FSXA FS9 -> FSX aircraft model conversion (an experiment)

[kanoasurf]

Essex

Thanks a lot I mean it. I think I'm getting there, and learning a lot.

Please just confirm (see in red below)

Hi Kano
Thinking about it I think it's probably easier to not use blender at all (before I just used it to create a .X file with a visibility condition).

This method is even more time consuming and untested by myself. Probably best to start with a simple single prop plane. You'll see why I stick to jets.

1. Import your fs9 plane into MCX, delete everything except the prop. Export as prop0still.X
2. Export again as prop0slow.X as FSX object X file (*.X) or as FS2004 object X file (*.X)?
3. Import your fs9 plane again into MCX but get the prop disc to show by entering high numbers in the condition variables. Delete everything except the prop. Export as prop0blur.X

4. Import a simple FSX native single prop plane into MCX. Delete everything except the prop (delete the prop disc as well?) . Export FSX mdl.
5. There should be 3 animations for the prop. Delete the slow and the blurred prop. Export as FSXprop0still.X.
6. Import the mdl from step 4. Delete still and blurred prop. Export as FSXprop0slow.X.
7. Import the mdl from step 4. Delete still and slow prop. Export as FSXprop0blur.X.

8. The fsx X files will contain the magic visibility conditions needed for your fs9 prop. Open the 2 "still" X files in notepad and copy over the PartData code from between
'Frame frm_partX {'
and
'FrameTransformMatrix {'
Don't change the filename.
9. Import the edited prop0still.X into MCX, make sure it's assigned the prop0still animation, export as FSX mdl.
10. Repeat for slow and blurred prop.
11. In MCX delete the prop from your previously converted plane. Merge in the 3 new mdls, export. Done.
12 Report back how you got on.

Good luck.

 

[kanoasurf]

Right;

I managed the prop disc to appears in FSX within the converted fsx model (hooray!)

What I have not resolved yet is the following:

• While parked in the platform (engines off) the disc texture (the normally called "_prop_t.dds" texture in the texture folder) can be seen.
• When the engines start, the propeller itself never disappear so you fly seeing the propeller and the disc both spinning.

So basically, I need to know how to a give sort of hierarchy or order for both the propeller and the disc to show up or not depending on the stage of the flight.

Is that something I can do from MCX?

Cheers

kano

 

[Essex]

Kano
It's critical that you insert the relevant visibility condition into each version of the prop.
I've found these old files, the PartData section is about 1 page up from the bottom of each and this needs to be copied into the relevant prop .X file (I use notepad), it can't be done by MCX. The files are more or less identical apart from this section. If you import them into MCX you'll see that it recognises the different visibility conditions by looking at the hierarchy viewer.
The files are only for prop0. Hopefully they'll help.

 

[kanoasurf]

Dear Essex

What a week... well, it has been as I like it. I would say a very good success. Thanks a lot.

I have to say, and I insist is how I like it, that there were quite a few steps missing that I had to figure out. But I managed so I learnt! and now I have my first prop decently converted and a full procedure writing down (I wonder if I could share it with you and how, mainly for you guys to see if it is correct or can be fine tuned).

I still have a few bits that I can't get absolutely right:

I can make the now the plane look normal on platform, I mean props still.
I can make the plane show the disc while taxiing or flying, beautifully.
But I can't get the animation propX_slow to show at any time. I've tried using a full new imported fsx.mdl where I assigned to the different engine0 and 1 entries in the animation editor, the 3 props (still, slow, blur) but nothing. I've tried to identified which one goes were... no success.

I'm lost there.

Another question would be on a different level. I know now how to isolate the visibility condition for the object, but how about the texture? I'm asking because I managed in MCX to get the night texture to show up at night, but how to make only the tail logo light to show while in platform hiding the reflexion of the taxi light on the body of the plane? and how to make that reflexion to come up when the plane starts to taxi and disappear after take off?

Last question, where can I start to make the landing lights to show up?

Cheers

kano

 

[Essex]

Hi again Kano
I think you're almost there with the prop. I think the easiest thing to do for the slow prop is take your still prop, change the animation to 'slow' and change the visibility condition to 'slow' also. Export as a fsx mdl, then merge into the main MDL. I haven't tested this but it should work.

Please do update my how to when you've got it sorted.

