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P3D v5 Blender2P3D/FSX

Vitus

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The XToMDL is a simple stand-alone executable. It doesn't care about where it comes from or where it's installed. You can copy the exe somewhere else and it'll work just fine.

Soooo maybe it's something more basic - do you use , or . for the decimal point? If it's the comma, change it in the regional settings of windows and try again.
 

Pyscen

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@Vitus

He had mentioned that it worked on another computer, so its nothing within the filename or the file path that is preventing XToMDL to compile the model.

What I suggest: Is go to one of the many locations where the XToMDL.exe is (preferably, to the one that is going to be used always). Right-click on it and click on the 'Properties' tab. Under the General tab, make sure that the file is not being "blocked". It will show it needs to be "unBlock" at the bottom of this tab.

If it doesn't need to be unblocked, make sure that the location that it is to be compiled too has all the user rights to read and write. This may have to do with what was discussed in another thread about Windows 10, unfortunately not locating that thread at this time. I will locate and edit or add if needed later.
 
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I tried setting the decimal to point, adding full user rights to the whole hard drive where the files are located and checked that the files are not blocked. Nothing makes the xtomdl conversion work. I think I´m giving up and for the time being I´ll just export all my models to .x files, copy those to my old laptop where xtomdl.exe is working, compile them to .mdl and copy them back. I also noticed that MCX seems to be able to read .x files directly, though it doesn´t read the textures correctly (it assumes that all of them are in .dds format while most of my textures are png or bmp files which I later convert to dds) so I´d have to assign all the textures again. But it´s better than nothing I guess. Thanks for all the help you provided, really appreciate it.

Cheers, Fabian
 
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france
Hi all,
I'm new to this forum and I start with Blender.
From the start, I have a problem.
Before starting a complex model with Blender I wanted to do a test. I assigned a material to Blender's base cube and attempted an export.x and MDL.
I got a .x file but with an error message:
"EXPORT ERROR! Couldn't find the corresponding shader node for material <Material>. It should be a 'Specular BSDF' for specular material."
I have done several tests in changing the parameters of the materials, with texture, without texture, but I still have an export error message regarding the material.
I searched a lot on the web, read the Vitus wiki but I don't know where the problem is.
I use windows 10, FSX Steam edition (SDK doesn't work) and the following tools:
* SDK Prepar 3D V5 (Works well with my ADE)
* BLENDER 2.83.1
* BLENDER 2P3DFSX 0.98.21
Can someone help me?

Thanks in advance.
 

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Vitus

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The Exporter is first looking for a shader node called "Specular". I think the fact that you're working with French nomenclature might collide with that. You could try to simply rename the specular node to "Specular". But if that doesn't do the trick, I switching to the English language pack certainly works.
 

Pyscen

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Hello...

The only version of the SDK that works for FSX Steam (FSX: SE) is P3D SDK v1.4. You can obtain/ download it from here:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/resources/prepar3d-v1-sdk.227/

It should work with ADE as well.

To assign color as a material you will have to set the material mode to either PBR or Specular first (first image), and then open the node tree and disconnect the link between the albedo/diffuse texture node and the Base color node (2nd Image)

.
Material mode.png


Material mode-2.png


Hope this helps, but you will need to install the correct version of the SDK that works with FSX: SE.
 
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france
Thank you for your advice. I install the new SDK and re-install Blender in English to have a clean base. I'll keep you informed. Thank you.
 
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portugal
I tried setting the decimal to point, adding full user rights to the whole hard drive where the files are located and checked that the files are not blocked. Nothing makes the xtomdl conversion work. I think I´m giving up and for the time being I´ll just export all my models to .x files, copy those to my old laptop where xtomdl.exe is working, compile them to .mdl and copy them back. I also noticed that MCX seems to be able to read .x files directly, though it doesn´t read the textures correctly (it assumes that all of them are in .dds format while most of my textures are png or bmp files which I later convert to dds) so I´d have to assign all the textures again. But it´s better than nothing I guess. Thanks for all the help you provided, really appreciate it.

