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FSXA MCX - XToMdl.exe - Export Failures - Target Folder Names -

BASys

BASys

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scotland
Hi Arno

A belated bug report.

Whilst my main PC was busy doing other things,
I began using my secondary PC
to convert a set of FS8/9 models to FSX compliant.


TASK OVERVIEW -
As there were a large number of models to convert,
and each required multiple actions during the conversion process,
I thought it easiest to create a structured set of target folders, for each stage in the process.

i.e.
N.B - For simplicity, folder names below are dummy place holders.
- Folder A - perform individual action X on every model, saving outputs to folder B
- Folder B - perform individual action Y on every model, saving outputs to folder C
- Folder C - perform individual action Z on every model, saving outputs to folder D
etc.
etc.


TASK RESULT -
On performing the initial task, (new GUID, and new internal model name),
I was surprised to receive an error on each model conversion attempted.
error : System.FormatException: Guid should contain 32 digits with 4 dashes

The GUIDs were valid, and of appropriate type, (created with GUIDgen in registry format).

I then tried exporting several to a differently named target folder,
and all converted successfully.

Only difference had been the differently named target folder.




TEST OVERVIEW -
I then performed a test on a series of differently named target folders -

Using the then latest MCX version,
I performed tasks on a tiny simple primitive model, (for speed).

SOURCE - FOLDERNAME\FILENAME -
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\01_Source\Test_Cube_Fuschia_10_MM.MDL



TEST ACTIONS -
Launch MCX
Load model
Apply new GUID
Export object to a pre-existing different destination folder.
Close MCX

Repeat TEST ACTIONS for a different destination folder.



TEST RESULTS -
Results below are grouped by - FOLDERNAME - FAILURES, and FOLDERNAME - SUCCESSES.



TEST TARGET - FOLDERNAME - FAILURES -
Errors were either -
- System.FormatException: Guid should contain 32 digits with 4 dashes
or -
- System.FormatException: Input string was not in a correct format.

I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\02_GUID_LOD_1\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\02_LOD_\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\02_LOD_1\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\02_LOD_LOD\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\02_LOD_LOD_1\



TEST TARGET - FOLDERNAME - SUCCESSES -
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\02_GUID\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\02_LOD\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\02_NEW_FOLDER\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\03_Library_Named\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\12345678901234567890\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\1234567890_1234567890\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\1234567890_1234567890_1234567890_1234567890\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\1234567890_1234567890_1234567890_1234567890_1234567890_1234567890\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\LOD_1\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\New folder\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\01_Source\ (source folder, but exported to different filename)



TEST DATA -
I've attached a zipped folder structure containing -
- source model and target folders, with their output files.
- a single text file containing error log data from each attempt.



Don't know if issue lies within MCX
or in XToMdl.exe itself, (not seperately tested).

Just guessing it might be a parameter passing issue.
Might apply to other exporters.



Thanks for all the great work.

HTH
ATB
Paul
 

Attachments

  • !_Test_MCX_Export_Failures_Target_Folder_Names.zip
    126.2 KB · Views: 152
Hi Paul,

Can you see if the error comes from xtomdl or MCX?
 
Hi Arno

I've attached the MCX logs from the test.

HTH
ATB
Paul
 

Attachments

  • MCX_LOG_Export_Failures_Target_Folder_Names.txt
    30.4 KB · Views: 194
Thanks, they come from xtomdl. Question is if I make a mistake when writing the X file or that it's just the name of the folder that the X file is in.
 
Hi Arno

I've compared all the .X files,
and they are identical (excepting creation date).



I then compared the .XML files.

FOLDERNAME - SUCCESSES - All were as expected.



FOLDERNAME - FAILURES -

3/5 fails -
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\02_GUID_LOD_1\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\02_LOD_LOD_1\
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\02_LOD_1\

Only produced -
Code: 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<FSData version = "10.0">
    <FSModelData version = "9.175">
        <Header>
            <CreationDate>10/09/2019 00:00:00</CreationDate>
            <ModelVersion>10.0</ModelVersion>
            <FriendlyName></FriendlyName>
            <ModelGuid></ModelGuid>
        </Header>
        <ShadowMapReady>FALSE</ShadowMapReady>
    </FSModelData>
</FSData>


2/5 fails -
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\02_LOD_
I:\!_Test_MCX\99_Test_Cubes\02_LOD_LOD\

Produce NO XML at all.



HTH
ATB
Paul
 
This might be dumb but each folder failure is '_LOD_'

that is to say LOD surrounded with an underscore.
 
I think xtomdl indeed does something special in that case. Just like some part names have a special meaning. So I think you should just name your folders different.
 
Hi Folks

Yep, understood that _LOD_ was causing an issue,
but thought it an MCX parameter passing related issue.

Whilst _LOD_ is not an XtoMDL command line reserved word,
are there any other special meaning names I should avoid ?

Many thanks
ATB
Paul
 
Last edited:
Hi Paul,

I think it is some kind of bug in XtoMDL. _LOD_ is a special name when used in part names, but it seems like XtoMDL gets confused when it is in the path name as well. Maybe that also applies to other special part names, but in FSX there are not so many of those compared to FS2004. So I would not worry too much.
 
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