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Nice combination of MCX and Blender

Dutcheeseblend

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Hi guys!

I've been using Blender 2.6x until now for modelling, and I found out that, when exporting in a .x format, checking 'Export animations' will get an animated model in FSX:D Using MCX it is possible to tag the animations now! Though I'm still researching the best way for this procedure, I wanted to share this with you all;) For me personally, this is really nice, because I don't need Gmax anymore:D :p

Oh, Arno, is it possible to add visibility tags and mouse rectangles via MCX?
Thanks for your great program!!
 
arno

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Hi,

At the moment ModelConverterX can "only" read and show visibility tags and mouse rectangles.

What kind of workflow would you like to see to add them? Select an model part and then select the right tag?
 
Dutcheeseblend

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Thankyou for your reply!

Yes, that kind of workflow maybe.

I've still to tweak the handling of the animation exporting, because there are a few errors appearing in MCX, like a wrong initial angle. Guess it has something to do with the local coordinate systems in Blender.
 
arno

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Hi,

I'll see what I can do to assign visibility tags and mouse rectangles. Probably the biggest problem would be to keep all parts separate during import. By default all parts with the same material are merged.

How would you like to tag them in blender? Give them a special name or so?
 
Dutcheeseblend

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Probably giving the objects a special name in Blender won't be too difficult. But are names exported via .X into MCX?
 
arno

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Hi,

That would be interesting to try. In the x file they should be kept, but at the moment I only check the names for lod values. But it should be possible to add something for mouse rectangles or visibility tags.
 
Dutcheeseblend

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Maybe this is possible:
Give in Blender the name, for example, VT_prop0_still, or MR_starter_switch.

In that way, it should even be possible to generate visibility tags and mouse rectangles automatic in MCX. But don't shoot at me, I've absolutely NO insight in programming;):eek:
 
arno

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Hi,

Yes, I was thinking along the same lines. We can agree on a special name, like the MR and VT you used and than any text after that I can use as name and link it to the correct definition in the modeldef.xml file.

Could you maybe make a simple test file in blender to test this? Just a few cubes is fine, but then I have some file to test with.
 
Dutcheeseblend

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Ok, that's great! In the attached file are a blender and a x file to play with;)
 
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arno

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Thanks, I'll have a look.
 
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Hi,

I have made the change now. From tomorrows development release the mouse rectangle and visibility tag can be parsed from the frame names in X file. Any part behind MR_ or VT_ is considered as the mouse rectangle or visibility tag name.

Be aware that the option ParseFrameNames must be true. By default I made it false to prevent weird things from happening if people include MR_ or VT_ by accident.
 
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Looking forward to hear if it works (or if you find some issues ;))
 
Dutcheeseblend

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After importing a .X file into MXC, Visibility Conditions and Mouse Rectangles appear in the Hierarchy Viewer correctly (in a SceneGraphNode). But after exporting to FSX, mouserects seem not to be exported. After importing the just created mdl back into MCX, they're also not showing up.

About vistags I don't have a clue yet, because it seems that, in the .X file, objects with the same origin are merged together. But that is not an issue of MCX;) more of the modeller.

Well, comparing with an imported .mdl of a default FSX aircraft doesn't give clarity, because the hierarchy of that aircraft are far more complex.

Anyway, thanks for the great job;)
 
Dutcheeseblend

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Arno, now I've some time to explain my tests.

In Blender, I made:
a sphere (name: VT_prop0_blurred),
a throttle control (name: MR_lever_throttle0)
a cube (name: VT_prop0_still)

I animated:
the sphere 360 degrees with 5 keyframes (over 100), linear interpolation
the throttle 80 degrees with 3 keyframes (over 100), linear interpolation
the cube 360 degrees with 5 keyframes (over 100), linear interpolation

I exported the selected objects in DirectX (*.X) format, with animations.

In MCX, I imported that file. In the Hierarcy Viewer, every object's SceneGraphNode showed its appropriate Visbility Condition or Mouse Rectangle.

In the Animation Editor, I assigned the animation types.

Then I exported it to FSX, as internal model. But in FSX, both the sphere AND cube showed up (animated, that's oké;)) with running engine. And no hand cursor showed over the throttle.

Importing this .mdl file back into MCX, no Vis.Cond. or MR showed up in the ModelPart listing of the Hierarchy Viewer.

Hope I'm clear enough with this;)

Daan
 
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Hi Daan,

I'll try to reproduce your issues here.
 
arno

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Hi,

Should be fixed now. My X file was not correct, it seems that mouse rectangles and visibility conditions can only be applied to modelparts.
 
arno

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Happy to hear that :)
 
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