Build 31/01/2009

[arno]

Hi Paul,

When I initially load up the B206 model in MCX, (first model),
it should display the default white Bell_206B_T.dds texture.

MCX loads up a grey/green textured B206, (see screenie).
which I'd assumed was the specular bell_206b_t_spec.dds texture.

I think it is still the normal diffuse texture, but it probably appears darker because of a problem with the lighting in the preview and/or mixing the color and the texture.

If I then load up the EH101
it displays ok.

If I then reload the B206 from the MRU list,
it then fails to load any textures.

I did exactly what you describe, but I can not reproduce the problem here. All textures load fine. I would suggest that you remove the configuration files as a test and start with all default settings.

Where in the registry are you storing the MCX settings please ?

They are not in the registry, but stored in the following folder:

Documents and Settings\{user}\Local Settings\SceneryDesign.org

You find multiple subfolders there for the tool. It is how the .NET frameworks saves the settings, I still have to figure out how all the files relate to each other.

 

[BASys]

Hi Folks

Arno -
Cheers for interface changes.

I've since removed all previous components and user.config,
and installed tonights build, (ModelConverterX.exe 24/02/2009).



Still having same MRU accessed texture loading failures.

Further confirmed
MCX is still pointing at last imported aircraft folder location.

I've attached the latest user.config as - BASys_user.xml

Running on XP Pro SP3.



Settings / Paths
I guess this might need an installer to accomplish -

Rather than writing incorrect values,
how about reading the user's reg entries
for FSX and the FSX SDK ?

FSX reg entry -

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\flight simulator\10.0
SetupPath=WHATEVER

FSX SDK reg entry -

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator X SDK
SdkRootdir=WHATEVER

Both the following entries also contain spelling errors -

c:\program files\microsoft games\microsoft flight simulator x sdk\sdk\environmet kit\modelling sdk\FSX_GmaxGamePack\plugins\xtomdl.exe

c:\program files\microsoft games\microsoft flight simulator x sdk\sdk\environmet kit\modelling sdk\bin\modeldef.xml

Should contain -
An n in environment
Single l in modeling.
i.e.
Environment Kit\Modeling SDK\





HTH
ATB
Paul

 

[arno]

Hi Paul,

Further confirmed MCX is still pointing at last imported aircraft folder location.

I've attached the latest user.config as - BASys_user.xml

You mean from the user.config file you can confirm that it is not being updated? I check the source code and the value should really be updated before the actual reading starts. I'll double check again.

Settings / Paths
I guess this might need an installer to accomplish -

Rather than writing incorrect values,
how about reading the user's reg entries
for FSX and the FSX SDK ?

If possible I will not use an installer. Reading the registry is a good idea, I'll do that.

Both the following entries also contain spelling errors -

c:\program files\microsoft games\microsoft flight simulator x sdk\sdk\environmet kit\modelling sdk\FSX_GmaxGamePack\plugins\xtomdl.exe

c:\program files\microsoft games\microsoft flight simulator x sdk\sdk\environmet kit\modelling sdk\bin\modeldef.xml

Should contain -
An n in environment
Single l in modeling.
i.e.
Environment Kit\Modeling SDK\

I'll also fix those, in case a user has some registry problems there should still be sensible default values. I don't have the SDK installed in the default location on my PC, that's why I never noticed.

 

[BASys]

Hi Folks

Arno -
No, the user.config is being updated.

Further info -
Opening an MCX session,
then reading any model from the MRU list,
all items load their textures correctly.

However -
Now Import a model.
Loads ok.

Now try to access a model from the MRU list.
All fail to load the appropriate textures,
EXCEPT that last model you'd imported.

Looks like MCX is not re-reading the relative path
AFTER the MRU is selected, (before attempting to render it).

HTH
ATB
Paul

 

[gsnde]

Paul,

I have replicated your steps several times with several objects, but it never failed to work for me. Do you have the chance to test the same on another computer?

Arno,
while testing Pauls steps I noticed that the Arrestor object has stopped to work and causes a real error with dialog box.

I attach it here.

This is the error message:

An error occured during importing the selected file

Message:
Der Objektverweis wurde nicht auf eine Objektinstanz festgelegt.

