So I have been spending a little time looking at the model format and thinking about how someone might build a converter to go from say ALO to .X files.  Unfortunately, I really don't have the time it takes to build a program like that right now, but if someone does heres what you would have to do.

 

FIRST the ALO model format looks roughly like this

 

1. Some names and info on pointers to other objects that this mesh might require???

2. The DirectX(.fx) effects file to apply to the mesh, this is not the same as the animation effects file(.ala)

3. Emissive, Diffuse, Specular, shininess, and colorization of the mesh, UVoffset

4. Basetexture name

5. Normaltexture name

6. An array of alD3dVert's the actual type of alD3dVert is specified by the name(NOTE this maybe a custom FVF vertex format created by them)

 

Repeat 2-6 for any damaged(BUT NOT DESTROYED) versions of the model.

 

SECOND load the file into your program that references the DirectX SDK, and create a mesh with the Vertices's in the array

 

THIRD call on your mesh object SaveMeshAsX which will save the mesh to a .X file which can then be modified in Maya or a similar program.

 

The reverse is equally as easy all you have to do is start with the D3D mesh lock the vertex buffer and unload them into an array with parts 1-5 in it.

 

Hope the helps!!!

This is a similar file format to the W3D file format that they used on Renegade, Earth & Beyond, as well as the SAGE game engine that EA owns. (Generals, BFME1 & BFME2).

 

It is a tree based structure, and isn't easily converted, hopefully (still trying to find out) Petroglyph will supply us with at least an exporter and sample models, I currently have a w3d importer for 3ds, but would take some modifications to it to make it work with .alo, although, Renegade included a W3D.h in one of its releases, so that made it quite a bit easier.

 

For objects, think we will have to see what kind of tools are available before we jump the gun and start hacking those type of files.

Its not quite as bad as you think, while it is a tree structure most of it can be copied for a given ship or object class.  The vertex's roughly corespond to the FVF format in DirectX so you can actually copy the vertex's and texture info into a preexistant tree shell and have it work.

vertices are normally not that bad, its the material structures and formats that make it a pain lol

 

still, what you write is pretty accurate from my own findings, but i am waiting to find out if Petro is going to be supplying us with a way to create/import models before i start any hard research on it.