MCX for MSFS aircraft texture verification?

[TBryson2]

Historically I’ve used MCX to test the integrity of aircraft textures prior to viewing them in FSX or P3D.

is there a way to do this for MSFS? I can load the model, but it does not know where to find the textures since the are in the community directory.

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

TB2

 

[arno]

Hi,

If the livery is a separate package MCX can not show them indeed. I haven't found a way yet to identify which packages belong together.

 

[GaryGB]

Historically I’ve used MCX to test the integrity of aircraft textures prior to viewing them in FSX or P3D.

is there a way to do this for MSFS?

I can load the model, but it does not know where to find the textures since the(y) are in the community directory.

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

TB2

I would also prefer to make increasingly full use of MCX in the future with my MSFS projects as I do now with legacy FS tasks.

Perhaps this work-around may help the OP until Arno further updates MCX for more common MSFS texture folder paths:


In the relatively rare event that a MSFS default aircraft does not contain its own \Texture sub-folder ex:

[MSFS-2020_Packages_install path]\Official\OneStore\asobo-aircraft-c152\SimObjects\Airplanes\Asobo_C152\TEXTURE\CESSA152_AIRFRAME_DECALS_ALBD.PNG.DDS


...one may quickly find the path to a mapped texture listed by name in MCX > Material Editor via:

Everything - voidtools

www.voidtools.com

Add path(s) to texture folder(s) of aircraft repaints with mapped texture Material names listed in MCX > Material Editor via:

MCX > Options > Texture Settings > Texture Search Path [...] button > Search Path Editor > Add path... > Browse / Select: Texture folder > [OK] button


NOTE: Because the asobo-aircraft-c152 has its own folder chain with a \Texture sub-folder, even if I copy it to the \Packages\Community folder chain, MCX is able to find and load all mapped textures.


FYI: Another option to consider for MSFS repaint tasks (especially since the OP has endeavored to utilize Blender for FS Development in the past), is:

GitHub - bestdani/msfs2blend: Import Microsoft Flight Simulator (FS2020) Models in Blender

Import Microsoft Flight Simulator (FS2020) Models in Blender - bestdani/msfs2blend

github.com

GaryGB

 

[=rk=]

In the same way MCX can access compiled model files and their associated textures, directly from the default game directory, any repaint viewer is expected to do.
If you read this message carefully, you can see this exactly what TB2 is trying to do.

Historically I’ve used MCX to test the integrity of aircraft textures prior to viewing them in FSX or P3D.

is there a way to do this for MSFS? I can load the model, but it does not know where to find the textures since the are in the community directory.

Blender is not capable of importing native MSFS game ready assets, which is the role of a repaint viewer.

 

[GaryGB]

Yet another option for the OP to consider when making MSFS "repaints" is creation of a new MSFS "livery":

MSFS - [GUIDE] Creating Livery Packages for MSFS

Creating Livery Packages GONE are the days where the end user had to modify the aircraft.cfg and carefully renumber the FLTSIM.X record, Asobo have created a truly wonderful way to package liveries as a VARIATION. And it’s really easy to do. Create a folder called: myname-livery-livername...

www.fsdeveloper.com

Some pertinent considerations and caveats are also discussed in this AVSIM thread:

Liveries are now easier for Addon Makers to Create

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/guide-creating-livery-packages-for-msfs.448795/ This is great news. No longer need to edit, or copy the original planes aircraft.cfg file. Each livery can have its own, and then point to the original aircraft.cfg

www.avsim.com

GaryGB

 

[arno]

Question for you all. When MSFS loads all packages they are put in some combined structure so that the parent model of the livery can be found. How should MCX do this based on the content of the official and community folders?

 

[=rk=]

Simply put, MCX would have to parse the .XML files. IMO, nothing is fundamentally different from previous versions, but is controlled more specifically with the various .json, .xml and other format data files.

