Latest MCX version.

[arno]

I found the configure dialog with info as to where all my sims are located. It wanted to use the ship2vec.exe from a non installed FSX program so I pointed it to my P3DV5 SDK where this file was located and
that made it happy.
With 1.7 I use to export the bgl to a scenery and it would remember where it came from. The export to scenery in this new 1.8 seems to want to place the file in my P3d scenery or so it seems.

In the export scenery dialog you need to select the correct BGL format. You selected flatten BGL, but you want the P3D v4.4 BGL I assume given that you use P3D v5. The flatten BGL uses shp2vec, but the normal BGL uses bglcomp. It's just a matter of selecting the correct format for what you want to export.

 

[Butch1]

Hi Butch:

We are fortunate to have any version of MCX made available by Arno, who is more over-committed than many of us here; thus the occasional typo:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/download-modelconverterx.14215/


"This thread will contain all information about where the download ModelConverterX. There are two versions available, version 1.6 is the stable release, while version 1.7 is the development release.

Stable release

The stable release is intended for users who want a well tested version of the tool.

Download latest stable release: ModelConverterX 1.7

The manual is included in the ZIP file of the tool.

Development release

The development release is updated automatically every night based on the improvements I have made. This means that you will always be able to benefit for the latest features and bug fixes. The downside of this is that this version has not been tested properly yet, so it will be more buggy. If that does not bother you, please feel free to try this version.

Get more information about the latest development release. Here you find the changes and find the download link. You can also download this version directly from the download section.

The latest (aka"Development") version 1.8x of MCX download is here:

https://www.scenerydesign.org/latest-release/modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip


The latest .NET 8.x (X-64 aka "64-Bit") Runtime download is here:

https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/.../runtime-desktop-8.0.19-windows-x64-installer


Be aware that there 'may' be other optional Windows components that you require in order to run MCX 1.8x (...if they are not already installed).

If this does not get you up and running in MCX version 1.8, please report back here again.

GaryGB

I made a new shortcut for 1.8 and it opened up but the manual is not opening from within MCX. I can for now access manual from the folder it is in.
I copied and paste all files for 1.8 over 1.7 and files were either replaced or added.

 

[arno]

The opening of the manual was a bug indeed, I have fixed that now. Next development release will open it correctly again.

 

[GaryGB]

Arno:

IIRC, we used to be advised to create a new folder for new builds of MCX, although we could with some verion updates "get away with" over-writing existing MCX installation folders.

I still always create a new folder for each new Development release of MCX just to "play it safe".

Should we continue to create a new folder for each new Development build of MCX (even though AFAIK, MCX 'configuration settings' for all such installations are stored within (1) common folder in a Windows 'protected system folder chain' location) ?

Thanks for your further advisement in this matter.

GaryGB

 

[arno]

Hi Gary,

I think it is better to install a new version in a clean folder. Each version contains all files that are needed in the ZIP, so it does not rely on elements from older versions. And sometimes I also remove certain dependencies, installing over an old version might result in unneeded files still to be present.

 

[Butch1]

I upgraded to V1.8.25 and When I open a mdl (p3DV5) mdl every model is below the ground. Is that the desired outcome? I have to raise it up so that I can view the entire mdl image,
I didn't have this issue in previous version. What adjustment can I make so that no mdl will be submerged like this?

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Butch:

MCX V1.8.25 seems to have inherited an old setting from an existing prior version install of MCX.

Did MCX V1.8.25 install into an existing prior version install of MCX ?


You may recall you had previously implemented some Z-Axis Transforms to MDL Datum display position in MCX.

Your "new" MCX V1.8.25 seems to be displaying 3D models at an 'offset' of their original MDL Datum position in MCX Preview.

AFAIK, MCX' Ground Plane object (with or without a Grid) is always positioned at the 0,0,0 center of the MCX 3D Preview.


I do not recall that we have the option to move that MCX Ground Plane from its assigned position.

Thus, IIUC, you may have a 'retained' Transform object editor Z-axis setting, that needs to be reset to default 0,0,0 in MCX


You may wish to RTFM in MCX' PDF Manual: 6.12 Transform object editor to see if any Transforms need to be reset.



But I may be mistaken, as it may be that the MCX Ground Plane by default extends out from any object's 0,0,0 datum position.

IIRC, Arno stated that for aircraft, the Center of Gravity is the 0,0,0 Datum for aircraft.


For a scenery object, or static aircraft (also a scenery library object), the Center of its base is the 0,0,0 Datum.

Otherwise, turn off the Ground Plane display with the Green icon on the Toolbar.


Arno will be best qualified to advise you on this as author of MCX, and due to his insight on your prior discussion here:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...i-aircraft-p3d-v5-4.460320/page-2#post-936304


Arno:

Are settings in MCX Transform object editor implemented for each imported MDL separately (and not 'retained') ?

GaryGB

 

[arno]

For aircraft model that have been designed as flyable or AI models the most common origin is near the center of gravity. So in that case it is quite normal that they are partly under the ground when placed as scenery.

With the trnaslate object tool you can move it indeed. This is an operation you need to perform manually. MCX has no automatic logic for (never had either).

 

[Butch1]

Hi Butch:

MCX V1.8.25 seems to have inherited an old setting from an existing prior version install of MCX.

Did MCX V1.8.25 install into an existing prior version install of MCX ?

I first deleted the older version then copy/paste newer version.

