Quesa, Quickdraw 3D (QD3D), 3D Metafile (3DMF)

Quesa 3DMF

Quesa

is a cross-platform high level 3D graphics library which offers binary and source level compatibility with Apple’s QuickDraw 3D API. Supports retained and immediate mode rendering, an extensible file format, plug-in renderers, a wide range of high level geometries, hierarchical models, and a consistent and object-orientated API.

3DMF,

short for 3D metafile, is Quesa’s cross-platform file format.

Documentation (MacTech | develop | more)
Quesa/QD3D programming
Software (Converter | Modeling | Scientific | more)
Plug-in renderers
3DMF files
Related links

Documentation

MacTech (1997-2000, 2003)

Accelerating Code Resources and Import Libraries: How your plug-in can take advantage of the Power Macintosh run-time architecture without telling the host application (Fabrice Ferino, 13(6))
Introducing PuppetTime: Digital actors and how to add new media types to QuickTime (Deeje Cooley, 14(1))
Lights, Camera, Action...: Embedding QuickDraw 3D objects into QuickTime VR panoramas (Tim Monroe, 14(5))
3D Programming With QuickDraw 3D (Kas Thomas, 14(7))
Desktop VR using QuickDraw 3D, Part I, and
Part II (Tom Djajadiningrat/Maarten Gribnau, 14(7/8))
3D Made Easy Using 3D World Plug-Ins (Robin Landsbert, 14(10))
Poor Man’s Bryce, Part I: Terrain Generation in Quickdraw 3D,
Part II: More Terrain Generation with Quickdraw 3D, and
Part III: Faster Terrains in QuickDraw 3D (Kas Thomas, 14(10/11/12))
Natural Object Rotation without Quaternions (Kas Thomas, 15(3))
Programmer’s Challenge: Rubik’s cube (Bob Boonstra/Willeke Rieken, 16(9))
Cubby: Multiscreen Desktop VR Part I: Multiple views and mirroring images in QuickDraw 3D,
Part II: How to create an Input Sprocket driver for a 3D input device, and
Part III: Reading an input sprocket device and calibrating Cubby (Tom Djajadiningrat/Maarten Gribnau, 16(9/11/12))
3D For Free Using the Mac’s Standard Apps: Converting raw 3D text files to QuickDraw 3D’s 3DMF format using AppleScript (Tom Djajadiningrat, 19(5))

develop (1995-1997)

QuickDraw 3D: A New Dimension for Macintosh Graphics (Pablo Fernicola/Nick Thompson, 22)
The Basics of QuickDraw 3D Geometries (Nick Thompson/Pablo Fernicola, 23)
Graphical Truffles: Making the Most of QuickDraw 3D (Nick Thompson/Pablo Fernicola, 24)
Generating QuickTime VR Movies From QuickDraw 3D (Philip McBride, 25)
NURB Curves: A Guide for the Uninitiated (Philip J. Schneider, 25)
Adding Custom Data to QuickDraw 3D Objects (Pablo Fernicola/Nick Thompson/Kent Davidson, 26)
Game Controls for QuickDraw 3D (Philip McBride, 27)
New QuickDraw 3D Geometries (Philip J. Schneider, 28)
Easy 3D With the QuickDraw 3D Viewer (Nick Thompson, 29)

Apple (1997-1999)

Graphics Programming With QuickDraw 3D 1.5.4 including 3D Metafile reference
QuickDraw 3D 1.6: new API features
Making Cool QuickDraw 3D Applications! (Brian Greenstone)
Technical QD3D Q&As for developers

Technote (1998)

Optimizing QuickDraw3D Applications (Scott Kuechle, 1109)
Supporting Plug-in Renderers (Nick Thompson / Scott Kuechle, 1110)

iDevGames (2001, 2003)

3D in REALbasic with Rb3D: Rb3D is real time 3D graphic engine based on Quesa (Joseph Nastasi, July 2001)
Introduction to Quesa (Dair Grant, July 2003)

REALbasic developer (2002-2006)

