XAML Exporter for Blender

Updated Wiki: Home

TheRHogue — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:00:52 GMT

Project Description
The XAML export script for Blender allows the popular free 3D modeler to be used to create content for WPF applications. 3D scenes created in Blender are exported to .xaml files which can be dynamically loaded or compiled into your WPF applications.

Installation Instructions

Install the version of Blender indicated in the release notes. Blender is available from http://www.blender.org
Copy the xaml_export.py file to Blender's scripts directory. On Windows this is typically located at one of the following locations:

C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\.blender\scripts
C:\Documents and Settings\<YourUserName>\Application Data\Blender Foundation\Blender\.blender\scripts

Restart Blender. If the installation was successful you should see a new entry under Blender's ~File~Export menu for "Xaml (.xaml)..."

Usage
After composing your 3D scene is Blender choose the ~File~Export~Xaml menu. This will display Blender's standard file dialog. Enter the name of your scene and press the "Export Xaml" button.

The exported Xaml can be viewed in the WPF Model Viewer, which is included in the 3D Tools project. Alternatively, you can dynamically load the Xaml into your WPF application using XamlReader.Load(fileStream).

Known Issues

The ImageSource property is exported as a fully qualified path as it appears in Blender (e.g., "D:\MyModels\Ballmer.png").
If you add a texture, you will need to go into the UV editor and add texture coordinates. The exporter does not export the "default" UV coordinates that Blender displays when a mesh has no UV coordinates assigned.
The Windows Presentation Foundation does not have an image codec for Targa (*.tga) files. If you export a model which uses Targa files you will need to convert these by hand to a format supported by the WPF (e.g., PNG) and fix the exported .xaml by hand.
Diffuse materials are exported as a simple texture if applicable or a solid color if no texture is available. Other types of materials are not currently supported.
Blender uses different lighting equations than the WPF. As a result, exported lighting is approximate. Only "Sun", "Lamp", and "Spot" light types are supported.
There is currently no support for animation or support for geometry types other than meshes. The recommended workflow is to use Expression Blend to create the animations.

Source code checked in, #11757

TheRHogue — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:57:50 GMT

The exporter now duplicates exactly the blender scene when parent\child relationships are used within blender. This change should complete the support for full blender parent\child relationships. 1. local transforms are now within model3dgroups for parent\child relationships. World transforms are used for items without parents.

UPDATED RELEASE: Xaml Exporter v0.47 (Jun 18, 2008)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:50:59 GMT

Feature added:

The exporter now duplicates exactly the blender scene when parent\child relationships are used within blender.

This change should complete the support for full blender parent\child relationships.
1. local transforms are now within model3dgroups for parent\child relationships. World transforms are used for items without parents.

RELEASED: Xaml Exporter v0.47 (Jun 18, 2008)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:50:59 GMT

Source code checked in, #11755

TheRHogue — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:42:46 GMT

M xaml_export.py

Patch Applied: #1405

TheRHogue — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:32:30 GMT

TheRHogue has applied patch #1405.

Comment:
tested by bitbonk

Patch Uploaded: #1405

TheRHogue — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:30:40 GMT

TheRHogue has uploaded a patch.

Description:
The exporter now duplicates exactly the blender scene when parent\child relationships are used within blender.

This change should complete the support for full blender parent\child relationships.
1. local transforms are now within model3dgroups for parent\child relationships. World transforms are used for items without parents.

UPDATED RELEASE: Xaml Exporter v0.46 (Jun 15, 2008)

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:14:32 GMT

Updated TheRHogue patch to include the following features:

1. parent\child relationships are now exported through model3dgroup
2. camera is now exported
3. modelvisual3d and viewport3d is now wrapped to allow exported files to run by clicking on them
4. model3dgroups have names
5. items selected will be exported, and camera will always be exported, and if no camera a default camera is generated

RELEASED: Xaml Exporter v0.46 (Jun 15, 2008)

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:14:32 GMT

UPDATED RELEASE: Xaml Exporter v0.46 (Jun 15, 2008)

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:13:08 GMT

Source code checked in, #11691

TheRHogue — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:53:26 GMT

1. parent\child relationships are now exported through model3dgroup 2. camera is now exported 3. modelvisual3d and viewport3d is now wrapped to allow exported files to run by clicking on them 4. model3dgroups have names 5. items selected will be exported, and camera will always be exported, and if no camera a default camera is generated

Patch Applied: #1391

TheRHogue — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:18:22 GMT

TheRHogue has applied patch #1391.

