Need help with understanding FBX formats with XNA!!!

[Classicwarrior]

My main 2 questions has to deal with XNA assets in mod tools.... What is the diffence in loading a FBX format file without these assets? Compared to using mod tools XNA assets... Is it harder just cause you have to write a importer/exporter for your program? Or is there another reason for this...
Becuase i have been trying to do some modeling for the tutorails i have been learning... but i wanted to use the preset model the mod tools come with... I guess how would i be able to load that model in my XNA project without using the XNA assets??
I mean i don't know about other programs that use FBX format... so i'm kinda shooting in the dark one these questions... But i figured this would be a great place to ask and learn more about mod tools..... and how to get the full advantage out of it...




Up and comming programmer... < far form comming > but getting better though...

[ElysiumGX]

Hello. I'm not sure if I can answer your question, or if you're around to read this.

As an artist, not a programmer, I found using FBX or .X model formats to be easier when importing model assets into an XNA project. XNA supports them. These formats are easily exported from most popular free and commercial content creation software, as FBX is designed as an open standard.

Perhaps publishing from mod tool using crosswalk requires more programming knowledge of importers and such...I don't know. I could never figure it out. In simple terms, export the FBX or X, and texture. Include the objects in your XNA content folder. Load them in the code.

[wacampbell]

One of the advantages of the .XSI format and its XNA content importer is that real time shader info properly transfers with the mesh file. So you can use XSI to model the mesh, develop your DX shaders, apply shaders to the mesh, and preview the whole lot inside XSI. Once you publish to XNA and import, if you have set up your XNA project properly, all will appear in your XNA program exactly as it appears inside XSI. Very cool!

[ElysiumGX]

That does sound very handy. Now to get it working. The issue being, having to connect to the XNA project, which can be tricky for a project with several developers working remotely.

[jentzenmooney]

How is the Project going? Keep us all posted with the progress..