Hi John EB.

Thank you very much for answering.

After a thorough search I found what you said, that the 3XD format is exclusive to 3D Maker. What I intend to do is create a shape with Photo & Graphic Designer 11 , save it and then import it with Blender and Export it in 3xD since such option is offered by Blender.

I followed exactly what you said, File, Import and 3D extensible, but after that I didn´t, ( and still don´t know), what to do next. I double clicked on the file that I wanted to open, and after that I did not know how to continue. There were so many options.

Please tell me if what I am trying to accomplish is correct, I mean if Blender, after I have created a shape in any of Photo & Graphic´s formats, saved it and then imported it with Blender, can this be exported from Blender in x3d?

Thanks and regards,

José Robles

Hi

. . . . I have created a shape in any of Photo & Graphic´s formats, saved it and then imported it with Blender, can this be exported from Blender in x3d? . . . .

Photo & Graphic Designer 11 can only export image files - they are 'flat' 2 dimensional files. An image cannot be imported into Blender and converted/exported to to X3D format.

For what you require Xara 3D Maker can create 3D images and export them as X3D.

HTH

John EB

Hi John,

Thank you very much for clarifying. I feel kind of dumb asking these basic questions.

All the best,

José Robles

Hi,

Don't worry José, you're breaking new ground. I'm following along. I know nothing about Blender.

3D Maker - when you save, not export, the format is .X3D. Do a search through the MEP folder

C:\Program Files\MAGIX\Movie Edit Pro Plus\2018\3d_maker_embeded

where "Movie Edit Pro Plus\2018" is the version you have, and you'll find a lot of .x3d file which correspond to the titles that open 3D Maker in MEP if it is installed, or in VPX.

So, if you create something in 3D Maker, before returning to MEP, you can save it as an .x3d file for future use in another project or use in another program. You can drag the .X3D file on to the timeline and 3D Maker will open.

You can draw a 2D shape in Xara which should have a fill, if that is what you want, and then copy and paste it in 3D Maker just like a letter. In 3D Maker, you give it the extru sion and other parameters. Remember that 3D Maker is not a 3D drawing program; it's for taking things like text or shapes and extruding them, adding other things like colour, bevel, texture, and then animating them. The output can be static or animated.
You can create a gif or avi file for use elsewhere.

3D Maker is not really an intermediate step between Xara and something like Blender, as far as I can tell.

3D in Xara is like 3D Maker, it only extrudes the 2D image. You cannot successfully animate it in Xara, meaning rotate it in the animator; I tried.

BluffTitler, as far as I can tell, only allows you to create extrusions. But, you can import a true 3D image and see all sides when you rotate it.

So, you first need to decide what it is you want and how it will be used. If you want to rotate a real 3D object in
BluffTitler, for example, you will need create the 3D image in Blender, not Xara or 3D Maker.

Questions to ask:

1. Do I need a 3D object that has sides and back that are different from each other and I want to rotate it in a video? Or,
2. Do I just need an extruded 2D image? Or,
3. If the image is not to be rotated, can I just draw a 2D image with perspective?

Example: in the video below, the object is just a 2D shape created in Xara and copied and pasted into 3D Maker. The letters are adjusted to be in the hole in the shape. Then extrusion and animation was added. When I closed 3D Maker, the animation came back into MEP. Then I exported from MEP.

@johnebaker

Did you try importing a 3D Maker .X3D file into Blender? If so, what was the result
like?

John CB

Hi

@joserobles1941

. . . . I feel kind of dumb asking these basic questions. . . . .

To paraphrase @gandjcarr signature - The only dumb question is the one that never gets asked.

@browj2

Thanks for the correction on Xara 3Ds file extension.

As far as Blender goes I am learning a lot more of its capabilities, including creating animated masks and rotoscoping.

Here's my first attempt at creating an opening title in Blender, importing into MEP and adding further animation it

John EB

Hi,

@browj2

@johnebaker,

Thanks to both.

I wrote an extensive reply to your posts but when I clicked "comment" a sign came up saying "page no longer available." So I will have to do it again tomorrow.

José Robles

@johnebaker

Nice opening title, following the ski slope. However, I thought that Blender would be more for creating 3D shapes than something like what you did. I'll have to look at it again.

