Computer games walk throughs

[eldhead]

Im trying to export my ArchiCAD model into a computer game engine like Quake. If the violence of the game is removed there is a very nice way to let people, (architects) walk trough the building. Let us know if You have knowledge.

eld...

[stefan]

If you have access to 3ds max, then it is rather "easy" (OK, not so easy).

Very simplistic approach to load files into UnrealEd
(the editor for Unreal Tournament).

There is a free version available of the authoring environment (without the game tools and resources, but with the full graphical engine).

From ArchiCAD -> save as *.3ds file from the 3DWindow.

• Import this into 3ds max and adjust as necessary.

• Export as an *.ase file and open that in UnrealEd as a static mesh.

• From the editor you can directly run the level in the game environment.

Links:
Unreal Runtime Environment (free for non-commercial use):
http://udn.epicgames.com/Powered/UnrealEngine2Runtime
or buy the full game at about $50 😉

From CAD to Unreal (not that easy... as you'll see)
http://udn.epicgames.com/Content/MAXtoUnreal

From 3ds max to unreal (pretty workable)
http://udn.epicgames.com/Content/MAXtoUnreal

My short overview & list of links to techniques
http://www2.asro.kuleuven.ac.be/asro/English/HOME/SBs/tutorial/3dcourse/VR/realtime.htm

[stefan]

By the way, the Unreal Runtime Environment comes without players & guns, so the violence is removed by default!

I got around moving an ArchiCAD drawing into Unreal, but I still have some scaling problems. And the player-model is too big to fit through the doors and this is not so easy to solve...

[eldhead]

Thanks for the information, lots of new stuff to learn. First I have to create a simple world and then Ill try to export some buildings. The VRML-solution is not working with those BIG models.

/Johan

[vfrontiers]

You guys are aware of ArchiSHOCK? It's a [relatively] new plug-in to convert ArchiCAD native into SHOCKWAVE format. It may still be in beta, I'm not sure.

[Ben Odonnell]

ArchiShock has been out for quiet a while now. 1.5 is on the way. I belive that it will be done by mid February .

It's quite a funky little addon.

[Anonymous]

http://www.fast-code.com/virtualhome.html

Walk through like first person shooter game. Easy to use, export by one touch. Various options available...

[stefan]

vfrontiers wrote:
You guys are aware of ArchiSHOCK? It's a [relatively] new plug-in to convert ArchiCAD native into SHOCKWAVE format. It may still be in beta, I'm not sure.

Does it directly publish into a viewable format (shockwave) or is it in a format that you need to import into Macromedia Director before you can turn it into anything viewable?

[vfrontiers]

yes, dbl-clk and it opens up EXPLORER for viewing