Hopefully others can help with the other matters.

 

[kanoasurf]

I've tried, but it didn't work. I'm not 100% sure I did what you have in mind, check below in red

Hi again Kano
I think you're almost there with the prop. I think the easiest thing to do for the slow prop is take your still prop you mean the .x file obtained from the fs9 model?, change the animation to 'slow' in the animation editor and export as fs9 .x file again? and change the visibility condition to 'slow' also you mean by copying the PartData from the FSX file to the FS9?. Export as a fsx mdl, then merge into the main MDL. I haven't tested this but it should work.

Please do update my how to when you've got it sorted. Is there any way I can send you my process? It is a word documet

Hopefully others can help with the other matters.

 

[Essex]

You must have a .X file for your final 'still' prop.
Replace the visibility condition with the 'slow' one from the file I uploaded, don't change the filename.
Open this file in MCX, change the animation to 'slow'.
Export as slow.mdl
Merge into main MDL.
It shouldn't be any more difficult than the other two props that you've already done.

 

[FAlonso22]

Hi, anybody has converted the TFS 77W?

I get an issue

Its related to the flaps animation assign, I tried assign all flaps modeldef.xml entries with not luck.

Please help (and sorry for my bad english)

Regards

 

[kanoasurf]

Hi Essex

I think I've fixed it. In fact, I did't have the problem... I was trying to use the "slow" when the model actually was not using it, therefore there was no animation where to apply the visibility condition.

I hope that as I start converting more advanced or refined models I may find some using the three animations, so I will be able to test whether I can assign the three visibility conditions.

Cheers

You must have a .X file for your final 'still' prop.
Replace the visibility condition with the 'slow' one from the file I uploaded, don't change the filename.
Open this file in MCX, change the animation to 'slow'.
Export as slow.mdl
Merge into main MDL.
It shouldn't be any more difficult than the other two props that you've already done.

 

[tgibson]

Flaps are often displaced, unfortunately...

 

[kanoasurf]

Interesting... I have had a look at that TFS777-300ER and although I do not have the misplace problem (it seems to me that FAlonso only fixed the unknowns, but forgot to replace l_pct_lead_edge_flap with l_flap_pct) something funny happens when checking the model in the simulator. The flaps simply do not move. The rest of the animations work, wheels are spinning, gear retracts and so on, but the flaps don't move. I've tried to compare with a fsx native model and there is no visibility condition that applies.
What I've seen is that for some reason each flap part requires the animation twice; while in my model, in the Hierarchy viewer, SceneGraphNode holds one of the animations (values starting with V) and acts as a parent for a model part which contains the other repeated animation (values starting with Q), the native fsx model has the two animations in the model part.
Obviously, the animation has been converted automatically so I think we have not much control on how will be placed in the newly created fsx model.
I wonder if the parent distribution may have an effect on whether the animation will be seen or not.

Or perhaps I'm missing something here?

Any thoughts?

Cheers

 

[FAlonso22]

(it seems to me that FAlonso only fixed the unknowns, but forgot to replace l_pct_lead_edge_flap with l_flap_pct)

Yep, that was the issue.

Guys, when I use a convert model I get artifacts like this one

I tried the model in two different pc and configs so its difficult to me think in a bad sim or system config......

Any idea or suggest?

 

[United 85]

Hi guys.

When I convert an .mdl, I get no error message, but my plane shows up in blender like this:

Any advice? Thanks

 

[capt_x]

@United 85
Does that happen using MCX or the import script for Blender?

 

[kanoasurf]

Do you adjust the radius?

 

[United 85]

@capt_x
When I load it into blender I get that, and when I load into MCX it looks exactly the same.

 

[capt_x]

@United 85
Even with the latest dev release of MCX? Hmm. Which aircraft is that? You could be out of luck with this one. Might have to clean it up by hand... I see you are still using Blender 2.4x. You can save the .blend file and reopen it with a current version of Blender. Just sayin'.

 

[United 85]

I have MCX 1.3, blender 2.69 (prefer 2.49b). I was trying to convert the MJ777

 

[capt_x]

It's FS9, right? Try the latest development release of MCX. If that doesn't fix it, then you might have to resort to fixing it by hand (rescale the parts and rotate them into place).

Take care

 

[United 85]

OK, Thanks for your help