CarnivoresIO Blender Extension

CarnivoresIO is a high-performance Blender extension for importing and exporting Carnivores .3df (static) and .car (animated) model files. Optimized for Blender 4.2+, it provides a professional toolset for handling the custom legacy formats of the Carnivores game series.

Key Features

• Blender 4.2 Extension Architecture: Fully compatible with the new Blender Extensions platform, supporting online updates and standardized metadata.
• Robust Import/Export:
  • .3df (Static): Geometry, UVs, and face flags.
  • .car (Animated): High-speed animation baking, shape key management, and sound embedding.
• NLA Sound System:
  • Real-time sound playback synchronized with NLA strips.
  • Link .wav files directly to Actions via the Sidebar panel.
  • "Self-healing" audio device management to prevent playback crashes.
• Face Flag Tools:
  • Visualizer: Automatically generate vertex colors (FlagColors) to visualize 3DF face flags (e.g., Transparent, Double-Sided) directly in the viewport.
  • Selection Tools: Select, deselect, or invert faces based on specific bitmask combinations.
• Developer-Ready Logging: New internal logging system with a Debug Mode toggle in Addon Preferences for verbose console output.

Installation (Blender 4.2+)

Standard Installation

1. Download the carnivores_io-2.x.x.zip from the Releases page.
2. In Blender, go to Edit > Preferences > Get Extensions.
3. Drag and drop the .zip file into the Blender window, or use the menu to install from disk.

Dev Channel (Auto-Updates)

If you want to stay on the "bleeding edge" with automatic updates:

1. Go to Preferences > File Paths > Extensions.
2. Click + to add a new Remote Repository.
3. Paste the URL to the index.json hosted on this repository's GitHub Pages: https://Tibbee.github.io/CarnivoresIO/index.json
4. You can now update the extension directly from the Extensions tab whenever a new dev build is pushed.

Usage

1. Animation & NLA Sounds

Located in the Sidebar (N) > Carnivores > Animation Panel.

• KPS Control: Set the Keys Per Second for each animation. Use Auto for Scene FPS or Override for custom game speeds.
• Linked Sounds: Use the folder icon to associate a sound with an animation. Toggle the speaker icon to enable real-time playback while scrubbing or playing.
• Re-Sync: Recalculate animation timing instantly after changing FPS or KPS.

2. Face Flags & Visualization

Located in the Sidebar (N) > Carnivores > 3DF Face Flags.

• Visualize Flags: Generates a vertex color layer that tints faces based on their 3DF flags (e.g., Magenta for Double Sided, Blue for Opacity).
• Modify Flags: Set, Clear, or Toggle specific bits on selected faces.

3. Debugging

• If you encounter issues, go to Preferences > Extensions > CarnivoresIO and enable Debug Mode.
• Open the System Console (Window > Toggle System Console on Windows) to view detailed logs.

Compatibility

• Min Version: Blender 4.2.0
• Max Version: Blender 5.0.0 (Exclusive)
• Dependencies: Uses numpy and aud (standard in Blender distributions).

License

Licensed under GNU GPL v3.
Copyright © 2024-2025 Tibor Harsányi.