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.
Contents
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 - The Topographic Apprentice (2002-2004)
Article (Joe Nastasi, 1.1)
Article (Joe Nastasi, 1.2)
Lights, Camera, Action! (Joe Nastasi, 1.3)
Bouncing Off The Walls (Joe Nastasi, 1.4)
Touchy-Feely 3D (Joe Nastasi, 1.5)
The Fog (Joe Nastasi, 1.6)
Shape Animation (Joe Nastasi, 2.1)
Shape Animation (Joe Nastasi, 2.3)
Path Animation (Joe Nastasi, 2.5)
Path Animation (Joe Nastasi, 2.6)
BYTE (1996)
Must-See 3-D Engines (Tom Thompson, 6/1996)
3-D for Everyone (Udo Flohr, 10/1996)
Quesa/QD3D programming
Quesa is a high-level 3D graphics library.Quesa downloads (Mac/Win/Unix)
QuickDraw 3D 1.6 download (Mac Cl.)
Quesa source code
Quesa mailing lists
Quesa wiki: OpenGL rendering effects, coordinate systems, properties, etc.
3DMF_OpenGL (Brian Barnes) translates 3DMF's into a OpenGL-friendly binary format (source code)
Mac/Windows QD3D 1.6 SDKs (Apple) incl. sample code and documentation
Magdef (Joseph Strout): An open-source, public-domain C++ class library for development of games under MacOS
Nanosaur (Pangea) source code
3DMF Optimizer, 3DMF Mapper (Pangea) source code
BrickDraw3D (Erik Olson) source code
REALbasic 3D (RB3D) ressources
Whisper (Jesse Jones): Includes C++ QD3D wrapper classes
QD3D Java (Dean Perry) wrapper
Software
Converter | Modeling | Scientific | More3DMF Converter
3DMF Optimizer (Pangea): Optimizes 3DMF for size and speed
(free; Mac Cl.)
3dmf2wrl (Bob Crispen): 3DMF to VRML 97 (free; Win)
AccuTrans 3D (MicroMouse) Many to 3DMF and vv (Win)
Anatas (Stefan Huber): 3DMF text to 3DMF binary
(free; Mac (and vv: Mac Cl.))
PolyTrans/NuGraf (Okino) Many to 3DMF and vv (Unix, Win)
QuickDraw3D.m (Junzo Sato) Mathematica graphics to 3DMF and vv (Mac Cl.)
X To 3DMF Converter (AlphaOmega): Direct3D X to 3DMF (Mac)
Modeling with 3DMF export
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; Mac Cl., Win)
DesignWorkshop Classic/Pro (Artifice) (3DMF in; Mac Cl., Win)
Domus.Cad (Interstudio) (3DMF in; Mac, Win)
form·Z (auto·des·sys) (3DMF in; Mac, Win)
Meshwork (Codenautics) (3DMF in; Mac)
PatchDance (Paul Sexton) (free, Mac Cl.)
TouchCAD (Lundström Design) (3DMF in; Mac, Win)
Blob Sculptor (Eduard Schwan) (free; Mac Cl.)
DenebaCAD (Deneba) (3DMF in; Mac Cl., Win)
GroBoto (Braid Media Arts) (Mac Cl.)
Microspot 3D World (3DMF in; Mac Cl.)
Microspot Modeler (3DMF in; Mac)
Organica (impulse) (Mac Cl., Win)
Strata 3Dplus (3DMF in; Mac Cl.)
Scientific modeling with 3DMF export
Curvus Pro (Arizona): Mathematical 2D and 3D curves (Mac Cl.)
Dendrometer (Joe Strout): Analysis of branchy structures (free; Mac Cl.)
DomusTerra (Interstudio): Architectural land modeling (3DMF in; Mac)
MacDopplerPRO (Dog Park): Radio satellite tracking (Mac X)
MacMolPlt (Brett Bode): Molecular visualization (free; Mac Cl.)
MolView (Tom Smith): Molecular visualization (free; Mac Cl.)
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 (Mac Cl., Win)
Therion (Stacho Mudrák, Martin Budaj): Cave cartography tool (free; Mac, Linux, Win)
Toporobot (Martin Heller): Cave cartography tool (free; Mac)
MFworks/Keigan GRID (Keigan): Raster based GIS (Mac)
More 3DMF export
3DMF Mapper (Pangea) u/v texture mapping (free; 3DMF in; Mac Cl.)
