ModelConverterX alpha 03 release

[arno]

Hi,

Here is a new alpha version of ModelConverterX. Main difference with the previous version is that I fixed some bugs. For example API macros with multiple Area (and EndA) commands in them should now load fine.

As I changed some code so that the produced X file is now also valid if you have the decimal character set to comma (you still need that character set to dot to be able to compile with XtoMDL though).

Still on my wishlist are support for multiple objects in one file and export as MDL instead of X file (so that you don't have to compile manually). But as I am away for my work the next week, I did not want to uphold this version until I have added that as well.

[Ayrsimming]

Hi Arno

Here is my latest error report trying to compilefrom X to Mdl.
Seems to point to a problem with the GUID.

Iain

[bertvk]

Hi Arno,
I converted the attached api and the image shows the result...
It's up to you to judge the result!
Can i use this x file with XtoMDL and then the output MDL in any design?

Regards
Bert

[arno]

Here is my latest error report trying to compilefrom X to Mdl. Seems to point to a problem with the GUID.

Can you post the X file again? The file you posted before worked fine for me, but maybe this one has another problem.

[arno]

Hi Bert,

I converted the attached api and the image shows the result...
It's up to you to judge the result!
Can i use this x file with XtoMDL and then the output MDL in any design?

I don't know how your API is supposed to look of course, but it seems the 3D viewer can not find all textures. But saving as X file and compiling that to a MDL will probably still show them all in FsX.

And yes, of course you can save as X file and use that in your design. That is the purpose of the tool :).

[Ayrsimming]

Hi Arno

I have attached the X file, although it's still the same one as you tried before!

Iain

[arno]

Hi Iain,

That is weird, as the one you send me before compiles fine here with me (or at least at home, I am now away for work, so can not test it again).

Are you able to compile other files with XtoMDL without problems? For example a sample file from the SDK?

[Ayrsimming]

Hi Arno

Sorry for the delay, but I have been away from home for the past five days.
I have used Gmax with the FSX Gamepack and compiled objects without problems, which, as I understand, is using XtoMdl.

Can you confirm the line I should be using with the Command Prompt please. Maybe that's where I am going wrong.

Iain

[arno]

Hi Iain,

No problem, I just got home from my trip for work as well. I'll retry your X file here and if it works let you know how I compiled it.

[flyingjock1]

Arno

Ive got FS2004 and FSX Standard version loaded on my pc.

Love the idea of a programme that can convert apis to files that can be used inside FSX.

Reading thru the threads all i can see if references to the FSX tools folders.

Just wondering if i can use your program using the basic fs2004 that ive got to hand. My apologies if this has been asked before.

Thanks

Tom
Scotland

[arno]

Hi Tom,

Not really sure what you mean with that question. The tool does not operate directly with Fs2004 or FsX. It uses the sources files that designers use to make their scenery. So it can read an API macro file and create a FsX style X file so that you can compile it to MDL object.

Hope that answers your question,

[flyingjock1]

Arno

Thanks for getting back to me.

Apologies if i sound daft but was thinking about the XtoMDL program. Is that not in the deluxe FSX edition only.

Tom

[arno]

Hi Tom,

Yes, you are right. I missed that you wrote you had FsX Standard. For the moment that means you can not use this tool, as the compiler that is needed only comes with the Deluxe version.

[arno]

Hi Iain,

Sorry for the delay.

Can you confirm the line I should be using with the Command Prompt please. Maybe that's where I am going wrong.

I just tried it again and your file compiles fine here. The syntax I used was simply:

XtoMDL testbox.x

[flyingjock1]

Hi Arno

Thought that might be the case.

I understand all the stuff about copyright etc etc but do you if there is any available freeware out there that would do the same job as XtoMDL.

Thanks again

Tom

[Ayrsimming]

Hi Arno

I appreciate you have been very busy lately, so thanks for getting back to me.
I thought the line must be wrong and indeed I was missing out the.x at the end. My test file compiles now to mdl and displays okay in FSX.
Will now try some other objects from my collection.

Thanks again

Iain

[arno]

Hi Tom,

I understand all the stuff about copyright etc etc but do you if there is any available freeware out there that would do the same job as XtoMDL.

In this thread an "open" (http://http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4779) version of XtoMDL is announced. I did not try it with ModelConverterX yet, but it might be worth a try in your case.

[flyingjock1]

Thanks Arno

I'll do some reading and give it a try.

Tom

[sparker256]

Trying to convert a *.scm file and am getting the following error.

[arno]

Hi Bill,

Trying to convert a *.scm file and am getting the following error.

Could you send me the SCM file? It seems you have found an unsupported command or so. If I have your file I can debug the problem (and hopefully fix it as well).