BTW, the move object feature, I find that first untick the ignore Z box then click on snap to ground will reveal a "Z" value then I click on move button and the plane
will raise up as shown in 2nd screen grab.

After preforming above tasks, and the green grass turned off, I wonder if this planes wheels are at proper height on runway?

After preforming all tasks mentions above, and turning on the green grass this is result. Which makes me wonder if I were to export this and load into P3D would the aircraft be elevate above
the runway ( I experienced this before).

So I guess if I want to just preview the model that I turn off the green grass and the view of below the grass will not be so obvious, otherwise if left on (green grass) then all models will appear
to be below ground as any and all mdls will appear below grass (if turned on) and if turned off - the imaged has less relative position to ground and is not so obvious it appears below ground.
As I mentioned earlier, I don't recollect this issue with previous versions, (it may of been that way before, but I don't recall this issue).

 

[GaryGB]

I first deleted the older version then copy/paste newer version.

BTW, the move object feature, I find that first untick the ignore Z box then click on snap to ground will reveal a "Z" value then I click on move button and the plane will raise up as shown in 2nd screen grab.

After preforming above tasks, and the green grass turned off, I wonder if this planes wheels are at proper height on runway?

After preforming all tasks mentions above, and turning on the green grass this is result. Which makes me wonder if I were to export this and load into P3D would the aircraft be elevate above the runway ( I experienced this before).

The only way to test the results of your MDL re-positioning in MCX is to compile the 3D model into a place-able P3D scenery library object.

MCX' default in SDK BGLComp placement XML for AltitudeIsAGL and its Altitude assigned for placement is 0 Meters AGL to show any offset.

I suggest fixing any offset within MCX using the MCX Transform object editor to move the aircraft so its wheels just touch the ground with no more than a 1-inch overlap.

Otherwise, you can decompile MCX' hybrid object-with-placement scenery BGL.

Then you can edit its XML so AltitudeIsAGL=False and set the aircraft placement Altitude manually at ? Meters AMSL (or "+" ? Meters AGL).

Either way you must test the position P3D renders the compiled scenery object at to be certain where it shows up relative to local ground.

GaryGB

 

[Butch1]

For aircraft model that have been designed as flyable or AI models the most common origin is near the center of gravity. So in that case it is quite normal that they are partly under the ground when placed as scenery.

With the trnaslate object tool you can move it indeed. This is an operation you need to perform manually. MCX has no automatic logic for (never had either).

This is a flyable model, and I was not importing or exporting anything, all I did was find and opened the mdl and the preview of the model appeared sunk below grass.

 

[GaryGB]

This is a flyable model, and I was not importing or exporting anything, all I did was find and opened the mdl and the preview of the model appeared sunk below grass.

OK, so now you know how MCX renders an out-of-the-box fly-able P3D aircraft; was there something more you want to do with it in MCX ?

GaryGB

 

[Butch1]

OK, so now you know how MCX renders an out-of-the-box fly-able P3D aircraft; was there something more you want to do with it in MCX ?

GaryGB

No nothing more.....I had concerns about how the preview screen will render the model I have shown here appears sunk below ground (green grass) and just wanted to know if is a normal preview (sunk in ground) and that is pretty much our show.........to the best of my memory, I do not remember this happening in previous versions, but then again I never had the green grass turned on either.

 

[tgibson]

I’ve never seen this either. Just because part of the plane is below the reference point, that doesn’t mean it should covered up by the ground plane? Normally that is transparent?

 

[GaryGB]

Indeed; being able to control color and transparency / opacity of the Ground Plane would likely prove to be quite a useful enhancement in MCX.

Previously AFAIK, the MCX Ground Plane has been opaque and Green.

IIRC, a few things were enabled in MCX' 3D preview in the newest version 1.8x that I do not seem to recall seeing in prior versions.

Moving some of the feature shortcut icons to a left side toolbar and making them larger was certainly a welcome change in MCX.

More to come ...as I dig for Options that "used" to be accessible (and now are gone ? ) in MCX v1.8x' feature-specific "Options" dialogs.

GaryGB

 

[Butch1]

Also, in MCX V1.8 the PDF manual will not open, have to go to folder where it is and then open it,

 

[arno]

Opening the manual should have been fixed recently.

For the ground polygon you can set the color in the options. Making it partly transparent is possible by setting an alpha value for the color.

The snap to ground functions moves the aircraft up so that everything is above the ground. But that does not guarantee the wheels are on the ground, you might have to pitch the model a bit for that as well.

 

[Butch1]

Opening the manual should have been fixed recently.

For the ground polygon you can set the color in the options. Making it partly transparent is possible by setting an alpha value for the color.

The snap to ground functions moves the aircraft up so that everything is above the ground. But that does not guarantee the wheels are on the ground, you might have to pitch the model a bit for that as well.

Is the fix in a new development release? Where can I find it? Thanks.

 

[arno]

I made that fix on the 11th of October, so if you downloaded the development release after that you should have it.

 

[GaryGB]

Is the fix in a new development release? Where can I find it? Thanks.

All will be revealed if you navigate this sequence of website URLs:

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/download-modelconverterx.14215/

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

https://www.scenerydesign.org/latest-release/modelconverterx_latest_development_release.zip


Arno:

Does Butch install MCX' DevRel ZIP into its own new folder on a drive letter, or ...over-write his existing MCX v1.8x folder chain ?

Thanks.

GaryGB