b2c XML parser not found (Updated)

[Crystalfur]

Windows 7; stable CS/CEL 1.4; dled b2c April '10

First of all, the link given in the 'manual' (on the b2c site http://leapingcat.org/blender2crystal/index.php/Main_Page) for 'RegularInstall' for pyXML 2.5 is broken. It takes me to the old hosting site 'delcorp' and a page not found error follows. I cannot seem to find anything other than pyXML 2.4 elsewhere on the net. pyXML 2.5 was the install that worked on my other system.

Now I've got py2.6 installed and I don't know if pyXML 2.5 would even work for that.

So, I dled the python 2.4 and the pyXML 2.4, and Blender wouldn't load the b2c export script. The console gave me something in the realm of 'E: XML parser not found. Please install pyXML (for Windows) or 4Suite.'

I then tried with 4Suite, installing the win32 version, but b2c wasn't recognizing that either.

I've found the py script where the error emanates. It's a script called 'default.' It has a check for the XML parser that is set by another script called 'csxml', but my Python is lacking and I couldn't track it farther than that.

From what I gather, pyXML is no longer supported, and I wonder if b2c could support the win32 version of 4Suite?

I'm not in desperation to get this working, I've still got my old system w/ the old install working for b2c, but I would appreciate any help when you have the time. Ug, You're probably going to make me learn Python and reinvent the wheel by creating my own blender export script that doesn't rely on XML parsers! That sounds like too much work... too little time... someday I would like to get involved with the development. Maybe after I become versed in Python.


UPDATE: this odd fellow claims to provide a version of pyXML for 2.6.x, but I still get the same error.
http://www.somethinkodd.com/oddthinking/2009/10/31/windows-installer-for-pyxml-0-8-4-for-python-2-6-x/

[kickvb]

I fixed the outdated link for pyXML2.5 on the page http://leapingcat.org/blender2crystal/index.php/RegularInstall

I guess it should work with that...

[Crystalfur]

The new link takes me to http://pyxml.sourceforge.net/

I don't believe any pyXML2.5 can be dled from there.

It seems the only available pyXML on SourceForge is the 2.4 version; that will not do. http://sourceforge.net/projects/pyxml/

What are my options here, install linux and use 4Suite? B2C has lost support for Windows.

I am relatively unfamiliar w/ Python. Is there some way to maybe modify the b2c script to recognize pyXML 2.6.x? (see UPDATE from original post). I'm honestly not sure 4Suite is still being maintained either. Problematic...

[kickvb]

I was talking of the link "Python XML for python2.5", which should lead to http://leapingcat.org/blender2crystal/files/PyXML-0.8.4.win32-py2.5.exe

I'm also unfamiliar with Python, and I don't know what would exactly need to be changed in b2cs in order to work with Python 2.6 or 3.0 (3.0 is used in Blender 2.5x). But meanwhile you should have it working with Python2.5, I installed b2cs recently on a Windows machine and haven't got any problem to have it work.

[Crystalfur]

Oh, well now the link works.

Anyway, I downloaded and installed it...This time the console did not complain about not being able to find an XML parser, but instead complained of not being able to import various files from C:\python25. Gave messages like 'import xml failed' 'xml no registry found' etc. I spent a lot of time monkeying around throwing files in and out, redirecting paths, uninstalling/reinstalling. Everything I did seemed to cause more problems than it fixed.

Thanks anyway kickvb, I guess I'll have to learn python over the summer and implement my own xml parser. It can't be too hard (famous last words), I've done it in the past w/ C++.

[kickvb]

I'm not sure of what can be the problems you are facing. But: what is the version of Blender that you are using? If it is 2.48 or 2.49, then you have to be sure that you installed a Blender version that is using Python 2.5. The default package you will find is using Python 2.6 which will not work with b2cs because of the XML library dependencie. You can find Blender with Python 2.5 on their download page.