FSXA How to export Animated Flag?

[Dayou]

Hi guys,

I followed a tutorial in Youtube about making an animated flag with 3ds Max using Cloth modifier and wind.

After making the animated flag in 3ds Max, I called it "tick18_AnimFlag" and used the FSX Animation Manager Tool to create the animation. Then I exported my flag to tick18_AnimFlag.X file and checked "Export Animation" CheckBox.

After exported my Flag into FSX, I didn't see any animation in the flag as if I exported it without animation. It looks like a static flag.

Anybody knows what's the problem here? Please Help!

 

[tgibson]

Describe how you compiled the X file.

 

[Dayou]

I exported my flag named "tick18_AnimFlag" in 3ds max to tick18_AnimFlag.X and checked "Export Animation". Then I used a batch command to convert the X file into MDL as the following:

XToMdl.exe tick18_AnimFlag.X /XANIM /DICT:C:"\Program Files (x86)\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D SDK 1.4.4747.0\Environment Kit\Modeling SDK\bin\modeldef.XML" > buildlog.txt

After that, I placed my MDL with XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<FSData version="9.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="bglcomp.xsd">

<ModelData sourceFile="tick18_AnimFlag.mdl" />

<SceneryObject
   lat="36.2750003859401"
   lon="6.62200927734375"
   alt="705.915"
   pitch="0"
   bank="0"
   heading="0"
   altitudeIsAgl="FALSE"
   imageComplexity="VERY_SPARSE">
   <LibraryObject
      name="{28b161e4-9dac-4871-8e62-7a101a943579}"
      scale="1"/>
</SceneryObject>
</FSData>

So, What could be causing the problem?

 

[Dayou]

Describe how you compiled the X file.

Should I make bones for the flag?

 

[jtanabodee]

You are exporting FSX animation not FS9 animation. So tick18_XXX is not required. You need to tag you animation with animation manager. Please see this thread. http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/animation-does-not-export.20241/
Then you will have X file and X anim file. You cannot drag it to Xto mdl.exe but you need to put a command line (which I am very stupid about command line). I do my trick and it works here http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/compile-by-using-short-cut.428983/#post-661807
You can use Brandon's tool http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/xtomdl-ui.432039/ which is very convenient to use.

 

[Dayou]

Thank you for your reply Tic,

OK I delete the prefix "tick18_" but the other steps are correct (Perhaps). I've done how you asked me to do exactly. Here are the steps I followed from A to Z:

Step1:

Step2:

Step3:

"Xanim file size is 1KB, is this normal?"

Then I used a batch file called "Animation" as you see in the previous picture, this is the code written inside it:

XToMdl.exe AnimFlag.X /XANIM /DICT:C:"\Program Files (x86)\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D SDK 1.4.4747.0\Environment Kit\Modeling SDK\bin\modeldef.XML" > buildlog.txt

It gives me AnimFlag.MDL as a result. However I don't see any animation neither if I load the MDL file to MCX nor if I place it directly to FSX by using Placement XML.

The result is a static flag in FSX and MCX too:

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[arno]

Hi,

How did you animate the flag? You can't animate individual vertices in FSX, you can only move or rotate an entire modelpart. I think you used a different type of animation.

In that case you would have to use skin and bone animations.

 

[Dayou]

Hi,

How did you animate the flag? You can't animate individual vertices in FSX, you can only move or rotate an entire modelpart. I think you used a different type of animation.

In that case you would have to use skin and bone animations.

Thank you for your reply Arno,

I mentioned at the beginning of the thread that I've followed a tutorial found in YouTube to make animation. This tutorial shows you how to animate the flag (plane at the beginning) using the Cloth Modifier and Wind, and after you configure your wind settings...etc, you push the button "Simulate" then "Create Keys". It'll give you an animation as a result. (As you can see in the picture of step 1 and 2, you can see the keys below in 3ds Max)

I think that the function of this type of animation is to: MOVE and ROTATE vertexes to give an animated flag, so I don't think that it requires bones? and since it has Keys, then it should Export normally?

Please take a quick look at this tutorial in YouTube because my explanation could be missing or wrong:

Do you have any solution?

 

[arno]

Hi,

I'm not a 3DS Max user, so I have no clue what the Cloth modifier does. But like I said before FS does NOT support animated vertices. You can only animate entire polygons/parts. So that's why your flag is not animated I think. For FS you will need to use skin and bones if you want to manipulate vertices.

 

[jtanabodee]

I agree with Arno. The tutorial is for 3dsmax (for animated film) but it is not for FSX.

 

[Dayou]

Thank you for replies Arno and Jtanabodee!

So this means that this technique can't be used in FSX. BTW: I've seen before animated flags and windsocks on FlyTampa Sydney Airport...
If you have any other ways to make animated flag, then Please let me know how to do that, or guide me through a thread or something like that!

Thank you so much for your replies anyways =D

 

[tgibson]

They already told you - skin and bones animation.