.
I think that on a large, perhaps commercial project, cooperative modeling could be very useful, because if you are working over the internet then it can be difficult to see what and where you are supposed to model and how it fits in with the whole project. It would be relatively (compared to other methods whatever they may be) easy to direct a whole team of modelers over the internet with this system.
Another really cool feature I noticed about it was the plugin for Gimp. During experimenting I loaded a Verse Project example onto the server to test out in blender, and tried connecting Gimp to the project. I think I discovered that you can edit image files (textures, whatever) in the project. Which means that someone could work on texture editing while another person could be doing modeling.
Linea, I'm not sure I got all of what you were saying
but I'm still glad you think it was an interesting Idea! -
So how does it work? I have notr been able to sit and watch the video yet.
Does each end user get to use their modeling software of choice? So can one be using blender and another be using something else?
Collaborative SU is something I'm very interested in.
Chris
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I had a little play round with some verse enabled apps a while ago, and from what i remember verse basically just stores the 3d data related to the model (i think it does textures as well, not entirely sure though.)
From there your verse enabled app can talk to the server and update the model on the server/your machine. Not sure how it works with a few people trying to edit the same bit of a model at the same time.
You can also use verse on your local machine, allowing apps on the same machine to share the model.
Theres a few interesting programs that are verse enabled here: http://www.quelsolaar.com/quel_solaar/index.html
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yeh the apps that come with verse work fine, but unfortunately I haven't been able to get blender to connect to the same server, because I think the (old) compiled one on the blender site isn't compatible with the newer server.
I also had a play with the included apps but I just can't get the hang of the modeling one, mainly because I don't have a middle mouse button on my laptop! Naturally I prefer SU!
Yes, I think you're right Remus and as I said before, and I also think you can edit the textures with verse for gimp.
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So would it be possible to get a 2d cad app to talk to SU. BIM potential?
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In theory i'm sure it is possible, making it work would likely be a different matter.
I'd guess speed would also be an issue on larger models, as SU would have to import/export all the info through ruby, which isnt particularly quick.
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I'm guessing (from having a play in blender) the system is optimized so that after "subscribing" to the model only changes would be received and sent by the system. There are pros and cons with a system such as this. I guess one pro is increased speed, and one con is the chance for bugs to arise such as getting out of sync.
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