Export to a format that can be navigated on desktop or on the web

[Chris P. Bacon]

Which export format is best for a cityscape created in Dimension, that can be navigated similar to Google Street view?

Is there any generic format for that purpose or I need to navigate my projects created in Dimension in Aero? 

[Ussnorway]

the only file type Dimension can export which is even close to a standard is the Dn file... and even Adobe doesn't trust that file which is why you can't share them here on this [Adobe owned Dimension] forum

a standard web file for 3D and 4D is web animation and thats basically just [Flash like] code that every browser except Microsoft Edge allows for simple animations... more complex displays have to be pre-rendored and treaded like a video

[Chris P. Bacon]

I made a sample model in Dimension:

3D models by Chris P. Bacon (@mdmadam) - Sketchfab

But only 2 things I can do: zoom it and rotate it.

I cannot navigate it.

Navigation is when you make 2 rows of houses and a road in between, and you are able to move along the road and look around in 360 degrees from every point.

So after I create that in Dimension, how do I render it so that I can walk on the road and look around? 

[Colin Holgate]

In Adobe tools, it might be possible to render a walkthrough a model with After Effects, but if you want people to jump between different views of a house, there are other tools that might be easier.

Try this link, and when it settles down, click on the clapperboard on the right, then click on the three different scenes to see what happens:

house scene demo 

To freely roam around a 3D scene you might need to get Unity or Unreal Engine involved. For simpler rendering of preset views, SketchUp (which is what I used) would do.

I should mention that I work for SketchUp. A Blender employee may have other suggestions!

BTW, the link does strange things in Safari, use Chrome.

[Chris P. Bacon]

I use Edge browser, it's better than Chrome (on Windows), and it works fine.
What would be the file format and the game engine for the walkthrough?

Thanks.

[Colin Holgate]

For what I did, I imported your GLB file into SketchUp, published that model online, and then shared the model. The playback is all HTML/JavaScript/WebGL, there isn't an engine that the viewer would need to download or install.

The kind of model you made could be made directly in SketchUp, there wouldn't be a need to use Dimension.

If you wanted to get much higher end walk-throughs in real time, here's an example where Unity was used:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9quUQA5_Wo

[Chris P. Bacon]

Unity should be sufficient for me, I dont want the 50 GB unreal because I don't want to make games just 3d walkthroughs, maybe with a little animation.

Do you know if  unity can do simulations?

I want to simulate farm production.

[Colin Holgate]

I'm not sure what you're thinking about when you say simulations, but, a high percentage of games are done with Unity, and many of those are simulations.

In the Adobe forum you're likely to get good answers about Adobe applications. You could ask Unity specific things in their forum:

https://forum.unity.com/

[Ussnorway]

what he is calling a simulation or navigation is 4D and we have already had this question from him here

https://community.adobe.com/t5/dimension-discussions/is-dimension-the-best-tool-for-creating-citysca...

yes Unity, Iclone or Unreal are all good options for 'machinima' 

Unity is really for Mac users and Unreal or Iclone are for Windows users

[Chris P. Bacon]

I've read Godot is even more lightweight?

Should I get Godot if I only want walkthroughs and simulation?

By simulation I don't mean the walkthrough and navigation.

I want to simulate farm production so that the data is embedded in the farm imagery in real time.

For example I go walk by the potato production plant, and I can read production data in real time on a wall.

Animations are not that important.

Of course, I feed in the production data based on other realistic data taken from real farms.

But space management and architecture is the goal here, I just want to have the production data in addition.

I want to design homesteads including production data.

And it has to be like a wiki, for example you see a bulb, you need to access information on that bulb in form of text, links, etc, and about all farm assets.

I also need to be able to import real assets. For example green houses that are sold in reality, and solar panels, and other real farm products. 

So I need to create 3d models of them just based on pictures or movies.

So the final result should be that you walk through the farm and request information. How much tomatoes can I grow in this greenhouse in 1 month? You input 1 month and you get the number. You can also request how much does running this green house cost me for 1 month? You request and you get the value. So there will be a lot of data. I don't actually need to "start" the farm and watch it real time. I just need the stats about everything. How much does it cost, how much does it produce, what brand is it, etc...

And then segmentation, stats for only parts of the the farm. People could select the 3D modules and get the data.

So it needs to be modular so that people can actually remove parts of the farm if they don't need it.

Buti need to simulate natural environment, water supply and all.

I want to build prototype farms including data, for presentation.

[Chris P. Bacon]

What about laying down navigation paths in Dimension, that could be navigated in some software?

Is that possible?

Is it only game engines that can navigate by a path, or some 3D/4D formats also have this feature built in?

[Ussnorway]

some have it yes, the old Photoshop for example could follow a simple camera track but Adobe ripped 3D out of it a few years ago... again Iclone is the best, can handle multiple camera tracks and is designed to spread that load so your Windows system doesn't lock itself up

yes its possible to make these but a game engine is designed for it and honestly your best option