Tutorial for model use

[ThorfinnS]

Is there a good tutorial somewhere I can point a student to that explains how to use models in minetest? He was inspired by the desert_life mod's prickly pear, and can make tweaks to that, but is having making it work from scratch. I'm able to find errors after he makes them, but he's getting frustrated about that way of learning, and how I'm explaining it is obviously falling short.

[TalkLounge]

Youtube?
3D Modelling with Blender is very frustrating. I stopped, because it's so complicated to learn. Maybe some videos from here are useful. GreenDimond needed 3 hours to create a walking pinguin...

[Eran]

Blender is really hard to get into but once you kind of know your way around it it's really fun.
To get started with Blender in general I suggest youtube videos. This one and its successors helped me a lot. There are also videos on the MinetestVideos channel that show mobs being made.
There is also a Minetest wiki page on using Blender. It contains some useful information specific to modeling for minetest (especially the file format section). It's definetely worth reading but I feel like video tutorials are better for actually learning how Blender works.

[ThorfinnS]

I didn't explain very well. He's already got a pretty good grasp of Blender. His problem is how to integrate his models into minetest.

As an example, here's the code he's borrowing from:

Code: Select all

minetest.register_node('desert_life:prickly_pear', {
   description = 'Prickly Pear Pad',
   drawtype = 'mesh',
   mesh = 'dl_pp_1.obj',
   tiles = {name='dl_prickly_pear.png'},
   groups = {dig_immediate = 3},
   paramtype = 'light',
   paramtype2 = 'facedir',
   selection_box = {
      type = 'fixed',
      fixed = {{-.2, -.5, -.2, .2, .0, .2}}
   },
   collision_box = {
      type = 'fixed',
      fixed = {{-.2, -.5, -.2, .2, .0, .2}} -- left bottom front right top back
   },
   drop = 'desert_life:prickly_pear',
   after_place_node = function(pos, placer, itemstack)
      local under = minetest.get_node({x=pos.x, y=pos.y-1, z=pos.z})
      local node = minetest.get_node(pos)
      if under.name == 'default:sand' or under.name == 'default:desert_sand' then
         minetest.set_node(pos, {name = 'desert_life:prickly_pear_1', param2 = node.param2})
      end
   end,
})

Just changing out the .obj and .png references, it's working fine, though it's still called "desert_life:prickly_pear". Once he tries to define the node in his own mod directory, it no longer "works". I'm not sure why; I have not had a chance to review his code. And he would prefer to figure it out himself, but doesn't know where to go from here.

All he needs to define his own node is:

Code: Select all

minetest.register_node('mymod:mynode', {
   description = 'Whatever',
   drawtype = 'mesh',
   mesh = 'mynode.obj',
   tiles = {name='mynode.png'}
})

right?

[Eran]

All he needs to define his own node is:

Code: Select all

minetest.register_node('mymod:mynode', {
   description = 'Whatever',
   drawtype = 'mesh',
   mesh = 'mynode.obj',
   tiles = {name='mynode.png'}
})

right?

Yes, that's enough. Defining a node to use a mesh if fairly easy. He might be best off with a lua tutorial and/or the minetest modding book.

Once he tries to define the node in his own mod directory, it no longer "works". I'm not sure why; I have not had a chance to review his code.

Sadly I'm no fortune teller either. I suspect there might be a syntax error like he forgot a comma in the table or to close brackets.

[sirrobzeroone]

does his depends.txt in his custom mod contain default?

I got some really weird behavior when i missed default in my depends.txt

[ThorfinnS]

Thanks, all. He got it working, and says it was a stupid mistake, but won't say what it was. I fiddled around trying to find any mistake that wouldn't have thrown at least a warning, but couldn't find anything. Misnamed directories, typo for filename, missing dependency, etc. Maybe that was what he doesn't want to say -- that he didn't bother to look at the debug.txt...

[TumeniNodes]

Maybe that was what he doesn't want to say -- that he didn't bother to look at the debug.txt...

sounds about right xD

Good for him though for being determined to resolve the issue for himself.. and then doing it.