The Topographic Apprentice by Joe Nastasi
The Topographic Apprentice (1.1)
The Topographic Apprentice (1.2)
Lights, Camera, Action! (1.3)
Bouncing Off The Walls (1.4)
Touchy-Feely 3D (1.5)
The Fog (1.6)
Shape Animation (2.1)
Shape Animation (2.3)
Path Animation (2.5)
Path Animation (2.6)
Control Panels (3.3)
Presto Chango! Dynamic Textures (4.4)

BYTE (1996)

Must-See 3-D Engines (Tom Thompson, 6/1996)
3-D for Everyone (Udo Flohr, 10/1996)

Wikipedia

QuickDraw 3D

Quesa/QD3D programming

Quesa is a high-level 3D graphics library.
Quesa downloads
QuickDraw 3D 1.6 download (MacCl)
Quesa source code
Quesa mailing lists
Quesa wiki: OpenGL rendering effects, coordinate systems, properties, etc.
Mac/Windows QD3D 1.6 SDKs (Apple) incl. sample code and documentation
3DMF_OpenGL (Brian Barnes) translates 3DMF into a OpenGL-friendly binary format (source code)
3DMF Optimizer, 3DMF Mapper (Pangea) source code
BrickDraw3D (Erik Olson) source code
GL (Jeff Quan) REALbasic plug-in supports 3DMF import
Magdef (Joseph Strout): An open-source, public-domain C++ class library for development of games under MacOS
Nanosaur (Pangea) source code
Whisper (Jesse Jones): Includes C++ QD3D wrapper classes
QD3D Java (Dean Perry) wrapper

Software

Converter | Modeling | Scientific | More

3DMF Converter

3DMF Optimizer (Pangea): Optimizes 3DMF for size and speed (free; MacCl)
AccuTrans 3D (MicroMouse) Many to 3DMF and vv (Win)
Anatas (Stefan Huber): 3DMF text to 3DMF binary (free; Mac [and vv: MacCl])
PolyTrans/NuGraf (Okino) Many to 3DMF and vv (Unix, Win)
3DMF for MATHEMATICA (Junzo Sato) Mathematica graphics to 3DMF and vv (MacCl)
X To 3DMF Converter (AlphaOmega): Direct3D X to 3DMF (Mac)
3dmf2wrl (Bob Crispen): 3DMF to VRML 97 (free; Win)

Modeling with 3DMF export

3D Toolbox (Microspot) (3DMF in; Mac)
3D Maker (Sandy Knoll) (3DMF in; Mac, Win)
Ayam (Randolf Schultz) (free; 3DMF in; Mac, Unix, Win)
Cheetah3D (Martin Wengenmayer) (Mac)
Cinema 4D (Maxon) (3DMF in; Mac, Win)
DesignWorkshop Lite (Artifice) (free; 3DMF in; MacCl, Win)
DesignWorkshop Classic/Pro (Artifice) (3DMF in; MacCl, Win)
Domus.Cad (Interstudio) (3DMF in; Mac, Win)
form·Z (AutoDesSys) (3DMF in; Mac, Win)
Meshwork (Codenautics) (3DMF in; Mac)
PatchDance (Paul Sexton) (free, MacCl)
TouchCAD (Lundström Design) (3DMF in; Mac, Win)
Blob Sculptor (Eduard Schwan) (free; MacCl)
DenebaCAD (Deneba) (3DMF in; MacCl, Win)
GroBoto (Braid Media Arts) (MacCl)
3D World (Microspot) (3DMF in; MacCl)
Organica (impulse) (MacCl, Win)
Strata 3Dplus (3DMF in; MacCl)

Scientific modeling with 3DMF export

Dendrometer (Joe Strout): Analysis of branchy structures (free; MacCl)
DomusTerra (Interstudio): Architectural land modeling (3DMF in; Mac)
MacDopplerPRO (Dog Park): Radio satellite tracking (Mac X)
MolView (Tom Smith): Molecular visualization (free; MacCl)
Natural Scene Designer (Natural Graphics) creates landscape scenes (Mac, Win)
Nonio C (Interstudio): Large scale terrain modeling (3DMF in; Mac)
Poly Pro (Pedagoguery): constructing polyhedra (MacCl, Win)
Therion (Stacho Mudrák, Martin Budaj): Cave cartography tool (free; Mac, Linux, Win)
Curvus Pro (Arizona): Mathematical 2D and 3D curves (MacCl)
MacMolPlt (Brett Bode): Molecular visualization (free; MacCl)
MFworks/Keigan GRID (Keigan): Raster based GIS (Mac)
Toporobot-LimeLight (Martin Heller): Cave cartography tool (free; Mac; LimeLight update, 715 kB)

