Technical basics and Software to create interactively modifiable objects in Blender?

Support Basics & Interface
#1

Hi guys, I am completely new here, and I hope I’m posting this into the right category here. I’m posting here and not in the additional software section, because in addition to knowing which tools to use, it might matter to know if I have to keep things or technical details of said software in mind while creating in Blender already, and what exactly to keep track of. If it’s wrong, please tell me or switch it to the right place.

So why I’m here - I am looking for sources and tools to create an interactively useable file in Blender. The object itself and creation in Blender as well as texturing it isn’t the issue. It’s a simple object, like a cube, that I have to export into a file that should go along well with a Power Point Presentation (if possible) and it should be possible to turn the cube around, but also to open all the sides (basically unfold the cube blueprint, or open the sides like doors) and view it from both sides. Via Google, I mostly find mentions of Blend4Web, but I have never done anything in this area so I’m not even sure what to look for. Do you have experiences with that? Which tools do you recommend?

And, relating to the tool, are there details I need to keep in mind while creating the “cube” in Blender? Like, so the tool knows what sides to keep together and where to open the cube and such. Do I have to rig them, basically? Or just build the cube as a blueprint, basically one flat layer that I’ll just fold like a cube then? Also, are there things I need to keep in mind for lighting/shading, and the renderer to use that may interfere with the depiction in the tool for the interactive export? And how are they being viewed and used later?

You see, ton of questions. If you have any tips or hints, I’ll be more than grateful, and thanks in advance :slight_smile:

#2

I have no experience with 3D in presentations. Did few quick searches and there are some applications that allow importing models in obj, fbx and collada formats. Latter two have option to export armature and animation.

What and how depends on the importing application. In Blender such animations could be done with simple keyframes, but that gets tedious fast. An armature would help controlling the poses, but building one for opening meshes also gets tedious very fast.

This can help to generate the rig
https://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/Object/Convert_to_Armature
It can work with another script, paper model export, which is also very useful addon on itself.

Generating the rig for a cube needs a useful structure which is similar to an UV layout, but with face strips that have 1 face width. The edges need to be split which is easy with select similar options and ctrl+E -> split edges. The selected face will be the place for the root bone.

Although it can’t generate a rig for a surface with a width of many faces, could still try using that for animating more complex surfaces with the new surface deform modifier.

#3

Ah thank you, I’ll check that out! It doesn’t need to be the easiest, or a free option either, if there’s a tool that can give me the file I need, I’ll purchase the license as well, because I’ve been informed once this is done, they may need more of those kinds of things in the future.

I have asked about just animating things like the cube opening and they then just pick the according animation, but they don’t want that. They want it to be interactive and moveable directly in the file. I’m checking out Blend4Web too. I’ve also checked Sketchfab, but it’s online which is impractical, and as far as I’ve seen, you can only view objects, not interact with them. Maybe there’s something better I haven’t found yet, but I’ll read into this first, thank you