WebGL - Blender Exporter to JSON format

EDIT (2010-04-03): JSON is a bad format. I'm remove support for it in favor of the XML already in place. XML parsers read DXML easily, so the original TED files remain as is. Reason: JSON cannot handle multiple nodes with the same name. Crippling.


Since I already have a very heavy exporter built for blender, and it just so happens to be in the DXML format, I can directly convert it to a JSON with almost no loss of information.

So, if you are frustrated with not having a prebuilt Blender -> JSON exporter, use mine (or copy + improve on it).

The download link is always on the right hand side of my blog, or here since this post is about the exporter:

http://www.gocaco.com/temp/igtl_export_ted.py

You might wonder "why do I want yet another stupid format". GOOD QUESTION.
The "TED" file is designed to mimic hardware formats.
It exports:

• Optimized mesh data (automatically splits along UV seams, and material seams, and matrix palette splits. Exports vertex, texcoord, normal, tangent, weight, weightindex, maybe colors)
• Material information (As much as possible for now, needs improvement)
• Armature data (all of it, including IK chains)
• Animation data (All actions that fit an armature)
• Frame actions (You can make text files with scripts that can act as data for animations)
• Textures (Can be converted to text and put in the file)
• Scenes (Converted exactly as shown)
• Objects (including game properties! And links to data.)

So, it's also all fairly logical. You will have to play with it to get used to it, especially for you novice's out there. Reading through the exporter (find the "const_DTD_ted" declaration) and looking at what the data is should help. Try exporting a regular TED file first, and open it with any text editor. DXML files are regular, very restrictive XML files to promote consistency and easy of reading. It should be immediately obvious how to read them in.

More importantly, for you beginners, the data exporter from the TED exporter is everything you find normally in any commercial game out there. This includes X360, PS3, Wii games, as I have tested and proven myself.
It does NOT export some advanced features, because blender does not have those features yet. Bother blender.org about that if you want more functionality with muscle/keyframe animation.

If you do end up using this, enjoy. Please drop some credit somewhere; there are no restrictions or guarantees to this script. It's 100% free as in free beer.

A early preliminary test:

I will add a animated test soon.

-Z