3D - Fails to load simple house model

[Henry]

Can someone help figure out what's wrong with this (very, very simple) OBJ?
I can't get it to load in xLights in the 3D model view.  It's intended to be very loose approximation of a two-story house front, to help align other models in 3D.

Thanks!


Issue:
xLights fails to import a OBJ in 3d Model view

Steps to Repro:
1. Install and launch v2020.26 (64-bit)
2. Goto Layout tab, enable "3D" checkbox
3. Click the orange "ADD OBJ" box, choose "Mesh"
4. Select the attached .OBJ file

Expected:
The model of the house loads

Actual Behavior:
No model loads



STL file is the original file, generated using Fusion360.
the STL was converted to OBJ using Windows 10's "3D Builder" app.

[allknowing2012]

Head over to xlights.org and get the latest version .47. Give that a try. The "check for updates" is broken in your version.

[Henry]

Installed .47, and 3D display is worse (not even entire default gridlines appear to draw correctly).

I've supplied the models.  Can someone at least try to load one, to see if it's local to my machine, or reproduces on other machines?

[keithsw1111]

It loads for me but the dimensions of your model are truly insane. I had to set scaling so small that xLights displays it as zero ... 0.0001 on all scales and even then it is large.

[Henry]

Thanks keithsw1111, your insight provided the starting point that I needed.

The dimensions were true approximate dimensions when I generated the model.  There's definitely some rough edges on the 3d modeling.  I'll just list a few, in case others hit this type of issue:

• xLights doesn't impose an upper size limit when first importing a model.  Models that are "too large" appear not to exist, because camera is fully inside the model (in most 3d models, faces are only visible from outside).
• Models will often hide the scale/translate/rotate handles.  Some update to improve the ability to always see these would help usability.
• The 3D rendering "loses" objects when zooming out.  Even the handles disappear.  Reset of the view restores them, but also resets the zoom.
• There doesn't seem to be any ability to "snap" to existing vertices of models, when moving lights around.

Even so, I was able to rescale the model in Fusion360, which unblocked me and let me migrate my models to 3D.  YAY!  Thanks, keithsw111, for taking the time to look, and pointing me in the right direction!

[Gilrock]

I put the ability to show only the lines on the model so you can check that property to hide the textures if you need to "find" the handles.  We don't try to calculate the perfect zoom for your model you can tweak it with a few iterations so that it imports as a nice size.  We aren't really trying to be a 3D modeling program its just meant to be a little nicer preview than 2D.  I've never needed to snap to the vertices of a model.  Most people get too hung up on how the layout page works but in reality you just get your stuff laid out and then you go sequencing.  People need to use it for a year before they give their bright ideas.  We've already heard them all.

[Henry]

I put the ability to show only the lines on the model so you can check that property to hide the textures if you need to "find" the handles.

Yes, I found that quite useful ... I can only use 3D with that option enabled, so thank you.

We don't try to calculate the perfect zoom for your model you can tweak it with a few iterations so that it imports as a nice size.

If you want to expand the user base, then please understand that this problem of model size was 100% blocking.  It was not something that I could figure out.  I've strong developer credentials, both in billions-of-copies operating systems, in IoT BSPs, and enabled FastLED to work with nRF52 devices.

Perhaps it was not clear ... I'm not suggesting to calculate a "perfect zoom" for the model ...  Not at all!  Rather, I'm suggesting that adding some basic limits to ensure the model is within the viewport when it's first imported, so that the user can adjust it manually.  (e.g., min 25%, max 95%)

Most people get too hung up on how the layout page works but in reality you just get your stuff laid out and then you go sequencing.

Doesn't the layout define (in a 2D plane, based on the view) how the effects are applied, especially across multiple models?  If so, then the layout DOES matter.