java libraries for exporting models TO blender

Question

I am starting a project where I would like to generate some 3D data sets (scenery from minecraft in my case) and export them for use in a blender (the 3D rendering tool) project.

Are there any java libraries that make it easy to write files for use by blender?

If not, where are the specs for an approriate file readable by blender (something that can hold 3D geometry and texture info)?

Answer 1

George Profenza pointed out that blender can import Wavefront-style OBJ files and provided a wikipedia link I was able to use to write a java library which is currently available from github : https://github.com/mutantbob/jwavefrontobj

A different technique I have been using on more recent projects is to use Blender's python API. The general idea is that you write software that emits the various bits of scenery as python method calls. You then hand-craft the definitions of those python methods to build the object inside blender. http://web.purplefrog.com/~thoth/coral/blog.html provides many examples, but it only scratches the surface of what can be accomplished in blender.

I seriously doubt I am a pioneer in this space. It has probably been used by various scientific visualizations for years.

Example videos include

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57IEQ87KRN0 where the simulated explosions generate several data streams (destroyed blocks, incandescent spheres, explosion light sources)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r9Q6MIUdsA where the background scenery was generated by java and emitted as python. The character was animated by hand.