Announcing FSDSMDL

[arno]

I am working on (yet another) tool. This one is called FSDSMDL and it allows you to produce MDL scenery objects using FSDS. To do this it uses the XML file that FSDS2 is able to produce (please mind this is not an XML file that BGLComp can read).

To this post I have attached the current version of FSDSMDL (please mind that it is a very early alpha version). As I do not use FSDS myself anymore, I will have to use your feedback to improve this tool. So if a few FSDS users would like to help testing I would be very happy .

The current version will read the shape of your model and the materials and textures applied. Rotation of the object or applied conditions are not yet read. I do already have an example XML file with conditions applied to the object.

So, if you have an object that does not convert or if a certain functionality of the FSDS model does not appear in the MDL object, please let me know. By sending the XML file to me, I will be able to improve this tool further.

I hope some of you will find this tool useful,

 

[Luis_Sá]

Hi Arno,

I was not aware about XML produced by FSDS. I will check your forum to see if I find some information,

Edit later - Export! I just exported one FSDS project as XML and created an ASM and a MDL. Now I will go to learn how to use the MDL!

Luis

 

[maceo]

Oh I look forward to testing this little tool out, since I started my designing with FSDS. Its good to see that it will more than likely make it to the next level with mdl support.

Great work Arno!

 

[flightsimstudios]

Wow, Arno I'll have to give this a good look over soon, this looks like very good news

 

[Gorchi]

Arno,
I can almost say You just saved my life! Thank You very much for this tool! Now I can stick to my FSDS2 a little bit longer If You need any help from my side, please don't hesitate to ask!

Best regards,

 

[jdberg]

Hi Arno,

hope you continue on the work for this tool. I developed all my objects with FSDS V2 and would really be happy if I could use it with SceneGenX and future versions of FS.

Because I use conditions, smoothing and other tricky things, most of my objects do not work yet.

If you need any XML-Files for testing let me know or even if I should test some of them.

Jörg

 

[arno]

Hi Jorg,

I must admit that at the moment time is a bit limited and this tool is not at the top of my priority list. So I can't promise that I will finish it soon (I am not using FSDS myself anymore, so I don't really have some self-interest for this tool).

I also had contact with the author of FSDS and he sent me some information on how to make the tool a plugin of FSDS, but I still need to look at that as well.

 

[jdberg]

Hi Jorg,

I must admit that at the moment time is a bit limited and this tool is not at the top of my priority list. So I can't promise that I will finish it soon (I am not using FSDS myself anymore, so I don't really have some self-interest for this tool).

I also had contact with the author of FSDS and he sent me some information on how to make the tool a plugin of FSDS, but I still need to look at that as well.

Hi Arno,

thanks for the fast reply. I understand your position but in fact it would be a great help for many scenery designers, that develop(ed) with FSDS. I have several smaller airports designed with FSDS here in Germany and most of them will be lost with the next version of FS. I have not the time to design everything again but an update with SceneGenX and the converted FSDS-objects would be much more easily possible.

I also sent a mail to the author of FSDS but get nor reply at all.

I still hope there can be a solution for all pilots that want to use these sceneries.

Jörg

 

[Brittair]

Hi Arno

Can you then use obplacer to pl;ace the MDL or is there a problem there as it uses BGLcomp?

Thanks Brittair

 

[arno]

Hi Bittair,

The MDL files produced by this converter should be placed with XML files/BGLComp just like the MDL files created by GMax directly.

 

[pascal72]

Hello Arno, hello Everybody,

Thank you very much for FSDSmdl which is a great tool ! I tested it with some models and it works fine...

Just, as noticed, the "smoothing" option of FSDS which is not used in the convert model.

Also some rotated parts which stay straight, but this can be corrected in the FSDS model.

It will be great if the "smoothing" option could be implemented (for all models with cylindric or spherial parts, as water towers lighthouses etc...) .

If this can help you, I noticed that if the "smoothing" option is actived for one part in FSDS, so all polygones of that part have a line " <Smoothing>1</Smoothing> " in the export XML file for each polygone of that part :

without the "smoothing" option :

- <Polygon>
<MaterialName>DEFAULT</MaterialName>
<Normal X="0.258819" Y="0" Z="0.965926" />

with the "smoothing" option :

- <Polygon>
<MaterialName>DEFAULT</MaterialName>
<Smoothing>1</Smoothing>
<Normal X="0.258819" Y="0" Z="0.965926" />

But I don't know which option is corresponding in style mdl 2004 ?

No problem if you need more FSDS XML files for testing.

I am trying to build a big library of objects (style 2004) for scenery design and lot of my objects are made with FSDS.

Thanks again, and best regards

pascal

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/p.dumat

 

[arno]

Hi Pascal,

Just, as noticed, the "smoothing" option of FSDS which is not used in the convert model.

Yes, that is correct. That is not implemented (yet).

Also some rotated parts which stay straight, but this can be corrected in the FSDS model.

Yep, known as well. Rotations are not yet corrected for correctly.

It will be great if the "smoothing" option could be implemented (for all models with cylindric or spherial parts, as water towers lighthouses etc...) .

That is the intention, IF I find some time. At the moment time is a bit more limited, as I started working. And to be honest other tools have a higher priority for me at the moment, as I don't use FSDS myself anymore. So don't expect a new version soon.

But I don't know which option is corresponding in style mdl 2004 ?

In the Fs2004 MDL file this is done by setting the normals of the vertices no in the direction of the polygon, but in the direction from the center of the cylinder to the vertex. This gives the smooth effect. So it requires some calculations to be implemented.