EDIT:

For texture files alone, I believe it would be just a matter of interpreting the MSFS syntax of the otherwise same formatted .cfg file.

 

[arno]

I don't believe it is that simple. Let's take the default C208 as example. In one of the liveries I see the aircraft.cfg contains a reference to the base container:

[VARIATION]
base_container = "..\Asobo_208B_GRAND_CARAVAN_EX"

That CFG file is located at:

C:\MSFS\Official\OneStore\asobo-aircraft-208b-grand-caravan-ex-livery-emerald\SimObjects\Airplanes\Asobo_208B_GRAND_CARAVAN_EX_Livery_Emerald

But the base container is located at:

C:\MSFS\Official\OneStore\asobo-aircraft-208b-grand-caravan-ex\SimObjects\Airplanes\Asobo_208B_GRAND_CARAVAN_EX

So the relative path in the aircraft.cfg file is not valid, until MSFS "installs" all packages in a merge folder (which is probably what it does internally on the fly). And this gets more complex of course if the livery is in the community folder, while the base container is in the official folder.

The only robust way I see if to let MCX parse all packages, but I think that is a very crude and slow way to get around this. And therefore I have hesitated to implement it for now.

 

[TBryson2]

Thanks for all of the replies, Arno, you gave the answer I was looking for, "no". (at least for now).

I've already successfully textured aircraft and placed them in MSFS, but I will say it was a battle, one I haven't entirely won yet.

GaryGB, I used those procedures to implement my texturing, and it (sort of) works. I've been texturing, modeling and successfully placing models in FSX and P3D for decades, and the way it used to be done was straightforward. I simply cannot wrap my head around how it's being done now! I struggle a lot on attempting to figure out WHY some things work, and others don't.

I was looking for a way to circumvent having to launch MSFS every time I make a tweak or adjustment to see if it works or not. When it comes to the model, and figuring out the texturing on it I've come up with a pretty slick way of doing things that some of the videos totally miss! It involves more work, but a better product after it's all said and done (in my opinion).

I'm struggling with getting the texture working in the sim and was hoping MCX would be another shortcut.

Thanks again all!

TB2

 

[TBryson2]

ALSO,

GaryGB, thanks for the suggestions above. I'll have to digest them a bit more later as I'm burned out for the day! LOL!

TB2

 

[=rk=]

I don't believe it is that simple. Let's take the default C208 as example. In one of the liveries I see the aircraft.cfg contains a reference to the base container:

[VARIATION]
base_container = "..\Asobo_208B_GRAND_CARAVAN_EX"

That CFG file is located at:

C:\MSFS\Official\OneStore\asobo-aircraft-208b-grand-caravan-ex-livery-emerald\SimObjects\Airplanes\Asobo_208B_GRAND_CARAVAN_EX_Livery_Emerald

But the base container is located at:

C:\MSFS\Official\OneStore\asobo-aircraft-208b-grand-caravan-ex\SimObjects\Airplanes\Asobo_208B_GRAND_CARAVAN_EX

So the relative path in the aircraft.cfg file is not valid, until MSFS "installs" all packages in a merge folder (which is probably what it does internally on the fly). And this gets more complex of course if the livery is in the community folder, while the base container is in the official folder.

The only robust way I see if to let MCX parse all packages, but I think that is a very crude and slow way to get around this. And therefore I have hesitated to implement it for now.

In the case of viewing any given airplane repaint livery, the MSFS schema places those into the Community folder. To view a livery, one could navigate to that folder, within which MCX cold find everything needed to load that particular model/texture combination. In fact, all addon content is in Community folder, all official content resides in OneStore. MCX would really only have to index the Community folder, to search for any addon liveries, because all official variants will reside within the OneStore.

In the example quoted above, the livery .cfg, is adequate for locating everything necessary to load that livery for viewing in MCX.

