FSXA Exporting MDL or BGL not happening

[Manfred Knorr]

I think I followed the video and wiki instructions. I exported a simple block with a single texture from sketchup as first a kmz and then a dae file.

Both imported just fine into MCX. The kmz even had the right location on the map. I tried using the export wizard to create an mdl file and a bgl file.

A flash of yellow pops up for a fraction of a second (screen grab revealed it to be a copyright warning). Nothing else happened to indicate success. I opened the folder where these files should be and only found textures, no model.

All the relevant paths appear to be correct.

Even exporting them creates no model. The texture dimensions and format boxes were checked.

Any clues?

Windows 7 pro 64 bit, MCX 1.3, SketchUp Pro 8 and 2014, FSX + A with sdk

Many thanks for any help provided and my apologies if this is stupid or already answered elsewhere. i did search first.

 

[JRobinson]

First thing I would do is go here and get the latest development release of MCX:

http://www.scenerydesign.org/development-releases/

 

[Manfred Knorr]

Thank you Sir. I shall give that a try.

 

[edphipps]

The problem might be caused by UAC. If you have MCX installed in your programs folder UAC could be deleting your model immediately after it is created. Install the development release of MCX outside of your programs folder or right click and run as administrator.

 

[=rk=]

It could help to attach your problem .dae. I'll will text compile it for you no problem, I'll even attach the compiled so long as we don't make it your work around solution..

 

[Manfred Knorr]

It could help to attach your problem .dae. I'll will text compile it for you no problem, I'll even attach the compiled so long as we don't make it your work around solution..

A nice offer. I wish I could but all I get is "The uploaded file does not have an allowed extension." So I added the .mdl and 'bgl file.

Using version 1.4 at least works. It creates files like .mdl, .bgl. It's just that they don't show up in FSX.

 

[=rk=]

Ok excellent. Could I suggest that there are many steps to get a model to show up in FSX and MCX is simply an important component in that process? You have not yet described what you do with a compiled model or .bgl to get it to show up in FSX. I myself use Instant Scenery 3, occasionally SBuilderX and the always invaluable Airport Design Editor. MCX has a built in placement function, I believe. I like IS3 because I am fairly visual and the others require a more "geometric" sense, imo, which I lack.
So, as part of my particular process, I took your model and added a nice azure-turquoise to the walls to compensate for the lack of textures and then I decorated the roof, columns and step in a stately dark gray. Here it is in the MCX render:

Next I went in sim to one of my local scenery projects and called up IS3 and scrolled to house17.bgl. Now bear in mind that I did not use the .bgl you'd created; no slight, I just use what I know works and go from there. So from your .mdl which I converted from textured polygons to colored polygons, I exported as a library .bgl and put that into my scenery folder. See, at this point there could already be many factors besides MCX to blame. Are your textures where FSX expects them and in the proper format? If a model is untextured/uncolored, it will not render and you won't be able to see it. Perhaps there is some error in the placement component of your procedure..
In sim using IS3, I am able to see and manipulate the model. You can see in the next image that I am able to place it on the tarmac:

This should help clear a few things up, regardless the specifics of your procedure. You know your model is able to be compiled and seen in sim and if you need to test that part, you can use my version. The .bgl is not placed, it is a library .bgl that you would add to a placement .bgl; at least that is how I organize my scenery objects.

 

[Manfred Knorr]

Well, I guess I'm doing something fundamentally wrong. I'll watch Arno's videos again and see if I can figure it out. Thanks.

 

[=rk=]

My suspicion would be your texture export path. That would make it seem like a model was getting created but it just wasn't there. Creating one that was colored instead of textured would help define the path issue.

 

[Manfred Knorr]

OK, I just made a 50m square tower 500m tall and coloured it bright pink in sketchup 2014 Pro. I exported it as block.dae and imported that to model converter 1.4.