StackTrace:
   bei ModelConverterX.SCASMReader.ReadSCASMFile(String filename)
   bei ModelConverterX.SCASMReader.Read(String filename)
   bei ModelConverterX.ObjectReader.read(String fileName)
   bei ModelConverterX.MainWindow.bwImporter_DoWork(Object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)

 

[BASys]

Hi Folks

Martin -
Error occurs when loading
FSX default aircraft .mdl files,
from their native locations.

HTH
ATB
Paul

 

[gsnde]

Paul,

I only tested APIs in addition because it does not make necessarily sense that such an error would occur only with model files.

1. Populate the MRU:

start ModelConverterX
load the B737_800 directly
load the b747_400 directly
load the beech_baron_58 directly
exit ModelConverterX (all textures loaded fine)

2. Test your scenario

start ModelConverterX
load the beech_baron_58 from the MRU
load the beech_King_Air_350 directly
load the b747_400 from the MRU
load the B737_800 from the MRU
exit ModelConverterX (all textures loaded fine)

Does this reflect what you are doing?

 

[arno]

Hi Martin,

I found the bug with your API, has been fixed now. The error dialog is because I build the release candidate in Release and not in Debug mode. Then I have this dialog to catch any error.

 

[arno]

Hi Paul,

I double checked the code again, but the same function is used for loading any object. If you select it from the file dialog or from the MRU list. In any case the last accessed file is updated in the settings before starting to load it. This setting is then used in the preview when loading the textures.

 

[gsnde]

Hi Martin,

I found the bug with your API, has been fixed now. The error dialog is because I build the release candidate in Release and not in Debug mode. Then I have this dialog to catch any error.

Thank you

 

[BASys]

Hi Folks

Martin -
Your scenario matches what I'm doing.
Still fails for me as I'd previously described.

I'll try to test on another machine this weekend.



Arno -
I'm surprised I'm seeing MCX respond differently to yourself & Martin.

My system is fully uptodate with all patches.

It may be the same underlying code,
but accessing via the Import file dialog,
forces a CD to chosen location.

When accessing via the MRU list,
is MCX explicitly CD'ing to the specific folder
before attempting to load the model,
or is it reading a relative path ?

Seen similar behaviour when working with paths in batch files.



One thing to note.

Previous builds -
On accessing an MRU item,
then clicking on the import button
dialog displayed the folder of the previously loaded item.

Latest Build -
On accessing an MRU item,
then clicking on the import button
dialog now displays the folder of the current loaded item.
Still doesn't load the textures for me.



Wiki Doc -
FSX MDL reader -
Needs list of unsupported RIFF sections.
e.g. XAPC, XAPS, etc.

Also a link to the MDL file format (FSX) page,
again to include lising of the unsupported RIFF sections.



HTH
ATB
Paul

 

[gsnde]

The setup here is like:

Vista32 patched to the teeth
ModelConverterX located on C: (C:\MSFS\FS Design Tools\ModelConverterX)
FSX located on Z: (Z:\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator X)

 

[BASys]

Hi Folks

Cheers Martin.

Arno -
Are you on Vista also ?

ATB
Paul

 

[arno]

Hi Paul,

Arno -
I'm surprised I'm seeing MCX respond differently to yourself & Martin.

Me too, but I am convinced we'll figure out in the end why.

When accessing via the MRU list,
is MCX explicitly CD'ing to the specific folder
before attempting to load the model,
or is it reading a relative path ?

No CD is issued in any case. The config stores the last used file. Using the paths stored in the preferences there is a function that tries to find a given texture file by looking in all paths. What is returned in the end is a full path to the file (if found) that is used for loading.

It can only go wrong if the config file is not updated correctly, but I explicitly did that before starting to load the object itself. After that loading the preview is updated, where the textures are loaded.

Latest Build -
On accessing an MRU item,
then clicking on the import button
dialog now displays the folder of the current loaded item.
Still doesn't load the textures for me.

That's what it should do, as it is the last loaded object. Did you try the version 1.0 I just released already?

Wiki Doc -
FSX MDL reader -
Needs list of unsupported RIFF sections.
e.g. XAPC, XAPS, etc.

I don't agree. The whole documentation talks about functions that are supported. Any function not listed is not supported. I also don't have a list of the unsupported SCASM commands there. For most users that would make 0% sense anyway.

 

[arno]

Oh, and yes I am also using Vista. I can try later at work where I have a WinXP machine. But I did not notice problems there until now.

 

[arno]

Maybe some other user, who uses WinXP, can see if he can reproduce Paul's problem on his machine? That might help to see if it is a XP vs. Vista problem or something else.