MSFS20 FSX Aircraft Animation in MSFS

[Minimike1988]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if there is anyone that might be able to help in relation to an issue that I have been having with some imported FSX aircraft in MSFS. I have imported a few aircraft from FSX with some being more successful than others. However, over the last few months I have been getting things such as engines, flight models etc working as they should in MSFS, but the issue I have now is trying to set up some of the original animations that some of the aircraft had in FSX. Now what I'm hoping to do is with a Vulcan bomber by IRIS, the Lancaster bomber by FCS and B17 by aeroplane heaven, which in FSX all had working bomb bay doors and the Vulcan had an exit that opened/closed and I'm hoping to get them working again in MSFS and assign some key bindings to use those animations.

I have seen via some videos and live streams some people have managed to get these working with these aircraft so I know it can be done. however, sadly my knowledge of setting up animations is very novice, and while I believe from research that it has something to do with the model behaviour files, I have not been successful in getting anything working, furthermore, its only through importing the aircraft I have, that I have managed to gain any understanding of the script that comes with editing MSFS aircraft. I'm normally editing and designing on racing/driving sims where it appears things are a lot more straight forward.

If there is anyone that would be able to offer some advice/instruction or even some help for me so that I am able to get these animations working again, it is greatly appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.

 

[degorap]

Let's give it a try, but first things first:
Do you know if the model that you import to MSFS already contains the animation? if so, do you know the animation name?
Do you work the model in a 3D app (blender? 3Dmax?) or do you use a converter?
Other animations converted are correctly working?
Does the model already have a behavior file or model.xml?

Sorry for so many questions but I think they will help others to help you.
D.

 

[Minimike1988]

Let's give it a try, but first things first:
Do you know if the model that you import to MSFS already contains the animation? if so, do you know the animation name?
Do you work the model in a 3D app (blender? 3Dmax?) or do you use a converter?
Other animations converted are correctly working?
Does the model already have a behavior file or model.xml?

Sorry for so many questions but I think they will help others to help you.
D.

Thank you for your response, I will try to answer as best I can,

As far as I'm aware does still have the animations, I used Legacy importer to convert the aircraft and then when I open the model in model converter X and go into the ModelDef menu all the animation coding is there and I believe the one I'm needing is labelled Bay_Doors and Exit_1 or something to that affect, I'm not on the main PC to look it up so as far as I'm aware the animations are still there.
I haven't been able to try them out in blender, as I say I'm rather a novice in this area so the only software I've been using has just been Legacy importer and ModelConverter X and other animations such as air brakes etc are all working correctly.
There aren't any xml files within the models of the aircraft there is a file called model which is the one I open in MCX and where I found the modeldef data, but through my research I found out that the behaviour file is where the animation coding is normally kept.

Thank you again for your help, hopefully this helps and gives a better understanding of where I'm at with things.

 

[kalong]

the door / exit variable and cfg setting are changed. legacy FSX door would not work in MSFS.
read SDK for detail

 

[degorap]

If the animation is still there in the exported model, in theory it could be made to work by adjusting the model XML code.

I have never used ModelConvert X, but according to what I read, it exports a model.xml, could you attach it to see it?

 

[=rk=]

MCX will not write most .mdl animations to XML as a copyright protection. The simulator versions appear to use a different timeline, because the animations I managed to convert cycle so slowly, as to appear fixed. However it is all data blocks and MCX will write to .X which is just as Notepad editable, as is XML.

 

[kalong]

If the animation is still there in the exported model, in theory it could be made to work by adjusting the model XML code.

I have never used ModelConvert X, but according to what I read, it exports a model.xml, could you attach it to see it?

I own my source model and code and edit everything before compile.

 

[Minimike1988]

If the animation is still there in the exported model, in theory it could be made to work by adjusting the model XML code.

I have never used ModelConvert X, but according to what I read, it exports a model.xml, could you attach it to see it?

So, I have managed to get the MCX.Model.xml file (see zip file attached), when I export the model.mdl file from Model converter X the file .xml file only stays in the folder while it's exporting so I had to copy and paste it on the quick.