Celtic Assistant (Gigagraphica): Drawing celtic knots (free; Mac Cl.)
SceneBench (Lars Jensen): Scene editor (3DMF in; Mac)
Adrenaline Charts Pro creates static and dynamic charts (Mac Cl.)
Phoenix (Adrian Platts): Fractals generator (free; Mac Cl.)
Poser (Curious Labs): 3D-character design (3DMF in; Mac, Win)
StL viewer (Ripplon) views StereoLithography files (free; Mac Cl.)
3DMF Viewer
Geo3D (Stefan Huber) (free; 3DMF in/out; Mac)
QD3D Viewer (Apple) (free; 3DMF in; Win)
Quesa Model Viewer (free; 3DMF in; Mac)
Simple Text (free; 3DMF in; Mac Cl.)
Other
BrickDraw3D (Erik Olson): Lego bricks editor (free; Mac)
Bugdom (Pangea): Game (Mac Cl.)
FrameForge Previz Studio (Innoventive): Previsualization and storyboarding software (Mac, Win)
HolliDance (David White): A dance program (free; Mac Cl.)
Infinity Model Builder (french touch): 3D editor (free; 3DMF in; Mac Cl.)
Infinity Terrain Builder (french touch): create and edit terrains (free; Mac Cl.)
Interiors Professional (Microspot) visualises interior designs (Mac)
Nanosaur (Pangea): Game (Mac Cl.)
NodeMedia (Bill Meikle): QTVR tool (3DMF in, Mac Cl.)
OpenStack (Objective): Multimedia system extension for HyperCard (3DMF in; Mac Cl.)
Pixels:3d (pixels): 3D character animation (3DMF ?, Mac)
QuickDraw 3D Tools (Apple): Tools and utilities (free; Mac Cl., Win)
REALbasic (REAL) software development tools (3DMF in/out; Mac, Win)
RC Helicopter Simulator (AlphaMacSoftware) (3DMF in; Mac)
Twirl (zap tech): Small VRML browser (free; Mac Cl.)
UPresent (CodeBlazer): Multimedia presentations (3DMF in; Mac, Win)
VRHotWires (Bill Meikle) QTVR tool (3DMF in, Mac Cl.)
Setting Sun (Purple Shark): Screen saver (3DMF in, Mac Cl.)
RAVE Pitstop (wünderbear) compares QD3D RAVE hardware and software engine features (Mac Cl.)
Plug-ins (Mac Classic only)
Whirlplug/BeWhurled (Apple): Netscape (free; 3DMF in; Mac Cl.)
Callisto (Kas Thomas): Photoshop (3DMF in/out; Mac Cl.)
Quick3D (Plastic Thought): Netscape (free; 3DMF in; Mac Cl., Win)
QuickSpace (Plastic Thought): Photoshop (free; 3DMF in; Mac Cl., Win)
Vertigo 3D Words: Illustrator - create 3D text (Mac Cl., Win)
Vertigo Dizzy: Photoshop/Illustrator - add 3D models (3DMF in; Mac Cl.)
Vertigo Hot Text: Photoshop - create 3D text (Mac Cl., Win)
Vertigo Quickspace: Photoshop - add 3D models (3DMF in; Mac Cl., Win)
Plug-in renderers
Rayshade (Quesa): Raytraycing (Mac, Win)FineArt 3D (Inklination): Pen and ink illustrations (Mac Cl.)
Microspot Renderer: Raytraycing (Mac Cl.)
3DMF files
The Great Buildings Collection: architectural imagingCaves: speleological imaging
Molecular orbitals (H. S. Rzepa): chemical imaging
Möbius Aromatic Forms (William L. Karney et al): chemical imaging
Related links
Java 3D APIOpenGL 3D graphics library
Mesa 3D is an open-source implementation of the OpenGL specification
POV-Ray: The Persistence of Vision Raytracer is a free, open source tool for creating 3D graphics
Visualization ToolKit (VTK) is an open source software system for 3D computer graphics, image processing, and visualization
Web3D Consortium: VRML, X3D, and more