[Marginal]

Originally Posted by arno

May I ask why you decided to go for direct MDL export? I think the preferred way is to write the X file and let XtoMDL make the MDL file. This is also easier as XtoMDL can do a lot of optimizations for you.

Actually the exporter does save a .x file, and then invokes XToMdl on it. I was tempted to write the .MDL file directly (so removing the requirement to have the FSX SDK installed) but I haven't. So the user can hack the saved .x file and re-run XToMdl on it if they need to.

The reason that I invoke XToMdl directly rather than just leaving this step up to the user is that I suspect that most users find running command-line tools difficult, don't know how to hack the .x file, and have no wish to hack the .x file.

Originally Posted by empeck

I'd prefer blender -> .x -> xtomdl -> mdl route too.
It would be easier to make custom animations.

I intend to add support for animations. But what do you mean by "custom" animations - are there animations that you can't create using gmax and for which you have to hack the .x file?

Originally Posted by n4gix

I cannot for the life of me imagine why any modeler would need to "import" their compiled model back into Blender

If you're a modeller interested in using Blender you need some way of getting your existing models out of gamx and into Blender. You're unlikely to want to junk all your existing models and re-create them from scratch in Blender[*].

I would have written a Blender gmax importer or a gmax exporter, except for the fact that the gmax file format is undocumented and gmax appears to be deliberately crippled to discourage people from importing or exporting. So importing the .MDL file appears to be the only practical option.

I don't condone copyright infringement, but I'd point out that if people want to rip off your models they can already do so - they can use your textures and aircraft or scenery MDLs. Adding the ability to load an MDL into Blender doesn't significantly change this situation in my opinion.

Originally Posted by jdberg

A blender exporter for FSX and FS9 would be great, because we actually also convert the sceneries for X-Plane and this would no longer be necessary.

I'm the author of the Blender import/export scripts for X-Plane.


*: As an aside, I learned about the importance of providing users with ways to migrate their content from existing apps from reading an account of how Jeff Raikes, who ran the Microsoft Applications team in I think the early 90s, took on WordPerfect. In short, if you want to supplant an existing product then you have to provide ways for users to get their content out of the existing product and into your product. Ideally, and perhaps non-obviously, you should also provide users with a way of getting their content out of your product and into the existing product so that they feel that they can safely try your product without getting locked in.