Using MCX animation editor the animations that control the door are just labelled door_0 and there are 9 parts to that one animation.
For the bay doors they are referred to as custom_anim_VAR_BAY_DOORS_04 and there is 16 parts to that one

From looking at the xml file they are both present with the other animations that seem to work but for some reason they don't, now I don't know if that's because they need to be bound to their own key input (which I haven't figured out how to do yet) as the other animations are things such as flaps, gears and engines etc which are animations that every aircraft has.

Hopefully the zip file can offer some more insight, as if it's possible it is something I would like to do over the three aircraft.

 

[degorap]

The animation is defined:
<Animation name="door_0" guid="9B5ED86C-B114-4924-B5C9-163A99042F2F" typeparam2="door_0" typeparam="AutoPlay" length="100" type="Sim" typeParam="AutoPlay" />

And there is code for its execution:
<PartInfo>
<Name>door_0</Name>
<AnimLength>100</AnimLength>
<Animation>
<Parameter>
<Sim>
<Variable>EXIT OPEN:0</Variable>
<Units>percent</Units>
</Sim>
</Parameter>
</Animation>
</PartInfo>

But looking for the simvar that the code indicates, the documentation says that it is deprecated:

Exits (Deprecated)​

Simulation Variable	Description	Units	Settable
EXIT OPEN	Percent door/exit open.	Percent Over 100

It is possible that, as indicated by @kalong , that SimVar no longer works, but you could generate another code to run the animation, unfortunately I have no knowledge of legacy coding ("PartInfo") to tell you what to code, at least you can try changing the SimVar "EXIT OPEN" for another one that works (some Aircraft Light maybe?), at least to test the animation.

 

[kalong]

from MSFS SDK

// Variable: 
INTERACTIVE POINT OPEN

// flight_model.cfg

[INTERACTIVE POINTS]
number_of_interactive_points = 10
interactive_point.0 = 0.4, 27.93, -6.05, 3.02, 0, 0, 0, -86, 72, 16, 85, 3, -2, 33
interactive_point.1 = 0.4, 27.93, 6.05, 3.02, 0, 0, 0, 86, 85, 3, 72, 16, -2, 33
interactive_point.2 = 0.4, -53, -5.2, 3, 0, 0, 0, -103, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
interactive_point.3 = 0.4, -53, 5.2, 3, 0, 0, 0, 103, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
interactive_point.4 = 0.4, -29.5, 2, -1.8, 1, 0, 0, 90, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
interactive_point.5 = 0.4, 18, 1.93, -1.9, 1, 0, 0, 90, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
interactive_point.6 = 0.4, -4, -6, 6.2, 2, 0, 0, -90, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
interactive_point.7 = 0.4, -4, 6, 6.2, 2, 0, 0, 90, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
interactive_point.8 = 0, 36.3, 10.78, -5.18, 4, 0, 0, 45, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
interactive_point.9 = 0, 0, -54.59, -7.57, 3, 0, 0, -90, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0

 

[Minimike1988]

Hey guys, just an update and a thank you for all the advice, but I managed to get the bay doors working with the landing light inputs in mcx (seen in picture). It's not a perfect solution and I'm going to keep look to see if I can attach them to better animation but it works for now.

The same process can be done with opening doors/exits however unless I wanted to attach them to the landing gear animation I havent got a way for them to be functional with a different input. So I've left them off but I wasn't sure if I could add code for a open canopy function and attach it to that. Again still working on it but thank you again all your help, I wouldn't have got this far without it.

Please feel free to post any other ideas that might offer a better solution,

 

[degorap]

there is a simvar for that:

CANOPY OPEN

Percent primary door/exit open

Percent Over 100

Try using the exported code, but replacing EXIT OPEN with this simvar.

 

[Minimike1988]

there is a simvar for that:

CANOPY OPEN

Percent primary door/exit open

Percent Over 100

Try using the exported code, but replacing EXIT OPEN with this simvar.

@degorap thats what I was thinking after you mentioned it earlier in this thread. However I belive I will still need to set a key binding to use the animation as all the aircraft that have a canopy that open and closes uses a leaver or switch to activate and I've looked through the key

 

[degorap]

Sure you should bind a key, but wasn't that the idea?

 

[Minimike1988]

Sure you should bind a key, but wasn't that the idea?

Oh yeah, I was just stating I'll still have to sort that part as it's also something I need to figure out to do haha as there isn't a shortcut key already for opening the canopy in msfs otherwise I don't know If changing that will have worked.