Loading the models .x files

Sorry guys. I think the first paragraph is too confusing.

My question in the first paragraph is :

1. Do all the professional games use .x file for storing models ?

2. If the above question (1) is true, do they have their own custom rountines to load the models from the .x files or do they use the same "CD3DFile" class ?

Thanks
Arun

Try to look at the article on the homepage of this site.
To your first questions: most games use its own file format not X file with their own custom routines.

Wolf

The *.x file format is documented in the SDK, so the information is there if you want to write your own loader, but I use my own format.

Thanks for the information.

How difficult is it to write our own format ? How do we export the models and scenes from 3d max to our format ? Do we need to write a plug-in for that ? Do I need to have a thorough knowledge of 3D graphics and how 3dStudio has it models represented to write my own format ?

How do I go about it ? Can anyone give me suggestions asto what criteria should I consider when I write my own format and how do I implement it ?

Thanks
Arun

actually, you don''t need a thorough knowledge of 3d graphics, but you DO need a thorough knowledge of I/O functions. you have to parse your own data if you want to use the 3ds format. the format spex are available at www.wotsit.org. i personally have not created a 3ds parser yet, but i plan to in the future, if i have time. i currently use a program called 3d Exploration by X Dimension Software (www.xdsoft.com) to convert my 3ds files into opengl code. however, obviously the disadvantage to this is that all the models are hard-coded. i want to be able to bring in meshes via 3ds format. that''d be sweet. anyway, personally, i think it would be hard to parse the data, especially the texture coords and normals. (i have no idea how to do this!).

there''s a great beginning 3ds loader at flipcode, it was one of the code of the day entries. that might provide some insight as to how to read in 3ds files.

a2k