More 3DMF export

3DMF Mapper (Pangea) u/v texture mapping (free; 3DMF in; MacCl)
Celtic Assistant (Gigagraphica): Drawing celtic knots (free; MacCl)
SceneBench (Lars Jensen): Scene editor (3DMF in; Mac)
StL viewer (Ripplon) views StereoLithography files (free; MacCl)
Adrenaline Charts Pro creates static and dynamic charts (MacCl)
Phoenix (Adrian Platts): Fractals generator (free; MacCl)
Poser (Curious Labs): 3D-character design (3DMF in; Mac, Win)

3DMF Viewer

Geo3D (Stefan Huber) (free; 3DMF in/out; Mac)
Quesa Model Viewer (free; 3DMF in; Mac)
QD3D Viewer (Apple) (free; 3DMF in; Win)
Simple Text (free; 3DMF in; MacCl)

Other

BrickDraw3D (Erik Olson): Lego bricks editor (free; Mac)
Bugdom (Pangea): Game (MacCl)
FrameForge Previz Studio (Innoventive): Previsualization and storyboarding software (Mac, Win)
Interiors Professional (Microspot) visualises interior designs (Mac)
Nanosaur (Pangea): Game (MacCl)
REALbasic (REAL) software development tools (3DMF in/out; Mac, Win)
RC Helicopter Simulator (AlphaMacSoftware) (3DMF in; Mac)
Twirl (zap tech): Small VRML browser (free; MacCl)
UPresent (CodeBlazer): Multimedia presentations (3DMF in; Mac, Win)
Vue Infinite/xStream (e-on) for creating nature environments (3DMF in; Mac, Win)
HolliDance (David White): A dance program (free; MacCl)
Infinity Model Builder (french touch): 3D editor (free; 3DMF in; MacCl)
Infinity Terrain Builder (french touch): create and edit terrains (free; MacCl)
NodeMedia (Bill Meikle): QTVR tool (3DMF in, MacCl)
OpenStack (Objective): Multimedia system extension for HyperCard (3DMF in; MacCl)
Pixels:3d (pixels): 3D character animation (3DMF ?, Mac)
Setting Sun (Purple Shark): Screen saver (3DMF in, MacCl)
RAVE Pitstop (wünderbear) compares QD3D RAVE hardware and software engine features (MacCl)
QuickDraw 3D Tools (Apple): Tools and utilities (free; MacCl, Win)
VRHotWires (Bill Meikle) QTVR tool (3DMF in, MacCl)

Plug-ins (Mac Classic only)

Whirlplug/BeWhurled (Apple): Netscape (free; 3DMF in; MacCl)
Callisto (Kas Thomas): Photoshop (3DMF in/out; MacCl)
Quick3D (Plastic Thought): Netscape (free; 3DMF in; MacCl, Win)
QuickSpace (Plastic Thought): Photoshop (free; 3DMF in; MacCl, Win)
Vertigo 3D Words: Illustrator - create 3D text (MacCl, Win)
Vertigo Dizzy: Photoshop/Illustrator - add 3D models (3DMF in; MacCl)
Vertigo Hot Text: Photoshop - create 3D text (MacCl, Win)
Vertigo Quickspace: Photoshop - add 3D models (3DMF in; MacCl, Win)

Plug-in renderers

Rayshade (Quesa): Raytraycing (Mac, Win)
FineArt 3D (Inklination): Pen and ink illustrations (MacCl)
Microspot Renderer: Raytraycing (MacCl)

3DMF files

The Great Buildings Collection: architectural imaging
Caves: speleological imaging
Molecular orbitals (H. S. Rzepa): chemical imaging
Möbius Aromatic Forms (William L. Karney et al): chemical imaging

Quesa | 3DMF

Quickdraw 3D | 3D Metafile