Any way to render 3D models to sprites on the web?
Friday, March 25, 2022 - 09:58
I'm talking with a group of folks about a team project where we would need to make Doom-style sprites out of 3D models. None of us are particularly proficient at Blender.
Is there any online service that can let you upload a model and render 8 or 16 views of it (i.e. rotating the model) out as images?
Or, a simple (but ideally cross-platform, since we have a mix of Windows and Mac users) tool that does this?
...Could one write a POV-Ray script to do it? It's been years since I used POV-Ray but I remember it being quite powerful. I don't know (and somewhat doubt) if it could read FBX files, though, and that's what most 3D assets these days are going to be.
Blender is easier. No online service will be free if it really handles this specific request in a pleasing way, considering you want a transparent background, a specific size for these sprites, and 8 different angles. You should learn Blender.
The best way to do this in Blender is to change the end frame to 8 in the animation timeline (bottom of the screen), because you can render out an animation as individual files. Then, place the camera in position 1. Keyframe the position on frame 0. Place it in position 2, keyframe on frame 1. Repeat process until you have the camera situated in all 8 locations you desire. You can actually make Blender output an animation as individual files, so now it's really really easy. Make sure to set a transparent background in the render settings and add lights so things you drag into the file later won't render as black. Save the file.
Next time you import something, make sure it's centered at 0,0,0 and appropriately scaled, then it's as easy as pressing Render and you'll have all 8 directions; no need to switch the active camera or anything.
"Or, a simple (but ideally cross-platform, since we have a mix of Windows and Mac users) tool that does this?"
You could give a try to TirNanoG Editor, it can create 2D spritesheets from 3D models easily.
It is cross-platform (Windows, Linux, but no Mac), and if you have Assimp installed, then FBX input supported too with a single click. (The editor is a tool for the TirNanoG engine, but you're not tied to that engine, as the editor saves plain simple PNG files usable anywhere.)
Cheers,
bzt