I have 2 wishes / suggestions-for-expansion for the Blender 2 FSX toolset, coming from analyzing B2FSX errors on the forum and my own experience with it:
"B2FSX toolkit post-installation selfcheck option"
A [self-check/installation-debug] button on which one can push/ is triggered automatically as first thing to do after B2FSX,P3D installation and Blender booting up. This function then will check:
A - If the B2FSX scripts themselves! have been installed in the correct Blender add-on directory(or not).
B - Searches your local hard-disk(s) /a given path to investigate:
-> If you have a FSX/P3D SDK installed (or not!)
-> Finds the location of important SDK files like:
--> modeldef.xml
--> the XTomdl.exe compiler
--> ModelConvertorX tool
--> (other required files that I do not know yet)
C -> Dumps that information (SDK version and exact root\folder\locations) in a flat ASCII-file
[Ingredient]..........[Present?].... [Path]
1 - modeldef.xml ..[yes]............C:\Program Files\.....
2 - XToMDL.exe ...[yes]............ C:\Program Files\.....
WHY?
This function will help many Blender (2FSX/P3D) newcomers to quickly and systematically! troubleshoot before they start modeling/exporting their models.
This function saves a lot of time and frustration before one hits that [Export to DirectX for FSX(.x)] and crashes...with a non-descriptive cryptographic Phyton error message on the Blender console.
"Blender pre-export model checkup/test function"
A function that (internally) checks the currently loaded Blender-model, to see if all ingredients are present
before exporting the model
.
This function then examines the anatomy of your Blender model to check if the following things are already in place:
https://dutcheeseblend.blogspot.nl/p/how-to-create-your-airplane-in-blender.html
Image - (c) Dutcheeseblend Blog
https://i-msdn.sec.s-msft.com/dynimg/IC147540.jpg[/img
]
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526974.aspx
Image - (c) ESP SDK
A - A solid (.X-file format compatible) root and LOD structure that is compatible with the FSX/P3D SDK model format
B - If the [Scale] of all objects inside the Blender model has been set to "1.0"
C - If all embedded animations start at keyframe_0
D - If all model-objects have a Blender Materials attached to it (or not)
-> IF NOT then the name of that object can be dumped into a a flat ASCII-file
E - If all model-objects have a Blender Texture attached to it (or not)
-> IF NOT then the name of that object can be dumped into a a flat ASCII-file
F - An (debugging) overview of the objects materials and texture data to a ASCII file:
Something like this overview below, a kind of Blender model dumping function
[Object]
- Name
:
- Texture_filename:
- Texture_size
- UVmap_name
- Material_name
(and more things to be added later on)
So a modeler can quickly check the contents of their models outside Blender (since - to me personally - the Blender Outliner window could use some expansion, upgrade)
Thus having a flat external exported file with Blender_model_date available - will enable everyone to check the contents of their own Blender model more rapidly and efficiently by using their own tools.
My argument for adding these extra functions is that a lot of debugging / errorchecking can be automated/programmed right into future Blender2FSX/P3D scripts.
This will also help everyone to develop a uniform way of working and troubleshooting so that we all
- provide the developers of the Blender2FSX/P3D scripts with a uniform way of feedback on their hard work and/or occurring errors.
- are "on the same page" when an future error occurs and can also help each-other since we now work, Blender in a uniform way.
and - above all - we can quickly continue with what we love to do most "Blender-ing"
NOTE:
I have not learned (yet) if these functionalities are already being build into Blender, since I only used Blender for 3D Aircraft modeling and I learn as I go along.
I will add more suggestions to the wishlist when I've encountered new challenges later on in time.