4:57 PM DAEReader Information Starting reading of file C:\Users\Manfred\Documents\block.dae
4:57 PM DAEReader Information Finished reading objects
4:57 PM ObjectRenderer Information Starting generating OpenGL arrays...
4:57 PM ObjectRenderer Information Finished generating OpenGL arrays
4:58 PM MDLXWriter Information Starting writing of file C:\Users\Manfred\Documents\block.mdl
4:58 PM MDLXReader Information Starting reading of file C:\Users\Manfred\Documents\block.mdl
4:58 PM MDLXReader Information Finished reading objects
4:58 PM XWriter Information Starting writing of file C:\Users\Manfred\Documents\_MCX_temp.x
4:58 PM XWriter Information Finished writing of file C:\Users\Manfred\Documents\_MCX_temp.x
4:58 PM XtoMDL Information Found output file: C:\Users\Manfred\Documents\block.mdl
4:58 PM XtoMDL Information OutputFile: C:\Users\Manfred\Documents\block.mdl
4:58 PM XtoMDL Information Output file after modification: C:\Users\Manfred\Documents\block.mdl
4:58 PM XtoMDL Information Creating output MDL file: C:\Users\Manfred\Documents\block.mdl
4:58 PM XtoMDL Information CRASHTREE no granularity specified
4:58 PM XtoMDL Information CRASHTREE completed in 00:00:00.0050002
4:58 PM MDLXWriter Information Finished writing of file C:\Users\Manfred\Documents\block.mdl

I then used Library creator so I can use it in Instant Scenery 3.

X:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Addon Scenery\scenery\block.bgl

X:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Addon Scenery\scenery\block.xml

Checked both boxes.

5:14 PM BGLXWriter Information Starting writing of file X:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Addon Scenery\scenery\block.bgl
5:14 PM XMLWriter Information Starting writing of file X:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Addon Scenery\scenery\block.xml
5:14 PM XMLWriter Information Finished writing of file X:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Addon Scenery\scenery\block.xml
5:14 PM BGLCommp Information Parsing document: block.xml
5:14 PM BGLCommp Information Parse complete!
5:14 PM BGLXWriter Information Finished writing of file X:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Addon Scenery\scenery\block.bgl
5:14 PM XMLWriter Information Starting writing of file X:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Addon Scenery\scenery\block.xml
5:14 PM XMLWriter Information Finished writing of file X:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Addon Scenery\scenery\block.xml

I then start FSX - Instant Scenery 3 and open the new library. after a few seconds of loading and presto! No Block to select.

I have no idea what is wrong with this work flow but it doesn't work.

On a sort of brighter note, somehow I have house-17 simplified.BGL and I could actually pick it and it's fully textured! I just wish I knew what the hell I did!

 

[=rk=]

Ok. At 4:59 in your procedure, click the Export Scenery button, save to X:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Addon Scenery\scenery\block.bgl and allow the program to over write. This is the .bgl you should be able to find with IS3. I understand that it may be part of Arno's procedure to use Library Creator; exporting a model as a .bgl is part of my procedure which I know works, further, it is a library .bgl and you can tell by clicking the Scenery Objects Editor button. It will create a list with your model's GUID at the top, the Add Object button will navigate to other models that can be added to the .bgl and the library can be exported. So give that a try.

It works. You can search my name at Avsim and see I have 5 or 10 sceneries there. I use only SketchUp for modeling and only MCX for converting my models. The entire conversion requires 20 mouse clicks or fewer, shouldn't be too hard to nail down the one or two errant clicks..

 

[Manfred Knorr]

Thank you Rick. That actually worked, but only once. No matter how many times I tried to export a scenery after my initial success, it has not worked again. Did all the "run as administrator" stuff. Man this is frustrating. SBuilderX would place an object but it was not seen in FSX. My textures are always saved in addon scenery - textures with the prefix of the model.

 

[=rk=]

Well, maybe try a distinct scenery folder, just in case there are hierarchy issues. I only write that because it is what I do that works. Odd that it works once. You have confirmed the location of the required files after an attempt that doesn't work, I assume..

 

[tgibson]

Try compiling to your desktop, then move the resulting BGL file to your scenery folder.

 

[Manfred Knorr]

Hi,
After some further trials, I found the only consistent way to get my models into FSX was by adding the location in model converter before exporting. When I did that the models were always visible in the nominated location even though not always available in EZ scenery.

I just got the update of EZ scenery so will see if that makes any difference. I would really still like to produce a library of my models to place as I wish. The inconsistency in working and non working models is very frustrating, especially given they are all done the same way. Even the desktop suggestion made no difference.

Thank you for all the suggestions and advice. I really appreciate it.

 

[Essex]

As an experiment you could try exporting as a fs9 bgl first, then converting that to a fsx bgl.