Don's AI Flight Plan Editor, scans the entirety of the MSFS install upon startup. I believe he has reconfigured it to cache that scanned data with a requirement to manually initiate a rescan upon changes, to save users the wait and to me this does not seem too technical a requirement, for people that are editing a flight simulator.

Finally, a slightly more technical requirement, would allow all users to view all liveries in MCX, just as MCX stands now. All that is required, is that the user create a folder, place into it a copy of the model they are working with and the textures they are working with. Navigate to that and open with MCX.

 

[TBryson2]

I cannot access Don's AI Flight Plan Editor. It says it's "private".

I'm considering making a directory and sub-directories that emulate P3D and place the model and textures in that fashion and see if MCX will load it properly. Not sure it will, but I can edit the aircraft.cfg file etc. to treat it as a P3D aircraft.

TB2

 

[=rk=]

We kind of have two conversations going, but thanks for sharing your post, so we can try to help Arno configure MCX to be even more useful developing for MSFS.

AI Fight Plan Editor is freeware and always has been. A “private” warning that prevents access, was not implemented by Don, it is a mistake, or perhaps improperly configured security software. However, it will not facilitate viewing liveries, it was offered as an example to Arno, apologies for any misunderstanding.

As to *your intention to use MCX for MSFS liveries, you can simply copy the model to the texture folder, navigate MCX there to have it open the model with all textures, or put both model and textures into a unique folder, navigate MCX there to have it open the model with all textures.

 

[TBryson2]

I was wondering if that could be done. I'll experiment with it as soon as I can.

Thanks for all of the inputs!

TB2

 

[arno]

Hi Rick,

In the example quoted above, the livery .cfg, is adequate for locating everything necessary to load that livery for viewing in MCX.

No, that is not true. The relative path in the livery does not point to the actual base package. It points to a non-existing folder and MCX (or any other tool) would first have to parse all packages present to know inside which other package it is referring.

Don's AI Flight Plan Editor, scans the entirety of the MSFS install upon startup. I believe he has reconfigured it to cache that scanned data with a requirement to manually initiate a rescan upon changes, to save users the wait and to me this does not seem too technical a requirement, for people that are editing a flight simulator.

That is the main point indeed. To be able to work with the various packages everything would have to be scanned. And that is not how MCX works for FSX and P3D, for those sims you can simply follow the references to find the right files. I would have to check how much performance that costs.

I do not intend to let MCX scan at startup already, since many people also use the tool to do other conversions that have nothing to do with MSFS. Then it would be a waste to scan the MSFS folder each time,

I guess I need to do some testing to see what the performance hit of this is, although it will depends on the number of packages as well. And I guess it gets even more complex when a livery in community refers to a base package in the official folder.

 

[TBryson2]

Ok, been experimenting. Will post my results here for future reference or to help some other poor wayward soul.

You CAN use MCX, BUT there are some things you need to do, AND it's really only good for viewing the end result, or while your editing your textures. In that manner, it could save some time and frustration.

I created a folder much like the P3D / FSX folders from SimObjects \ Aircraft. Within the folder I have a "model" folder and a "texture" folder as well as a "aircraft.cfg" file. (Actually, I just copied the J3 Cubs folders and renamed them.)

Using Blender, I then took a MSFS model which I stripped down to it's bare skin and ONLY the items I wanted textured. I used Blender to create that model and overwrote the J3 Cub's model with the new one.

Then I did the same for the texture by replacing the original J3's texture with mine. (I'm only modifying one at the moment). I did NOTHING with the "aircraft.cfg" file since it automatically points to the "texture" folder I'm using.

You MUST flip the MSFS dds texture upside down, as P3D / FSX required them to be "upside down" and MSFS does not.

Now I'm able to verify the integrity of the texture as I create it. And I can use the "refresh" button to check it quickly.

ONE OTHER NOTE,

I did figure a way to use Blender to do the same thing, but it's a bit more of a hassle. Only real benefit is that you can see the faces and where that texture is actually going on the model.

TB2