FS2004 GMax ... beginner

[dva51]

Hallo to everyboby, simmers and developers

I'm getting approach GMax with some difficulties but, as I want to go on learning, I would like to find some kind TEACHERS that can help me to understand.
A would have "million questions"... but i just put only the first on the table, hoping to find an answer:
After building two box solids I applied two different textures, as indicated in the enclosed printscreen, and saved the file
Then I exported the model, but when I load for check with ModelConverterX (see printscreen) there are textures only in the first solid and nothing in the second.
Is there somebody that can indicate me where is the mistake?
many thanks in advance to the gentlemen who will answer me

bye
Aldo, italian simmer

 

[bob5568]

make sure you have the right size for your texture, must be factors of 2, such as 256x256, or 256x1024...etc.

I assume you have UVW coords for both, as boxes inherently do.

 

[tgibson]

What format is the second texture? MCX will not read PSD files, for example.

 

[dva51]

GMax

Thanks Bob and Tom
with your advices and some more attempt, I had at last a first release of my first model (as per following screen): of course, it is not a marterpiece, but I like to improve it.
For istance, I did not understand how to obtain "trapeziform" shapes on the two lateral structures.
How is the function to use?

Thanks in advance
aldo

 

[JRobinson]

You could put an Edit Mesh on the stack then in polygon mode, select the top 4 vertices and scale them inward a bit. ...or you could select 2 at a time and 'move' them if that makes it easier to fit the texture.

Jim

 

[bob5568]

Its hard to teach remotely, no way to know how well you understand the gmax user interface.

Did the advice from "JRobinson" make sense to you?

The idea of editing the location and other details too of vertices (points), edges (lines), and polygons (planes) is available from the submenues for the Modes of operation call Edit Poly, Edit Mesh. You can see the command to convert to these modes for a given object if you select that object and rightclick. Its also available in the drop down box as you see the "stack" on the right hand side of the screen.

JRobinson suggested EditMesh....a perfectly good solution. I also enjoy using EditPoly for this purpose...each has their advantage/disadvantage.

With EditPoly, wireframe depiction of the object is simpler, you don't see every triangle's edges. EditPoly also includes a handy tool, call "border" as a suboption...click on border and a complete set of edges surrounding an opening is selected, permitting you to use "cap" to cap it...so if you had an open cylinder, this works great.

EditMesh works best for welding vertices, and includes its own slick capability, such as cloning and dragging edges as a modelling technique.

I suggest to anyone wanting to learn gmax, to either buy a book or use online tutorials until you get comfortable with the basic gui and tools. Then, applying it to fs is far less stressful.

You've made a great start from the screenshot...good luck.

 

[dva51]

Its hard to teach remotely, no way to know how well you understand the gmax user interface.

Did the advice from "JRobinson" make sense to you?

The idea of editing the location and other details too of vertices (points), edges (lines), and polygons (planes) is available from the submenues for the Modes of operation call Edit Poly, Edit Mesh. You can see the command to convert to these modes for a given object if you select that object and rightclick. Its also available in the drop down box as you see the "stack" on the right hand side of the screen.

JRobinson suggested EditMesh....a perfectly good solution. I also enjoy using EditPoly for this purpose...each has their advantage/disadvantage.

With EditPoly, wireframe depiction of the object is simpler, you don't see every triangle's edges. EditPoly also includes a handy tool, call "border" as a suboption...click on border and a complete set of edges surrounding an opening is selected, permitting you to use "cap" to cap it...so if you had an open cylinder, this works great.

EditMesh works best for welding vertices, and includes its own slick capability, such as cloning and dragging edges as a modelling technique.

I suggest to anyone wanting to learn gmax, to either buy a book or use online tutorials until you get comfortable with the basic gui and tools. Then, applying it to fs is far less stressful.

You've made a great start from the screenshot...good luck.

