The Blender Babylon Exporter for Blender 2.92

[gryff]

I use Blender versions that are multiples of 2 and have been using Blender 2.90 quite happily with @JCPalmer 's exporter. But this week, I started using Blender 2.92 and trying a new feature : “geometry nodes” with a little difficulty and not a lot of success.

The first image below shows a simple “geometry node” layout called “rocks” (A in image 1) and it is creating a lot of instances (C in image 1) of the rock B. You will see that this “geometry node” is actually being created as a modifier (D in image 1) and that there are no instances actually showing up in the scene hierarchy (E in image 1). If you “Apply” the modifier, you end up with image 2 - nothing! Drove me crazy all week!!

After much searching I found a solution, ignore the “Apply” button and, with the cursor in the 3D viewport window, go CTRL + A on the keyboard and choose “Make Instances Real” from the list that pops up. And looking at the scene hierarchy at top right of image 3 - you see all the instances.

So then I tried to export the scene to a .babylon format, and the result is in image 4 and a log file filled with errors.

Just to check on my other option - I tried to export as a .glTF file. No error messages and I loaded it into the sandbox (image 5). It seems to work. (The white plane is not visible in Blender unless you add another node to the “rocks” node set up.)

I’m no fan of the glTF format as it reminds me of old VRML files with all the transform nodes, and I know that @JCPalmer is working an a new version of the exporter - so I am hoping he can successfully deal with “geometry nodes” as that simple 4 box layout is so much simpler than using a particle set up.

Mind you, Blender 2.91 had node set ups with “animations nodes” and another with “particle nodes”. Both of which seem to be gone from Blender 2.92 …

Stay Safe All, gryff

Image 1 - simple node set up:

Image 2 - "Applying the nodes result :

Image 3 - Using CTRL + A to make instances real:

Image 4 - Trying to export to .babylon format:

Image 5 - Exported as .glTF and result into sandbox :

[JCPalmer]

The exception is in the materials area. If you saved the .blend, please rerun & post the log file, or at least the error stack part. Text is much easier to read than a picture of text. What does your material nodes look like?

[gryff]

@JCPalmer : Sorry I’m being so slow - I got a “jab” yesterday. Only my right hand functioning normally !

Will load the log file to github in a few minutes

Stay Safe, gryff

[JCPalmer]

I am not waiting for it, so whenever. Just open the .log file in wordpad, select all ctrl-A, copy ctrl-C.

Add a reply. Put 3 backqoutes on a separate line. Paste the text, then 3 more backquotes also on a separate line.

No need to involve github.

[gryff]

Well, I figured it out - once you mentioned materials. The rock object I use is appended from another file ( a 2.83 + file). So I checked the material - it brought in the Principled Shader and the texture, but did not assign the texture to the Principled shader ??

Once I did that, it works fine! It seems so much easier than using a particle system to spread rocks and trees etc, No idea why the .glTF export worked.

It must be tough Jeff, all these Blender changes that may or may not stay around like the Animation Particle Nodes I mentioned above. There are dozens of YouTube tutorials on them and as one person put it : “Particle nodes have been put on hold by the developers, so in the latest versions there’s no longer the option to try these out. The developement is now focusing on Geometry Nodes” All those tutorials of little use now!

That kind of rapidly changing Blender functionality must make it difficult for you.

Stay Safe gryff