Where to put custom 3D objects in an Airport project

[Claviateur]

Hello,

I created an airport, and all the folders structures are done correctly, it's just when I created a ModelLib folder structure inside that project and exported from Blender to it, that I can't get the 3D models to show in Dev mode.

The SDK samples show folder structures for an airport and a scenery separately. No example showing custom 3D in an airport project.

So I wonder if custom 3D for an airport should be done in a separate scenery project (not inside the airport folder structure)?

This is a folder structure I created, combining the one for an airport with one for a scenery. I wonder if this is correct.

Thanks

 

[YohanNaz]

I believe that you need to use the examples from the SDK for each type of project you want to work on. Simple Airport and Simple Scenery are the two you need to build an airport with custom objects. I believe you have the right idea except the project folders need to be setup like the SDK samples.

 

[Claviateur]

Thanks, I think I will try this. What made me think we can combine them, is the freeware Aerosoft Paderborn airport where the custom 3D assets are in the same folder structure as the airport.

 

[YohanNaz]

Thanks, I think I will try this. What made me think we can combine them, is the freeware Aerosoft Paderborn airport where the custom 3D assets are in the same folder structure as the airport.

More than likely there's a way to it that way but unfortunately I don't have a clue, if you do figure out a way to combine them please share.

 

[Claviateur]

I will. I am now trying the simple scenery method for 3D but still not showing in the Objects list in the dev mode. Something is not making the models exported from Blender show in MSFS.

 

[YohanNaz]

I will. I am now trying the simple scenery method for 3D but still not showing in the Objects list in the dev mode. Something is not making the models exported from Blender show in MSFS.

After looking round the YouTube it looks like you need to set it all up in the "PackageSources" folder. For the Simple airport you probably only had a data and materials folder there. Now just add the necessary folder structure required for SimpleScenery and rename all necessary bits. I started with the simplescenery method as my focus has been on custom models but now I'd like to add airport "data". I'll report back with any updates.

**edit**
Have both working together in one project as it should.

 

[Claviateur]

After looking round the YouTube it looks like you need to set it all up in the "PackageSources" folder. For the Simple airport you probably only had a data and materials folder there. Now just add the necessary folder structure required for SimpleScenery and rename all necessary bits. I started with the simplescenery method as my focus has been on custom models but now I'd like to add airport "data". I'll report back with any updates.

I did the same process in SimpleScenery but I still can't get the custom 3D objects to show in the objects list when in Dev Mode.

I saw another thread on the forum talking about generating custom GUID after exporting from Blender. I wonder if this is the issue.

 

[YohanNaz]

What version of the Blender2MSFS tools are you using? Share a blend file with a texture and I'll take a look if you'd like.

 

[Claviateur]

What version of the Blender2MSFS tools are you using? Share a blend file with a texture and I'll take a look if you'd like.

0.40.0 the latest I suppose?

I wonder if I am missing anything in the export settings, but I have to enter the Texture folder link manually otherwise it keeps textures in the same folder as model, also I enabled XML generation with the same name as model and the LOD generation as well.

Now I renamed the modelLib folder to be related to my project. I wonder if I must keep it the same.

Also I went in Dev mode from scratch by creating a scenery similar to Simple Scenery.

 

[YohanNaz]

Absolutely do not rename the modelLib folder, that goes in the PackageSources folder. If I were you, I'd make a backup of what you have and follow that tutorial exactly (except for the name) for making new scenery project then copy over the data and any materials into PackageSources as well and you should be good to go. If the custom model has it's own folder in modelLib the use ..\texture for the texture output path. If it's using root of modelLib then the path should be "texture", no quotes dots slashes... just texture.

 

[Claviateur]

Absolutely do not rename the modelLib folder, that goes in the PackageSources folder. If I were you, I'd make a backup of what you have and follow that tutorial exactly (except for the name) for making new scenery project then copy over the data and any materials into PackageSources as well and you should be good to go. If the custom model has it's own folder in modelLib the use ..\texture for the texture output path. If it's using root of modelLib then the path should be "texture", no quotes dots slashes... just texture.

Yes, I will try to restart again the whole this and keep everything as default as possible in the folder names.

 

[Claviateur]

It works now. I kept the names of the folders as they are in the sample scenery and I could see the models in MSFS.

I just hope we can combine custom 3D with an airport as Aerosoft did in their Paderborn airport project to avoid distributing 2 packages for an airport (layout + 3D).

 

[614NLV]

I just hope we can combine custom 3D with an airport as Aerosoft did in their Paderborn airport project to avoid distributing 2 packages for an airport (layout + 3D).

of course you can
I'm not very experienced, I opened my first sdk just a month ago..
but thanks to the many tutorials I'm learning a lot
and I learned how to create an airport and add objects 3d to it
I do this:

I start with these 2 folders: PackageSources- data
I launch msfs, create my project, put a polygon to exclude and then the airport.
I save the shapes and scenery files.
and build the package.
I close msfs
I add the ModelLib folder inside the PackageSources folder and inside this I create the folders of my 3d objects (the name is not important) and one to collect all the textures.
Then I add these lines to the xml file inside the PackageDefinition folder:
<AssetGroup Name = "mymodellib">
<Type> ArtProj </Type>
<Flags>
<FSXCompatibility> false </FSXCompatibility>
</Flags>
<AssetDir> PackageSources \ modelLib \ </AssetDir>
<OutputDir> scenery </OutputDir>
</AssetGroup>
(this may not be necessary because it compiles it during construction, I don't remember..)