[sparker256]

Hi Bill,



Could you send me the SCM file? It seems you have found an unsupported command or so. If I have your file I can debug the problem (and hopefully fix it as well).

It is on its way.

[arno]

Hi Bill,

Thanks, I think I see the problem already. This SCM macro is so user-configurable, that it does not contain fixed vertices. It's size totally depends on the variables the user enters while placing the object. At the moment ModelConverterX does not support the user variables though, so that is why you get the errors here.

I'll see if I can improve this in a future version, but there is no quick fix for this problem.

[sparker256]

Hi Bill,

Thanks, I think I see the problem already. This SCM macro is so user-configurable, that it does not contain fixed vertices. It's size totally depends on the variables the user enters while placing the object. At the moment ModelConverterX does not support the user variables though, so that is why you get the errors here.

I'll see if I can improve this in a future version, but there is no quick fix for this problem.

Thanks, that one came from a group of fences used in Sbuilder and I was not sure it could be used in SbuilderX. It worked just fine and I now have my split rail fence using SbuilderX at my other airport that I am working on (PN40).

[Johan]

Arno,

I am getting a "send error report" when trying to open ModelConverterX:

ModelConverterX has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Some more info:

AppName: modelconverterx.exe AppVer: 0.0.3.0 AppStamp:46fd731c
ModName: mscorwks.dll ModVer: 2.0.50727.832 ModStamp:461f2e2a
fDebug: 0 Offset: 0016b28f

I do have .net 3.5 installed.

Regards
Johan

[arno]

Hi Johan,

That error does not really tell me much I am afraid. Does the problem already happen when you start the tool (so before loading any object)?

Do you also have .NET 2.0 installed? That is the version I used. I don't think having 3.5 rules out the need to install 2.0.

[Ayrsimming]

Hi Arno

I have been trying to convert some further API files, all made with Novasim and have run into problems. In the attached example when the file is imported some sides of the building are textured whereas other sides are not. On looking at the .x file I see some of the texture file names have not been added correctly and consequently the .mdl file produced does not display the object correctly in FSX.

Iain

[Johan]

Arno,

The programs starts, I can see the GUI, but without the menu bar.

I do have .NET 2.0 installed. I will reinstall .NET 2.0.

Regards
Johan

[arno]

Hi Iain,

I have been trying to convert some further API files, all made with Novasim and have run into problems. In the attached example when the file is imported some sides of the building are textured whereas other sides are not. On looking at the .x file I see some of the texture file names have not been added correctly and consequently the .mdl file produced does not display the object correctly in FSX.

Thanks, I will take a look at it. Might take a few days before I come to you about this.

[arno]

Hi Johan,

The programs starts, I can see the GUI, but without the menu bar.

Does the error message you get contain any more information, for example about the kind of crash it is? That might help in finding out where it goes wrong.

[Johan]

It just the normal report to be send to MS, it just say Error signature and then the normal "view the contents of the error report".

I have reinstalled .NET 2.0, the problem is still present.

Regards
Johan

[arno]

Hi Johan,

Which OS are you using? I searched around a bit and found this support article (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913384/en-us) from MS, but I am not sure yet if it is exactly the problem you are having.

[Johan]

Arno,

I have given up on this. I have redone the objects in GMax, I was running out of time.

I will still try to solve this, I have never experienced this before.

Regards
Johan

[pierrot1951]

Hello

I was interested in converting the scm of "Fences_and_Walls_for_SBuilder".
I get similar error messages

Presently, I just succeeded in converting some usual API (small workshop, ...); it works well in FSX, but generally objects are very big and need to be scaled (i.e. 0.02).

Pierrot - FMEP

[arno]

Hi Pierrot,

The scale that you need to use depends on how the API was designed. Older macros were often designed so that you had to place them with a small scale, that will then also be the case for the converted MDL objects. I plan to add an option later where you can specify the default scale, so that the MDL will already be scaled with that.

About the SBuilder fences, see my previous post about that. Without the user variables that macro does not contain any information. And user variables are not supported by ModelConverterX at the moment. I even doubt if converting them is useful, as we now have XML fences in FsX which are a lot easier then placing a lot of MDL objects.

[pierrot1951]

Thanks for answers.

Concerning scale, I can get it for instance in FSSC which (often) displays the scale of API.

Concerning new xml fences, I'm interested.

