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P3D v3 Transparent MDL on P3D

B

BoeingSteve

Messages
3
Hi,
i export from 3ds Max 9 a model using P3D SDK

Aces Tools > ExportLOD > Export

then Flag Build only MDL file > Export this MAX file!

Then copy MDL file to the P3D model folder, but when I load the Sim I can't see any mesh ( I have FlightX Material on my mesh ).
The plane is like transparent.

What could be the problem?
 
hairyspin

hairyspin

Resource contributor
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3,253
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unitedkingdom
Is the .mdl size 0kb? In any event, the Aces tool is broken, you should export from File/Export.
 
Last edited:
palacio802

palacio802

Messages
85
Country
spain
From my own experience with Blender2FSX I think your problem can be caused for various reasons:

- Bad scale. Check scale and position of your model. Specially if the model is imported from other sources, the model can be very small and depending on the position,
it can hide near or below the terrain floor.
- Bad textures. Check that you have the required .DDS textures in the /textures folder. And not every .DDS is valid. DDS files from GIMP can be a problem. For this, I
use the texture converter which is a "special tool" in the model converter. You can import the texture files (been bmp, png or "wrong DDS") and convert them into
.DDS for FSX/P3D.
- It can be also a problem with LODs. For instance: if every part is _LOD_199 and then you create a part named Cylinder and you forget to change its name, in some
distances only the Cylinder will be shown and if this cylinder is very small, you won't see anything.
- In case it happens only to some parts of the model, it could be a problem of flipped faces, which use to occur after the use of mirror techniques. For instance: if you
have the right cockpit door and you make a copy and mirror along y axis to obtain the left door, you should reset scale of the new part (which would be 1,-1,1 and has to be 1,1,1 ; negative values in scale can make parts invisible) and then check if the faces are pointing outside. If not, flip all the faces (select all and then "flip all selected") and save. The order is important: first scale and then flip.
 
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hairyspin

hairyspin

Resource contributor
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unitedkingdom
He's not using Blender, he's using 3ds Max 9. Scale errors are flagged on export from Max.
 
hairyspin

hairyspin

Resource contributor
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3,253
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unitedkingdom
It's when you try to export a model to FSX or P3D with one or more objects whose scale is not 1.0 (100%); the exporter coughs and throws an error. It's not a problem or error for Max, it is for FS. Same happens with Gmax.
 
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palacio802

palacio802

Messages
85
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spain
That's one interesting feature. I spent many hours trying to figure why the right auxiliary fuel tank in my EC225 didn't show in FSX!
Having what you tell in consideration, points 1, 2 and 3 still remain as possible causes. Of course, there can be others... Regards.
 
Last edited:
Paul Domingue

Paul Domingue

Resource contributor
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1,530
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us-california
Listen carefully, I shall say this only once.
Use the Aces Tools export to set the GUID and Friendly Name then export. The resulting file can now be ignored.
All further exports must be done with Max's file export. This will create both the .X and .xanim files.
Use XtoMDL to compile the .X file to a .MDL. This is the model file needed for FSX or P3D.
 
n4gix

n4gix

Resource contributor
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11,674
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unitedstates
I just use the tool to create the GUID and give it a Friendly name. I've never tried to export from that tool. Saving the .max file is sufficient to 'lock' the GUID and Friendly name into the file.
 
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