In blender I export the file inside the ModelLib \ my 3d object folder
textures go to .. \ texture
I check that the 3 files (.bin .gltf .xml) have been exported to the folder
I edit the xml file: <? xml version = "1.1" encoding = "utf-8"?>

I open msfs
I open my project
I build the package
I load the bgl
and in the objects, under the scenario I find my 3d object
I save the scenario
I build the package
then close msfs

now my package is ready for the community folder
an airport and my 3d objects in one package

this for a very simple airport
then the Materials, LivingWord etc folders must be added ...

 

[Claviateur]

of course you can
I'm not very experienced, I opened my first sdk just a month ago..
but thanks to the many tutorials I'm learning a lot
and I learned how to create an airport and add objects 3d to it
I do this:

I start with these 2 folders: PackageSources- data
I launch msfs, create my project, put a polygon to exclude and then the airport.
I save the shapes and scenery files.
and build the package.
I close msfs
I add the ModelLib folder inside the PackageSources folder and inside this I create the folders of my 3d objects (the name is not important) and one to collect all the textures.
Then I add these lines to the xml file inside the PackageDefinition folder:
<AssetGroup Name = "mymodellib">
<Type> ArtProj </Type>
<Flags>
<FSXCompatibility> false </FSXCompatibility>
</Flags>
<AssetDir> PackageSources \ modelLib \ </AssetDir>
<OutputDir> scenery </OutputDir>
</AssetGroup>
(this may not be necessary because it compiles it during construction, I don't remember..)

In blender I export the file inside the ModelLib \ my 3d object folder
textures go to .. \ texture
I check that the 3 files (.bin .gltf .xml) have been exported to the folder
I edit the xml file: <? xml version = "1.1" encoding = "utf-8"?>

I open msfs
I open my project
I build the package
I load the bgl
and in the objects, under the scenario I find my 3d object
I save the scenario
I build the package
then close msfs

now my package is ready for the community folder
an airport and my 3d objects in one package

this for a very simple airport
then the Materials, LivingWord etc folders must be added ...

Ummm, I did all the steps exactly as you did them but now I think, again, I should have kept the model folder name as ModelLib instead of a custom name. I will try again, thanks.

 

[614NLV]

Leave the folder modelLib with her name
And inside you can put all other folders of your 3d object

modelLib
-tower
- hangar
-........
-.........

 

[Claviateur]

Leave the folder modelLib with her name
And inside you can put all other folders of your 3d object

modelLib
-tower
- hangar
-........
-.........

I wonder now if there will be a scene folder (like in the Simple Scenery example) where the shape files go or for Airports, the data folder is the one that has the shape files.

 

[614NLV]

no, if you use the data folder
you save the files (shp and scn) in that folder.
I too had created the Scene folder
but I realized that it is not needed (maybe just for now) and I deleted it.
for now everything is ok

 

[HEL Fly4ever]

I'm facing exactly the same problem for a couple of days now...Although my situation is slightly different I believe the solution will be similar as yours.
I'm trying to add 3d custom objects to an already finished simple airport and/or simple scenery projects rather than adding them simultaneously with the project creation.Is there a chance applying the aformentioned solution to solve my problem?In which way the folders must be arranged or re arrenged for the 3d objects to be visible in SDK?
What do you think?
Thanks!

 

[614NLV]

same question, same answer
read my posts, it's all there

 

[HEL Fly4ever]

I tried to follow to the letter your instructions however my 3d object wont appear in the list.Something is definitely going wrong with my folder structure or the .xml editing part.Where in the airport .xml file the above lines must be added?At the end?And must be copied exactly like you showed us or something must be changed like "mymodellib" or something else?
Here is what I made:
Inside my already made and completed airport project there are 4 folders:
_PackageInt
PackageDefinitions
Packages
PackageSources
and an .xml file
MyProject

Inside the PackageSources folder there's the "Data" folder.I add another folder inside the PackageSources,the "ModelLib" and inside this I add 2 folders: The "Texture" and the "My 3d Object" folder.The "Texture" has all the texture files of my object and the "My 3d Object" the exported object files from Blender: The .bin the .gltf and the.xml.

I edited the .xml file inside my project's PackageDefinitions folder as per the instructions given.
I also edited my 3d object's .xml according to the instructions.

Opened MSFS.
Opened the airport project.
Re-build the package (since it was already been buildt).
I loaded the .bgl
My 3d object wont appear in the list.
I even searched all the object lists,not only the "scenery" group to no avail.

Yesterday evening however following a different approach (described by this fellow here

although in German) I managed to show up my 3d object in SDK and place them correctly but when I tried to compile the package I got error reports informing me the package was unable to build due to several problems (the error line was 1 meter long!)The scenery project though was saved.
This guy suggests - as far as I can understand from the subtitles - there must be a separate project for each 3d item and each item must have its own dedicated folder structure rather than be placed inside an already existing airport (or scenery?) project like it's proposed here.By that mean if we have 10 or more custom made 3d objects there must be equal projects for each one of them!!!And this is something we all would like definitely to avoid!!!

What do you think went wrong here?

Thanks!