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FSXA Conversion issues

Hi,

There are sometimes still bugs with displaced model parts indeed. I am still trying to figure out why.

For the animations, currently it is not possible to set gear independent from bombdoors for example. But that is on my todo list.

I will test with that B-17 model you posted as well.
 
I managed to convert the SOH B-17 with SAMM 12d by using the "Tools and Listings" feature to close the exit. The only problem seems to be the prop texture.

 
Golf-HotelDelta said:
I managed to convert the SOH B-17 with SAMM 12d by using the "Tools and Listings" feature to close the exit. The only problem seems to be the prop texture.
Click to expand...
Hmmmm....where did you get SAMM 12d from I can't seem to locate that version and it's not flashing up a notice to say there is a new version when I start it.
 
As you can see, it wasn't the SOH B-17 :o

In fact, when I convert the correct model (B-17G Late), I lose the starboard wing :eek:

 
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I was confusing myself. The first pic was of the B-17E which converts with no problem except that the props are not textured and the glass alpha is black rather than grey.

The AI_b-17e .mdl file seems to have a block of code before the RIFF header which causes SAMM to reject it.

Edit. To allow SAMM to read the other models you need to remove all quotation marks from the Title= line in the aircraft.cfgs.
 
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Using SAMM 12e I was able to convert Fuddy Duddy, change it to an FS9 model with MCX. There is still a problem with the alpha channels.



And the propellers are missing.
 
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I had some success tonight converting the SOH B-17 models (all the true FS9 ones not the AI one) with SAMM 12a (after getting rid of the quotation marks in the aircraft.cfg files) first and then bringing that model into MCX but like you I am missing props, glass and cowl flaps for some reason.

It's so close now I can almost smell it! If I have to I can place those I guess (time is a factor now as it's supposed to be released to coincide with Milton Shupe's AT-11 release) but it would be nice to have the missing parts in place.
 
Hi Larry,

There is a hard way and an easy way to get the props to display. The problem is that there is a missing texture, prop_us.bmp which is used when animations "auto" is set in SAMM.

The easy way is to use animations "All". The hard way is to use the listings to identify which animation is used to display parts.bmp.

You will also need to check the material editor in MCX to set the alpha to default for those parts of the fuselage which are semi-transparent.

The easy way (note the prop texture is not correct, but it does display):

 
Thanks for the tips George. I did some playing around this morning and finally found a 'recipe' between the latest version of SAMM (v12f) and MCX and got all five SOH B-17 models to come in. I managed to shade the props to an acceptable level in MCX but the glass is still missing but I can live with that.

Now I just need to do some repainting on the main textures to remove battle history and nose art as they wouldn't exist in my scenario for a B-17 training base in the USA.

Thanks for all the help you guys have provided and I will let you know when the project is complete.
 
Having placed around 20 aircraft models in my project I am seeing quite a drop in FPS when flying around the scenery (from locked 30 to mid teens). I didn't create any LODs when I exported from MCX and I am wondering if this is the cause.

Are any of you guys using the LOD creator in MCX and if so what sort of values are you using?
 
Hi,

Are they 20 unique models or 20 copies of the same? In the last case you might benefit from drawcall batching as well.

Also many aircraft models have LODs already. So these would be converted already.

For the LOD creator it is a bit tricky. Recently I mainly use the vertex clustering method. But it always takes some trial and error to get the best results.
 
I have 6 aircraft models and each is repeated several times (1 twice, 4 three times, 1 four times). The last one is a low poly model created specially for me for use in this scenery but the rest are converted flyable aircraft.

How do you use the 'vertex clustering method'?
 
I think Arno means are they in a library? Or are the models included in the placement code.
 
Hi,

No, I did not mean the library :). If you place them in one airport only that would not make much difference.

With objects in FSX SP2 you can either have working LODs or drawcall batching. The last means that all polygons with the same material are drawn at the same moment, even if they come from different objects. So if you have many copies of an object that can give good performance increase. When using LODs this drawcall batching does not work, but you can use the LODs to get less polygons to draw.

About the LOD Creator. You can select which method to use with the combo box. One of them is vertex clustering. Then you need to specify the size of the cells. All polygons that fall within one cell will be combined into one new vertex. So you might need to try different values to find out what works best to preserve the shape, but reduce polygons. You should also try both floating cells and not. The first can give better results on most objects, but not always.
 
Thanks for the info Arno but dropping from LOD 100 to LOD99 caused massive degradation of the model.

I did put the models into a library and tried again and I did see a slight improvement in FPS. On the ground close to the aircraft I was getting 16-20 FPS while at 2,000 ft above the airfield I was getting 30 FPS and that's with over 250 buildings and rail assets in view plus all the aircraft.
 
Hi,

If the degradation of the model is too much, you might want to try with a smaller cell size. Also, you need to choose a good LOD value. Having a LOD100 and then a LOD099 would not work that good. It is suggest to have LOD100, LOD040 and LOD010.
 
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