I thank very much all the friends
Tom, Jim and Bob that gave me helps and suggestion,
but the best thanks if for Renato (VoloVirtulaleTorino)
that supported me nicely with youtube
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffFJLgMJ0CA.).
On the following the actual status (Puente de Portugalete)
bye and thanks again
Aldo

 

[JRobinson]

Did the advice from "JRobinson" make sense to you?

I doubt it did make any sense actually, my advice was probably more of a hinderence than a help when I said:

"You could put an Edit Mesh on the stack then in polygon mode, select the top 4 vertices and scale them inward a bit..."


...and I should have said:
"You could put an Edit Mesh on the stack then in [strike]polygon[/strike] vertex mode, select the top 4 vertices and scale them inward a bit..."


My apologies if I caused any confusion, I meant well . Anyway, it looks like you got the job done. Congrats, it looks good!

Jim

 

[dva51]

I thank very much all the friends
Tom, Jim and Bob that gave me helps and suggestion,
but the best thanks if for Renato (VoloVirtulaleTorino)
that supported me nicely with youtube
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffFJLgMJ0CA.).
On the following the actual status (Puente de Portugalete)
bye and thanks again
Aldo

Hi developers
I would ask to anybody a suggestion for two things I would add to my first GMax model (see picture), as:
- how to have crash by impact with the model: flying vs the model now, the aircraft pass through it without any crash !?
- I'd like to add a movement to some solids within the model (i/e wired cabinet) going head/back to the stations: which one is the function to use for it?
thanks a lot for your suggestions
Aldo

 

[dva51]

Hi developers
I would ask to anybody a suggestion for two things I would add to my first GMax model (see picture), as:
- how to have crash by impact with the model: flying vs the model now, the aircraft pass through it without any crash !?
- I'd like to add a movement to some solids within the model (i/e wired cabinet) going head/back to the stations: which one is the function to use for it?
thanks a lot for your suggestions
Aldo

ops: missed picture

 

[tgibson]

For the crash problem for FS9 I use a file called makemdl.cfg (in the plugins folder next to MakeMDL.exe): Mine contains:

[Settings]
LastDir=C:\FS\GMax\Scenes

[Options]
Crash=0
Keep=0



You will want to set yours to Crash=1

I assume the FSX compiler has something similar.

For animations we would also need to know if this is for FS9 or FSX.

Hope this helps,

 

[n4gix]

ops: missed picture

That's a very nice looking model. I remember seeing that in the movie "Billy Elliot" some years ago.

 

[dva51]

For the crash problem for FS9 I use a file called makemdl.cfg (in the plugins folder next to MakeMDL.exe): Mine contains:

[Settings]
LastDir=C:\FS\GMax\Scenes

[Options]
Crash=0
Keep=0

You will want to set yours to Crash=1
I assume the FSX compiler has something similar.
For animations we would also need to know if this is for FS9 or FSX.
Hope this helps,

Thanks tgibson,
for FS9 crash I tryied to follow you, and I have:
- modified the makemdl.cfg (original did not have any [Options]) adding
[Options]
Crash=1
Keep=0
- opened the previous gmax object
- exported overwritting the previous mdl
- recompiled the scenery sintax, including the XML unicode changed
- substituted the bgl in Addon Scenery folder ...

but any crash appears: I did not understand where I made the mistacke
thanks in advance for a reply
Aldo

 

[tgibson]

Are you changing the scale when you add the object to FS? (i.e. making the object larger). The crash detection does NOT scale, and thus may be much smaller.

Hope this helps,

 

[dva51]

Are you changing the scale when you add the object to FS? (i.e. making the object larger). The crash detection does NOT scale, and thus may be much smaller.

Hope this helps,

Hi Tom
you are completely right! I revised the size to 1.0 and the crash is activated
... but it means I should revise the GMax model? Are there any other possibilities if size greater than 1?
thanks in advance for your help
Aldo

 

[tgibson]

I haven't found one...

Yes, revise the GMAX model so you place it at Scale = 1.0

 

[dva51]

I haven't found one...

Yes, revise the GMAX model so you place it at Scale = 1.0

thanks tgibson
I'll do that
bye
Aldo