🖥 obj/glTF to USDZ from terminal without Xcode?

Questions
, , , , , , ,
1

https://multitudes.github.io/2019/06/what-is-USDZ.html

Been digging around in Augmented Reality(AR) for a while.

Successfully been able to convert obj to USDZ with Xcode on Mac using xcrun usdz_converter in terminal.

image
image746×1612 292 KB

What I’m curious about can:

  • obj/glTF to USDZ be done without using Xcode from terminal?
  • Do you know of another way this could be done?

Have seen vectary and clara.io converting to USDZ
Also saw the post on Three.js issues: https://github.com/mrdoob/three.js/issues/14219

Thanks for the help!

2

There’s a new usdzconvert utility that (I think?) can convert glTF and some other formats to USDZ without XCode – see https://twitter.com/deniskovacs/status/1138458261437501445. I haven’t tried this myself though.

Do you know of another way this could be done?

Nope. :confused:

2 Likes
3

Looking into your recommendation still requires in the pipeline Xcode but then again I’m on a mac maybe need to test this with Linux, at least when I tried to install the pycode. Then ran into having to install PySlide, requires a certain configuration to do this process. Will keep attempting, still learning!

Getting warmer, things are beginning to take shape, found the right readme file:

After many failed attempts with pip and pip3, during the build I keep running into an import Image error. Read through stackoverflow related problems. It is something with either my environment or I need to hear from others they have gotten this python script working where we can discuss what went wrong. Possible revisit, for now Xcode is a viable solution! :frowning:

4

Hey, is there anything new here? Im also looking for way to convert glTF models to USDZ, best would be on a webserver. I have a app, that can export a dynamic generated model, which then should be converted to USDZ and send back as a link.

I found a Python tool to convert models via terminal, but is it possible to run this python script on a webserver somehow?

5

you would need your own webserver, with a storage place for your glft files, then from a php script or other trigger the convertion with python/php interface, and access the usdz file from http

6
7

Here’s a newer glTF to USDZ converter, which I believe works without Xcode. In the Background section the authors mention some of the differences between it and Apple’s conversion tools.

1 Like
8

https://simlab-soft.com/3d-plugins/usdz_plugins.aspx

image
image1298×694 169 KB

https://usdz.viewar.com/usdz-converter/action:upload
image

9

January 13, 2020

10

Still trying to achieve this. Help needed and appreciated :slight_smile:

11

Jumping on board, I’m interesting in solutions for this too.

I did have the idea of using usdzconvert python script as a child process on a node server, but I haven’t tested it. What I’m curious about is if we had a scene with with for example a chair, this chairs legs were a chrome metal using Three’s standard metalness and reflectivity and envmap (the usual approach). I’m interested in knowing how someone would generate a PNG of this as I understand the USD format takes images as textures only.

My end goal here is to load up a model, for instance a chair, and have the user choose for instance leather or denim for the chair, and wood or chrome for the legs. Then output this as a USDZ to view it in AR.

It’d be amazing to be able to take all materials in a scene and bake them into one single image (toDataUrl) but I’m sure that’s not possible?

Edit: I have looked into AR.JS, and I don’t know how anyone finds that useful? In all types of lighting, the jitter of the object is enough to make someone nauseous.

1 Like
12

Alright @donmccurdy @ben @Fluqz, I figured this one out

I’ve created a small 30 line node server that will convert a .glb to .usdz

From here it’s up to you to use GLTFExporter and pass it into this somehow, good luck!

Here’s a repo, just npm install and then npm start

Here’s the gist of it

const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const shell = require('shelljs');
const port = 3000;
const BASEPATH = 'usdpython';
const PYTHONPATH = process.env.PYTHONPATH;
const CONVERT = `${BASEPATH}/usdzconvert/usdzconvert`;

process.env.PYTHONPATH = `${PYTHONPATH}:${BASEPATH}/USD/lib/python`

app.use(express.static('public'));

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
    /** 
     * Uncomment this to checkout the options for materials etc in your console
     */
    // shell.exec(`${CONVERT} -h`);

    shell.exec(`${CONVERT} chair.glb ./public/chair.usdz -metersPerUnit 1`, function(code, stdout, stderr) {
        if (stderr) {
           res.send(`Error: ${stderr}`)
            return
        }
        res.send(`
            <pre>${stdout}</pre> 
            <h1>🔥 🤟😎 🔥</h1>
            <a href="chair.usdz" rel="ar">View in Apple Quick Look</a>
        `);
    });  
});

app.listen(port, () => console.log(`Visit https://localhost:${port} to convert...`))
4 Likes
13

AR.JS is an interesting project. As I played with AR.JS was thinking this is also mainly used for prototyping ideas rather you could use this independently from an app store. :frowning_face: unless I’m missing the intent. AR.JS is very useful though in knowing what capabilities with JS are possible.

:heart: thanks for sharing your repo will play with this more later, so intrigued!

14

I don’t think AR.js uses any WebXR APIs, it’s marker-based. Something based on the new WebXR APIs would presumably have less jitter and other advantages.

1 Like
15

Thanks! A year ago this couldn’t be done without owning a mac and having admin on it. Today, this seems much easier with more tools by other people instead of just the xcode one from apple.

1 Like