Adding MDL to MCX

[Butch1]

I recently learned how mcx has the ability to view and extract multiple obs (mdl).
Question(s) I have are:

1. Are the objects first placed in a scenery (ADE) then added to MCX as an bgl?
2. Is there a requirement to add a library xml? What is the purpose of the xml?
3. Can the objects (MDL) be added to ADE? Are they objs or mdl?
4. What can be done with the mdl once extracted from the MCX bgl>
5. What is the advantage of adding obj to MCX in a one lump bgl?
I am just trying to learn and understand the working of it all..
Thanks

PS, I assume that a texture file accompanies the mdl somehow similiar to a scenery/texture setup.

 

[tgibson]

Hi,

In ADE there are two ways to add an object. One is from a library BGL file and the other is adding the MDL file directly.

From an existing library BGL file present in a valid scenery folder:

1. In ADE open Tools/Library Object Manager
2. Click Add File.
3. Browse to your library BGL file in a valid scenery folder. (If you have thumbnail images for this library, add them now).
4. Click Save.

5. To place a library object, right click the airport display
6. Choose Add.../Library Object.
7. In the Library drop down box, choose the library above.
8. In the Objects Found box, choose the correct object. (You may need to use ModelConverterX to understand which object is which in the library, if you have no thumbnails).
9. Click Add.
10. Drag the object to the correct location.

From an MDL file:

1. In ADE open Lists/Models.
2. Click the Add button.
3. Browse to the relevant MDL file (can be present in any folder) click it, and click Open.
4. Click Close.

5. To place the MDL object, right click the airport display.
6. Choose Add.../Model.
7. Click on the correct model, click Add.
8. Drag the object to the correct location.
9. The textures for this object should be in the texture subfolder in the same parent folder as the ADE airport BGL file in the scenery subfolder.

Note that the MDL object itself is added to the ADE file in this case.

Hope this helps,

 

[Butch1]

Helps A LOT!!
Thanks for your time and info. As they say here in Memphis.... Thank ya.... Thank ya... very much!!!!

 

[arno]

Hi,

The main difference between using a library bgl or adding the objects to the placement bgl that ADE makes is if you want the object to be geolocked. In that case it can not easily be used in other locations further from the first placement.

Personally I prefer to use a library if the scenery has many objects. It keeps it easier to keep track of things.

The library xml file is used by bglcomp to compile the mdl files into a bgl.

When making a library you might want to look at Library Creator XML as well, it's a GUI for that. Might be easier than using MCX for it.

 

[Butch1]

I've yet another question:....

WIth MCX, when I export a mdl from the library.bgl file it goes to my scenery folder. How/where do I find the relevant textures for the mdl that was exported?
In the message box in the bottom part of MCX , I see a list of dds files that may or may not be related to the mdl. I realize that the textures are in the scenery/textures
folder but with the many other textures, I would like to identify those that pertain to the mdl file.

Likewise, if I were to import a mdl with MCX, with regards to the continuity of the relevant textures, how are they managed? In other words, do I have to keep a file of the textures
images? This is all new to me; I'm an old retired guy trying to learn new tricks. 8- )

BTW, what method can you recommend to make thumbnails as needed for objects added to ADE?
Thanks,

Butch

 

[tgibson]

To get a list of textures used, load the object into MCX and click the Material Editor button. The list of textures is on the left. If you click on one and then scroll down the list on the right the texture names for all types of subtextures (night, bump, etc.) will be listed there.

Yes, you do have to keep track of the textures used for that object as you manipulate and move the MDL file.

The way I get thumbnails for an MDL file or for an entire library BGL full of objects:

1. Load a library BGL or an MDL file into MCX. I remove the grid display if present (Display Grid button).
2. In MCX, click the Save Preview Image button.
3. If a library BGL file, click All Objects in Scenery
4. Size is 512 x 512, JPG format.
5. If an FSX or later object, choose FSX GUID. If an FS2004 object, choose FS2004 GUID.
6. Click the ... button and choose a folder to place the images in. I use a temp folder on the Desktop.
7. Click the Generate button.
8. The objects may be rather small. If so, open each image in a paint program and Crop the image to 256 x 256 or so, centering the object.
9. Add these to the ADE/ [flight sim you are using]/Thumbs folder. You can place them into a folder named for the library BGL file, if you wish (i.e. the folder name would be something like Generic.bgl), still located in that Thumbs folder.

Hope this helps,

 

[Butch1]

Hi,

The main difference between using a library bgl or adding the objects to the placement bgl that ADE makes is if you want the object to be geolocked. In that case it can not easily be used in other locations further from the first placement.

Personally I prefer to use a library if the scenery has many objects. It keeps it easier to keep track of things.

The library xml file is used by bglcomp to compile the mdl files into a bgl.

When making a library you might want to look at Library Creator XML as well, it's a GUI for that. Might be easier than using MCX for it.

Hey Arno,
I was trying out your LC XML and noticed that in the options box that the labels for one of them is for P3DV4 yet points to my P3D 5 path.
Looks like simular for a couple others. I suppose you know about it already.

One thing that I am trying to understand is the XML library file.(its purpose). I see xml files are in both BGL and XML flavors. If change the extension of the library xml the scenery will still show the objects listed in the XML. I guess the scenery is using the library.bgl more then the xml file

Now you mentioned geolocked which is a new term to me but are you saying that if I added objects to ADE from a lib.bgl that I can't place them in another scenery?
How does one tell if the object is geolocked? Sorry for the basic questions but I have picked up a lot in last few days from you and Tom on ADE and MCX and I find it
very interesting information.

I have become acquainted some what with xml files, even my Hard Drive backup program uses them.

 

[arno]

Hi,

The material editor also has a textures tan where you can see all textures directly, instead of looking them up in the properties. And the object information form will also show all used textures.

The P3D v5 SDK can be used to make library files for v4.4 as well, so that's why the latest SDK that supports the format is selected.

The XML files are not used by the simulator. They are only used by the developer when making the scenery. So they don't have to be shared with users. But if you keep them yourself you can easier add new objects to the library later on.

As for the geolocking, I'm not sure if you can see that, you just remember that an object in a placement file is only for local usage.

 

[tgibson]

In this case you don't have to worry about geolocking, since if you add it as an MDL file to the ADE airport file you are only using it at this airport, and nowhere else. If you need it at another airport you can always add the MDL file to that ADE airport file as well.

 

[arno]

Adding the same mdl (with the same guid) to two airport is not a good idea, that will give issues as well.

 

[tgibson]

Not a problem for me in FS2004, where the object doesn't contain the GUID.

And the only issue I know about is that FS will pick between them randomly.