Comment:
tested and code reviewed

Patch Declined: #1317

TheRHogue — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:17:41 GMT

TheRHogue has declined patch #1317.

Comment:
This isn't needed due to changes in patch 1391

Closed Issue: option to export selected items as separate modelvisual3d

TheRHogue — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:16:45 GMT

We should have an option export selected objects in blender as individual modelvisual3d objects within the same scene. So one doesn't have to reasemmble the whole scene afterwards. This is especially cumbersome if you need to exactly repostion everything the way it was in the blender scene.
Comments: the latest version now supportes parent\children relationships with model3dgroup.

Closed Issue: option to export camera and light

TheRHogue — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:15:51 GMT

There should be a additional option to export camera(s) and lights of the scene as well. In that case not just the Model3dGroup is created but also a ViewPort3D object that contains the lights and the camera. I am not sure how it could be achived to export multiple cameras since ViewPort3D only supports one. Maybe instead of export the actual camera object we just export some ressource data that contains the setup information for the cameras that we could bind to if we want to switch the camera.

For blender lights that are not supported in WPF we could
a) not export it (and write that to console)
b) progamatically create a light that matches it at closely as possible.

This way I could export the complete scene setup as desired. Setting up the lights and cameras afterwards is sometimes a tedious task, especially if I want to have them the same way I had them in blender.
Comments: lamps and cameras are exported. If you want something exported, just make sure it is selected.

New Post: location for xaml_export.py when there is no scripts folder?

TheRHogue — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:13:15 GMT

I put the file here:
C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\.blender\scripts

rhogue

Patch Uploaded: #1391

TheRHogue — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:34:49 GMT

TheRHogue has uploaded a patch.

Description:
1. added ability to select items, yet maintain the model3dgroup parent\child relationship tree
2. added names to model3dgroups
3. camera is now exported at all times. lamps and meshes are exported if they are selected.

Patch Uploaded

TheRHogue — Thu, 29 May 2008 20:42:23 GMT

TheRHogue has uploaded a patch.

Description:
1. Added support for parent child relationships creating nested model3dgroups. Tree will be created as shown in the Blender outline view.
2. camera is now being exported if selected. A default camera is being exported if no camera is selected.
3. a <Viewport3D> is now the root. Xaml files created will now run in the browser as is.
4. tested by BitBonk

NEW POST: location for xaml_export.py when there is no scripts folder?

dyl74 — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:20:18 GMT

doh!!

C:\Documents and Settings\<YourUserName>

Tools > Folder Options > View (tab)

Select 'Show hidden files and folders' from the Hidden files and folders (click folder icon)

this reveals C:\Documents and Settings\<YourUserName>\Application Data

in which can be found

\Blender Foundation\Blender\.blender\scripts

I coppied xaml_export.py into this folder and restarted Blender

everything now woking sweet as.......

NEW POST: location for xaml_export.py when there is no scripts folder?

dyl74 — Mon, 26 May 2008 12:47:19 GMT

Hi

I'd really love to use this XAML exporter for use in Silverlight 2 web based projects created in Expression Blend 2.5, hand coded XAML and hack and bodged C#
I'm struggeling to get it working - can anyone help?

I dont see either of the following after installing Blender

C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\.blender\scripts
C:\Documents and Settings\<YourUserName>\Application Data\Blender Foundation\Blender\.blender\scripts

The only folder in C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\ is Python25 which contains .py files

I installed Python from http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.5.2/ and tryed puting xaml_export.py in the Python25 folder and restarting with no sucess (perhaps this will be of no surprise to you)

I also tryed to run xaml_export.py by double clicking it with no joy (you may have guessed by now that I am more of a designer than a developer)

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

cheers.