Are we forced to use Qubicle? Will binvox or similar be used?
It would be kind of annoying if we have to use .qb since that forces us to buy Qubicle.
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They keep saying we can just use the free version of Qubicle, but if we need .qb files then we have to buy the $80 version.
I noticed this too, it’s also highly crippled using the free version.
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It would be cool if we could use .obj and the engine converts it to voxels or something, or any other better known voxel format. Then we could even use Minecraft for modelling 
@ernierock Mine-craft does not actually use Voxels but instead uses polygons in the shape of voxels ( known as poxels ) and it’s rendered in java to boot it’s a brilliant game no doubt about that but this is probably gonna be a lot more refined than Mine-craft ever was and will be. not sure what sort of impact using polygons instead voxels would do but who knows anywho the more you know ;3.
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Yeah it’s a real bummer. :c
I said, minecraft as a modeller 
There are tools to convert minecraft schematics to .obj files.
From what’s been posted in previous threads within the Modability category and from whats been said from the Devs, were going to have to either buy the full version of Qubicle in order to export .obj files as that is the format being used or wait for their own editor, that they have also mentioned, to be released pre-beta, beta or even post-beta.
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From what I understand, .qb will be used. Which is a real problem since the only program that can create those is the (expensive imo) version of Qubicle.
you also need .obj to animate, but other programs can make .obj files so that’s not a huge problem.
Let’s just hope they release their own editor pre-beta 
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That’s what I didn’t grasp. .obj solely for animation purposes and the .qb for remodels, as they’d would not be animated.
What you’ll do is export to .obj, so you can animate it using blender/maya/3dsmax or whatever and then you export the animation JSON (using a script the stonehearth devs will release), you will never use the .obj file in-game or something, you just use it to create the JSON.
The .qb is then the model itself.
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Well, the free version of Qubicle only allows saving / exporting to .qmo - So if the game takes .qb-files, it seems like we’d have to buy Qubicle.
Just for giggles, I tried to make a 1x1x1 cube in Qubicle, and saved it as .qmo. Opening the file with Sublime Text 2, it looks like it’s using a very simple method for saving the models / matrices, and I’m confident that someone (with more brainpower than me), can make a script for Blender or some other free modeling software to create a .obj file from the .qmo.
From what I can see, the .qmo holds the following information about the scene:
- A list of matrices (the sub-models of the scene)
- For every matrix, it holds the following information
- The name of the matrix (Set in Qubicle by selecting the matrix and pressing F2)
- A list of all the small cubes that make up the matrix. For each of these cubes, the .qmo holds information about
- The x, y & z position of the cube (Probably relative to the matrix, and not the scene. Not sure)
- The color of the cube
- For every matrix, it holds the following information
Opening the file in Sublime Text 2 shows the data as hex by default. Creating a 1x1x1 white cube at position (0,0,0) and saving it, and doing the same with a white cube, it’s easy to see where it stores the color information.
Converting the hex to ASCII reveals the name of the matrix and some metadata relating to the version of Qubicle / .qmo-type.
TL;DR: I think it’s possible to write a converter for the .qmo-files, saved by Qubicle, to another, more used filetype.
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I am looking into converting to .obj, but also in converting minecraft schematics to .qb, then we could use minecraft as a modeller.
Though, no promises, I still have a lot to learn and have never programmed something like that before.
Sounds good! If someone has bought Qubicle Constructor, it would be a great help if they’d create a 1x1x1 white cube at origin and export it as .qb and maybe as .obj and then share the files on the forums or something.
The Qubicle devs are pretty open about the formats too, there’s a lot of info to be found in their forums and website.
It is not a 1x1x1 cube at the origin, but I found a sample file someone on the qubicle fourms posted.
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Ok guys good news.
I found this: http://dimatura.net/proj_binvox-rw-py.html and this: http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~min/binvox/binvox.html
With this source and maybe some help from other programmers on here (I am not that great) I think it is pretty possible to convert .binvox files to .qb, allowing us to use other editors and possibly even Minecraft to create StoneHearth models.
We might need a schematic to .binvox / qb converter then but that probably exists already.
I don’t know how binvox supports colours though.
That is a fun idea and all but you do realize that the scaling from poxel to voxel is very big right? Either these models you want to make in minecraft would need to be of monstrous sizes (1 poxel = 1 voxel), or you would have to break down the poxels into voxels, which then probably wouldn’t look as well defined and clunkier than the models in general. At this point you would probably bring it into the Qubicle program anyways to actually make it look like it fits in this game.
I am not saying it isn’t doable or that you shouldn’t, just that you should be aware of what is involved and the need for Qubicle won’t be removed by this.
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Yes, I know.
The first goal would be to convert .binvox or similar to .qb.
If someone wrote a program that converts things to and from .qb files, I am pretty sure that is borderline piracy. The whole reason someone would want to buy master edition is to export stuff, so it kinda defeats the purpose. I don’t think the devs either of Qubicle or Stonehearth would approve of us basically pirating Qubicle. I think we just have to wait for the devs to make their own editor.
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