XNA 4.0: Blender .fbx File Won't Display 3D Model

Question

So I followed the basic 3D model display tutorial found here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb197293%28v=xnagamestudio.31%29.aspx

And while I know this is for XNA 3.1, I can still get the screen to show and the background color to change fine. The model file seems to be accepted in the method below:

protected override void LoadContent()
    {
        // Used to draw textures.
        spriteBatch = new SpriteBatch(GraphicsDevice);

        grudmud = Content.Load<Model>("Models\\Vikings_grudmud");

        aspectRatio = graphics.GraphicsDevice.Viewport.AspectRatio;
    }

The model was created in Blender, so perhaps I'm missing a step in creating a mesh or certain texture for it? I have colored it in Blender and it's a simple blocky humanoid figure. Is there a scaling I should check in Blender so the camera in XNA is not inside the object?

Here's where I actually draw the object and set out some basic properties:

protected override void Draw(GameTime gameTime)
    {
        GraphicsDevice.Clear(Color.Aqua);

        Matrix[] transforms = new Matrix[grudmud.Bones.Count];
        grudmud.CopyAbsoluteBoneTransformsTo(transforms);

        foreach (ModelMesh mesh in grudmud.Meshes) {

            foreach (BasicEffect effect in mesh.Effects) {
                effect.EnableDefaultLighting();
                effect.World = transforms[mesh.ParentBone.Index] *
                    Matrix.CreateRotationY(modelRotation)
                   * Matrix.CreateTranslation(modelPosition);
                effect.View = Matrix.CreateLookAt(cameraPosition, 
                    Vector3.Zero, Vector3.Up);
                effect.Projection = Matrix.CreatePerspectiveFieldOfView(MathHelper.ToRadians(45.0f),
                    aspectRatio, 1.0f, 10000.0f);
                effect.PreferPerPixelLighting = true;
            }

            mesh.Draw();
        }
        base.Draw(gameTime);
    }

The initial camera and player model positions:

Vector3 modelPosition = Vector3.Zero;
    float modelRotation = 0.0f;
    Vector3 cameraPosition = new Vector3(0.0f, 50.0f, 5000.0f);

I haven't even attempted to implement the face texture yet.

It seems to have a wireframe/mesh, I've just colored in the faces. The model is pretty much centered around the origin.

Am I exporting it wrong? Do I need to specify lighting/camera angles any further?

Answer 1

I was having the same problem when following the same tutorial. I took Fibericon's advice and played with the export scale. I had to increase it to 100.0 (from 1.0) for the model to display properly when compiled in XNA. As an alternative, I found decreasing the distance of the camera from 5000.0f to 50.0f made the model visible.

This begs the question why. The suggested export scale based on this help page is 1.0. The scale of my model's objects are all 1.0. My XNA code is identical to the OP's.

Regardless, it's working. Thanks Fibericon!