Cheers, Fabian

I had a similar problem to you and I changed the folder to which I was exporting the files to, and now it works. I was trying to export the FSX stuff into the same folder I had the blender file, not sure if that was the problem or it was something completely unrelated, but it's worth a shot.
 
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45
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france
With ADE I integrated my cube.bgl in one of my airports. Problem, my cube is invisible. I understood that an object with a material was enough to be visible in FSX. Do you need a texture or something else?
 

Pyscen

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Usually a material is enough, but there could be other factors at play...

1) where was the bgl placed within steam?

2) within ADE, the model in the bgl file wasn't added into LOM.

3) the model is missing a light map or emissive map.

What was your workflow in placing the model?
 
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france
Hi,
1) where was the bgl placed within steam?
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\scenery\Global\scenery
2) within ADE, the model in the bgl file wasn't added into LOM.
Yes, it is. See ADELOM.png
3) the model is missing a light map or emissive map.
I don't know. Maybe you can see it in the cube1.bgl file?
What was your workflow in placing the model?
Like a normal object. Add then Library Object..... Then Save Airport and compiles.
Then copy the bgl files and past files in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\Addon Scenery\scenery
(You can see ADEAddLibraryObject.png)
 

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Just a clarification. The cube is on the runway. I don't see it in FSX and I can take off without crashing. It's a ghost cube...
 

Pyscen

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For it to be seen, in this case, you will need to have textures. It's not a ghost - if it isn't there. You don't need textures to compile but you do have to have them for the simulator.

Also you mentioned its placed: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\scenery\Global\scenery &
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\Addon Scenery\scenery. Placing them in both locations will also make it so it can't be seen.
 
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france
For it to be seen, in this case, you will need to have textures. It's not a ghost - if it isn't there. You don't need textures to compile but you do have to have them for the simulator.
Ok I'll put a texture and test. Thank you very much.
Also you mentioned its placed: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\scenery\Global\scenery &
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\Addon Scenery\scenery. Placing them in both locations will also make it so it can't be seen.
No, no . I place cube.bgl in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\scenery\Global\scenery
And I place in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\Addon Scenery\scenery my airport with in the cube object to see it in FSX.
Sorry my English is Bing Microsoft Translator.................
Thanks again
 

Pyscen

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It can't be in two places within the simulator folder structure. The last location ( C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\Addon Scenery\scenery), is best.
 
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It can't be in two places within the simulator folder structure. The last location ( C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\Addon Scenery\scenery), is best.
I put my airport and my cube.bgl in the same place : C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\Addon Scenery\scenery
My texture file in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\Addon Scenery\texture
unfortunately the cube is drawn in ADE but still invisible in FSX.
Do you want me to pass on my Blender file to you. 1.29 MB is not too much?
 
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Not a problem, glad I was able to assist.

Concerning the reflection though, using PBR materials with P3D v4.4+ can't be done. at least not with PBR materials. You will have to go back to a specular workflow (FSX way of doing it) on just the glass part. Though I could be wrong here...

Concerning P3D v5 though,... The albedo is left as is. It all has to do with the Metallic map.

The AO = green channel affects the reflection on how bright it is. white generally is best here.
The Reflection = blue channel will cause a reflection from either the Dynamic Lighting or Default Environment Map when used. More like "on and off".
The Smoothness = alpha channel controls the contrast - how sharp the reflection is (this is the one that might not be needed at all, similar to metalness).

The metalness = red channel controls how strong the reflection is. Gray (51, 51, 51) used is best I believe.

Make sure the AO has clicked (on) for Metallic and the Blue channel also. and the Smoothness is for Metallic also.
Does anyone have a Substance Painter Export Preset that I can use?

Now I have it set up like this but I'm not sure its correct:
0l7K4P6.png
 

Vitus

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