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FS2004 Crash Box

S

stevo

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383
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unitedkingdom
Hi

What could possibly cause this, I'm exporting an object from Gmax which I would like to have a crashbox. I have makemdl.cfg with Crash=1 (also tried, out of interest, Crash=0 and removing Crash entry completely). But when I test the object in FS9 there is no crash when hitting the object.

If I open the object in Model Converter X there is also no crash box when the view crashbox option is turned on.

I also have Keep=1 in the cfg and that works ok

:confused:
 
mmmm interesting, I added another object to the scene just a large untextured box, now when I open the exported mdl in modelconverter X the new cube has a crashbox but the main object doesnt??

:confused:
 
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Ah, it seems that my object, which was only 1m high, is too small to have a crashbox, i tried 1.5m, 2m, 2.5m, its only when I get to 3m it gains a crashbox when viewing in model converter x.

Is this a known thing? even if I move the 3m object 2m below 0,0 gmax point so only 1m is protruding above the ground in FS it still doesnt cause a crash in FS9. Only the full 3m protruding above ground level will cause a crash

:confused: ;)
 
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Make sure you are placing the object at scale=1 into the sim - while the object will scale, the crash box will not.

Hope this helps,
 
Hi Stevo,

I only know that when the object is too small MakeMDL will crash when trying to compile the crashbox. But I have never experienced that small crashboxes don't work (never looked to much into it either).
 
Hi Arno

I asked this to be tested by a friend and he got the same results as I did.

You must change Crash=0 to Crash=1 in the makemdl.cfg file

Ok, run Gmax and

  • Create a 1m high 244m long and 0.5m depth box in Gmax, not textured (I dont think it matters about the size but thats what I created)
  • Export to mdl, (keep Gmax open for now)
  • Open mdl in MCX, and turn on the crashbox button

Does should not have a crash box?

  • Go back to Gmax and raise the height of the box to 3m make sure the bottom of the box is sat on the Gmax 0 line
  • Export to mdl, (Still keeping Gmax open)
  • Open exported mdl in MCX, and turn on the crashbox button.

The Box should now have a crash box?

final test

  • back in Gmax again move the box so 2m is below the Gmax 0 line and 1m is above the Gmax 0 line (so in FS only 1m would be above the ground the rest below)
  • Export the mdl and open in MCX
  • You should now find that the box, just like the 1m original box, it does not have a crashbox.

It seems that an object under 3m doesnt get a crashbox. If these mdls are used in FS9 you will find that the 1m does not cause a crash, the 3m does cause a crash and the 2m underground/1m above also does not cause a crash.

Interesting mmm

Stevo ;)
 
Hi Stevo,

Interesting finds. When testing your BAE-1-11 model in ModelConverterX I noticed the wings did not have a crashbox either, only the fuselage. That would agree with these findings.

I'll do the test as well and let you know what I find.
 
Hi

Heres a screenshot from MCX to demonstrate

Only box 3 which is 3m high has a crash box, even the 3m box with 2m below the ground, 1m above does not have a crash box.

boxes.jpg


Which would suggest it is not the height of the object but anything above ground level upto about 3m will not have a crash box?

I changed the 3m box to 50m and put 49m of it below the ground so only 1m was protruding again it did not have a crash box.

boxes2.jpg


It must have something to do with makemdl??

;)
 
Hi Stevo,

I can confirm your findings. I tested with a much smaller box (10x10x6 meters), but the result is the same. As soon as less then 3 meters is above the ground the crashbox is gone. Else there is a crashbox (even for the part below the ground).

I also made a small 1x1x1 meter object. As soon as I raise it a few meters above the ground it gets a crashbox again.

Seems like some "logic" in MakeMDL that does this.
 
Hi

The question is, is there a workaround. I have a full fence that is 1m high and it needs a crash box, LOL

I thought maybe attaching another object above 3m would add a crashbox to the 1m object, but no even if the 2 objects are attached in Gmax the 1m object doesnt not get a crashbox but the object above 3m does.

Can yo usee any difference in the ASM file Arno that might remove the crashbox?

;)
 
Hi again

been looking through some models and you get some strange shaped crashboxes.

The building below is created from one cube, yet the crash box is only on the roof? :confused: the doors, ramp and signs are separate objects within the scene but attached to the main object

crashbox3.jpg


;)
 
Hi Stevo,

It indeed seems MakeMDL does some weird things.

I guess theoretically it should be possible to fix things in the ASM files, but tweaking crashboxes is not so easy since the code is quite cryptic.

About your building with the weird box. Does it have mutliple textures? I think it might be each drawcall is examined separately for the crashbox.

Let me do some thinking to see if I can think of a work around... At the moment I can only think about moving your fence 3 meters up in the MDL and then using alt -3 in the XML. But that is nasty. There must be a better way.
 
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