Creating and Loading 3d world

[i_robot]

hi,
i have done a basic 3d framework with basic scenegraph , now what i want is to create a static world scene(in some editor) and load n render with my program ,but i am confused how to go about it , i don't want to write a level editor from scratch, so far i've loaded .3ds scene , but i would like to know how would other people go about it... info about any existing editor will be helpfull
Regards..

[g(h)eerko]

hey ther,

basically a scene is a combination of meshes.

the way im doing it is have my native way of representing a mesh, etc. then while loading from other formats, import the data into my data structures and render it.

the other way would have ur program know the internal data structure of various mesh formats and write a render object for each. attach the appropriate render object to the 3ds or ms3d mesh node,so that using this object the node knows how to draw itself....

well im not yet complete, i got a wild pointer somewhere in the model import code, so c ya later.

[rouncer]

me personally, i consider making the level editor a part of making a game, i
always code mine.
a map maker is a tricky program to write, you basicly have to make a cutdown
version of 3dsmax or maya, and you have to know how all the tools work and
how to code them.
its where all my expertise is, geometry creation, in fact its about all ive written, model makers
and map makers. maybe about 20 editing
programs all up over the last 4 years, of varying degrees of success, but i
havent made a real game yet.
im making a high definition landscape editor atm, and im using brushes
(like zbrush, www.zbrush.com, but it makes models not levels), and it looks great.
maybe this one will be the one...

[Jare]

me personally, i consider making the level editor a part of making a game
[...]
in fact its about all ive written, model makers
and map makers. maybe about 20 editing
programs all up over the last 4 years, of varying degrees of success, but i
havent made a real game yet.
I hope you forgive my selective quoting, but I think it's very obvious where your problem lies. Some games require their own editor, some don't. If your game can get by without the need for a custom editor, then by all means use an off-the-shelf 3D package like Maya, 3DSMax or etc.

[rouncer]

its just what i do myself, if you want to use 3dsmax go for it.

[Jare]

I just wanted to emphasize (for other readers), that I believe the fact that you always do editors and the fact that you have never completed a game, are related. Happens more often with "making engines" than "making tools", but it is the same underlying process.

[i_robot]

Thanks guys for all the advices and suggestions

[rouncer]

someones got to write them.

http://devimg.net/?Post=492

thats a landscape editor im currently writing, its only a weeks work and im nearly done.
the only reason i havent finished a game is because i always dump my projects cause they dont
look good enough for my fickle self.

tool writing is a great skill to have, sometimes learning someone elses program takes just as long as writing it yourself!