Something like what you showed should be quite simple to do in BluffTitler, so, I spent 4 hours trying to make snow fall from the top of the screen to the bottom until I finally found a file on the BT community that has snow falling. I learned how to make snow (particles) form letters and make letters explode or start with exploded letters to make them unexploded. Progress.

@joserobles1941

Try to remember to do a Ctrl+A before clicking on the comment button. If you get logged out, you can log back in and paste the comment. This just happened to me with this post.

John CB

@browj2

Hi

. . . . Nice opening title, following the ski slope. However, I thought that Blender would be more for creating 3D shapes than something like what you did. I'll have to look at it again . . . .

Thanks - that was the first experiment, what I want the title to do once it has formed is to transform into an amimated snowman on skis which then ski off down the slope.

First though have to move my computer to another room and start the last but one renovation project.

Cheers

John EB

Hmmm, snowman, animated...BT

The next trick, of course, would be to have the particles come from text to the snowman. BTW, the snowman comes with MEP, but that is beyond my current limited expertise in BluffTitler.

John CB

@browj2

Like it. 👍

Computer moved to new room, however renovation work is going to slow me down with working on intro titles for the next few weeks. 🙁

Thanks

John EB

Hi,

Very sorry for not answering sooner. I was first log out after I had written a long post and right after that the next two days my internet service was shut down by telephone company. They said the problem would be solved in 8 hours but it took them 48 !!!

@browj2

I did find those 3 embedded files in C/Program Files in MEP 2017, and they worked fine.

..."You can draw a 2D shape in Xara which should have a fill, if that is what you want, and then copy and paste it in 3D Maker just like a letter. In 3D Maker, you give it the extrusion and other parameters. .."

This is what I have been trying to do all along, but 3D maker would not accept it. I did draw a shape Photo & Graphic Designer 11, saved in xar extension, and also exported it as a web file.

The following is taken from 3D Manual

..."If you want to import a shape, click design picker. By default this displays the designs folder (in the same folder as where you installed MAGIX 3D Maker) but you can browse to and choose any X3D, XAR or WEB file. If the file contains a text message, the first letter is used as the design shape..."

It is basically the same as what you say. I used 3D Design and Texture. This last one worked but only with Buttons. There was no way to separate shape and button from each other.

As to the questions.

1. This is the ideal, if I could really know how to do it and what editor to use. In Photo & Graphic Desisgner there is this 3D option which let you extrude but does not export in 3D.

2. I assume this is the example you give down below and I have tried to either copy and paste it or import it to no avail. What steps did you take?

3. Again I can draw a shape but not paste or import it.

This also is a taken from the manual:

..."You can create interesting design shapes using symbolic fonts such as Geotype (supplied with MAGIX 3D Maker.) Create a graphic with just the character you want to use as the design shape. Save the graphic as an X3D file. You can then use that X3D file as an imported design shape in the future if you save it to the designs folder.

You can also use your own drawn design shapes. Import the shape as a metafile (or, if you are using Xara X1 or later, just copy the shape and paste it into MAGIX 3D Maker) and export in X3D format to the designs folder..."

Finally, importing 3D file into Blender. I could not do it because after File, Import, 3D extensible, there were so many options I did not know which one was next.

Thanks again and my apologies for the delay

José Robles

Hi José,

I just completed a tutorial on 3D Maker that should answer your questions and help you:

In Xara, create a 2D shape, not 3D, copy it and paste it just like text in 3D Maker. If the shape is not closed, then what you get is a line that you can extrude in 3D Maker. If you want to use it as a button in 3D Maker, then save the Xara file as a .xar file and import it into 3D Maker as a button under Design options by clicking on the Design picker button.

Let me know if this helps.

John CB

Hi John CB,

Wow !!! What can I say. I have only watched it once and surely will watch it several more times to take notes, as I usually do with Tutorials. I have spent several hours experimenting with 3D Maker and have progressed quite a bit.

Thanks a lot once more. I sincerely appreciate your help,

Best regards,

José Robles

PS. I will go back as soon as I do what you indicate.

John, it works !!!

I just tried it and before closing for the day I wanted you to know. This opens a wealth of opportunities.

José Robles