I know only the following:

{606389DC-0A8B-432e-A8F6-C4187B3A8F35} Fence Vertical 2 meter with bent top
{5027DD02-7E3C-4cef-A10D-258B29C2F814} Fence three section curve
{77251C22-DEC5-47b2-AC04-D3DF1B230C59} Fence 3 meter diagonal
{02D65B05-F752-47a3-83AF-D570243EB3EE} 5 Meter Chain-link
{A825DE17-9AD3-4e40-8DA3-2CE71A0D7E5C} 5 Meter Chain-link with wire
{863E1B24-CAFB-4626-B240-EA0E8213A33B} Generic 3-part Blast Fence
{199A1A9C-FA7C-4ef2-8EEA-E4FE6CCD3FC7} Generic 1-part Blast Fence
{553FF6C5-D5CE-452f-897B-9855399ACB33} Chain link group
{672FE79D-8F61-4f30-9C79-EC5755212F2A} Default blast fence grouping
{91CE5D88-59B9-41e2-9776-B371490FC378} Tiny Blast Fence
{28C633DA-8926-48aa-B467-30799560462E} Small Blast Fence
{A8BEB882-F11F-4743-B09B-34F45F380802} Medium Blast Fence
{5B05E5FC-915B-4c87-A31D-615BC9DBF1AB} Large Blast Fence
{BAFC77D3-FA52-4cc2-B713-7609560BB026} Huge Blast Fence
{F2C1F621-8089-42a4-8719-E77EC7139CC4} Tiny Boundary Fence
{C0224543-5D3F-4063-8DE4-CD6D0DE92650} Small Boundary Fence
{5ACB60E6-992B-41c7-929B-E31D5343CD29} Medium Boundary Fence
{A3A491B1-EF49-47db-9C2B-080F48A5EA5D} Large Boundary Fence
{F8C92217-857D-4dad-AB16-C6258FD76CDB} Huge Boundary Fence

SBuilder fences contain more various types, such as wooden fences, cement walls, crowd fences,...
I tried to make them in FSDS, but I have problem with transparency!!!

Pierrot - FMEP

[arno]

Hi,

You are right, the XML code has probably less options than SBuilder. So if you want all these options then you would still have make the objects yourself. But these objects are quite simple in general, so making a new object with a double sided plane is probably not that much work.

In later versions I will have a look at the user variables, but for the moment they are not so high on my todo list.

[pierrot1951]

Hello!

I agree that it's easy to make a rectangle and texture both faces. My problem is to keep transparency in FSX from FS9 bmp textures files!

Pierrot - FMEP

[xr219]

Hi Arno,

Just a quickie,I cannot get ut to Run under Vista x64... This may be due to the GflAx.dll failing to register. This is the error when the application hangs below... its not urgent, but might be useful to you...

Log Name: Application
Source: Application Hang
Date: 24/11/2007 20:24:39
Event ID: 1002
Task Category: (101)
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: XR219
Description:
The program ModelConverterX.exe version 0.0.3.0 stopped interacting with Windows and was closed. To see if more information about the problem is available, check the problem history in the Problem Reports and Solutions control panel. Process ID: f80 Start Time: 01c82ed802de3766 Termination Time: 16
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Application Hang" />
<EventID Qualifiers="0">1002</EventID>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>101</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2007-11-24T20:24:39.000Z" />
<EventRecordID>18807</EventRecordID>
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>XR219</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>ModelConverterX.exe</Data>
<Data>0.0.3.0</Data>
<Data>f80</Data>
<Data>01c82ed802de3766</Data>
<Data>16</Data>
<Binary>55006E006B006E006F0077006E0000000000</Binary>
</EventData>
</Event>

[arno]

Hi,

I don't have Vista myself, but I will try to figure out how to register the DLL there.

[arno]

Hi Iain,

I have been trying to convert some further API files, all made with Novasim and have run into problems. In the attached example when the file is imported some sides of the building are textured whereas other sides are not. On looking at the .x file I see some of the texture file names have not been added correctly and consequently the .mdl file produced does not display the object correctly in FSX.

Sorry for not coming back on this issue. Today I have been scanning the forum for still open bugs to address in the next version and I came across your problem again.

It seems the parser does not read the TextureList correctly in your sample, causing an offset of the arguments (and thus wrong texture names). I think this is caused by the %4 scale math done in the code, but I will check and fix this.

[Ayrsimming]

Hi Arno

Thanks ,Arno, I appreciate you have been very busy lately.
For simple objects I have modified the x file manually by inserting the correct texture filenames and the compiled objects are then displaying correctly.
However it will be great if you can get the tool to do the converting.

Iain

[arno]

Hi Iain,

Just to let you know I found the bug. I have some other issues I am working on and also I started to convert some objects for a project. So once that is finished I think I should have an improved version ready for release.

[Ayrsimming]

Hi Arno

That's good news. Look forward to the next version.

Iain

[arno]

The new version is available (http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8068) now.