COPPERCUBE VS BLENDER TIPS

Last updated: 2025/08/17

The following are tips and things to consider when dealing with 3D 
models and Blender vs. CopperCube.

Software Used
-------------
CopperCube (WINE)
Blender 2.79b
Bforartists 4.5.1

For still-life models, use OBJ, DAE, or PLY file-formats. For animated 
models, use FBX exported with the newest version of 'Blender' or 
'Bforartists' your system can use; doing so with Blender 2.79b, or even 
v3.4 will create an FBX that freezes CopperCube.

#############
# EXPORTING #
#############

TL;DR... What ever format you choose, join all objects together, have
         one material using one texture and one normal map OR light map.
         If you want to be lazy or make things "cartoony," you can
         bake material colors to a texture or perhaps bake a full render
         if only using environment lighting.

When exporting a 3D model from Blender, make sure these settings are
used...

3D Studio (*.3ds)
    Forward: Y Forward
    Up:      Z Up
    
    - Stores everything in a single file
    - Does not keep vertex paint information
    
Collada (*.dae)
    Forward: N/A
    Up:      N/A
    
    - Pretty much an alternative to OBJ but stores a bit more
      information, such as armature.
    - HOWEVER, CopperCube does not allow DAE for animated models
    - Textures are not kept within the DAE file
    
Stanford (*.ply)
    Forward: -Z Forward
    Up:       Y Up
    
    - Keeps vertex paint information
    - Does not automatically export textures but can keep UV information
          so you will have to export those images yourself.
    - Cannot use for animation
    - Must join all meshes or things wont look right
    
Wavefront (*.obj)
    Forward: -Z Forward
    Up:       Y Up
    
    - Exports textures in same directory as the OBJ except in the case
          of Minetest 'meshport' addon.
    - Cannot use for animation

The quickest way to tell if a model will be oriented correctly before
adding to CopperCube is to use the 'G3DViewer' program; you should be 
able to right-click on an exported model and do an "Open with".

The advantage of 3DS and PLY files is that they have everything they
need inside of them.

If you export to Wavefront (*.obj) or Collada (*.dae), make sure to
place these in their own folders since the exporting processes will 
also result in texture image files in the same relative location.

The only formats CopperCube currently support for animated models are
FBX, DirectX (*.x), Blitz3D (*.b3d), and Milkshape (*.ms3d).


###########################
# IMPORTING TO COPPERCUBE #
###########################

CopperCube does not keep material color information. In other words,
you cannot be lazy and use materials for coloring, even for your low
poly cartoon-like game; you will need to either use vertex paint or have
textures. Models with vertex paint may not show unless in 
Collada (*.dae) or Stanford (*.ply) format.

CopperCube can import Blender project files (*.blend) but the 
orientation and vertex paint colors will be wrong. Also, Blender v3 and
newer project files may not work on CopperCube, nor am I sure about
Blender v2.8 or v2.9 (Cycles or Eevee related?...).

If you decide to make changes to a model in Blender, export, and then
need to replace the model in CopperCube, right-click on the model from
the "SceneGraph Explorer" panel and "Modify Selection --> Reload mesh
from disk". The position of the model will remain where it is.


#############################
# EDITING WITHIN COPPERCUBE #
#############################

If you named your materials within Blender, CopperCube does not care
regardless of whether you import a Blender project or a 3D model file-
format. You will only see numbers while in the 
"IrrEdit - Irrlicht Properties" panel.


############
# WARNINGS #
############

When importing *.fbx, CopperCube may freeze if created with
Blender 2.79b; save first. The only reason to use FBX is for animated 3D
models. Exporting to FBX via Bforartist 4.5.1 appears to make CopperCube
freeze for about a few seconds but then works fine.

Models exported from Blender to *.x (Direct X), *.ms3d (Milkshape), and 
*.b3d (Blitz3D) do not look right at all on CopperCube v6.7.1; I am not
sure about other versions.