I am at a loss here. I created a model of a car by converting one of my 'aircraft' car models 'the lexus430' . Ok, the model works ok when I add the model to the airport in ADE. It loads up and shows normally. Now, I used MCX to edit the materials and used the 'black' textures (the car has several different texture sets each in it's own directory). I went in using MCX and changed the textures to the ones in the 'black' texture folder. everything looked good in MCX. I then saved the model in a different directory on my desktop. I checked the model by loading it into MCX and it looks right, the model is now a black car. Ok, now I added the new 'black' model to the model list in ADE, added the 'black' model to the airport, compiled the airport, loaded FSX ,but the car still shows up as a 'white' car. I removed the 'white' car from the airport and deleted its directory to make sure FSX or ADE wasn't reading the wrong directory or file. The white model no longer exists. I did create a .BGL file as well just to be sure. Still, the model shows up as a white car, it will not show up as the 'black' car which is what the model is. And yes, I did change the name and GUID for the model so it should load the new model, but it doesn't, it continues to load the 'white' model. I can't explain it or figure out why it is not loading the 'black' model. Could someone help me here? I have tried everything I can think of.
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FSX Model color not changing
- Thread starter Tomt478
- Start date
Update: I noticed that when I go in and change the "texture" file locations in MCX using the material editor, these changes are not getting saved in the exported .MDL file. The filenames are staying the same, but the location directories are not changing. They are staying at the default locations which is why the color isn't changing. The default car color is 'white'. I want to change the color to 'black' I want a BLACK model, not a WHITE model. It just plain out refuses to show a 'black' model. I can put the .MDL file into the "texture" folder and MCX will load the "black" textures, but when I try to add that model to ADE, it still shows up as a 'white' model. It's like it is only loading the 'white' textures from the 'white' texture folder instead of the textures from the 'black' texture folder. It is as if the model is permantly 'locked' to the 'white' texture folder and cannot be changed. Is this even possible ,that a model is permanently locked to a certain file or folder? It just makes no sense, you can alter the model in FSX just by changing the textures, but you can't do it in ADE and have the changes show up.
You may need to use a combination of MCX and SAMM to achieve your goal.
[EDITED]
SAMM can be downloaded here:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/resources/static-aircraft-mdl-maker.278/
https://web.archive.org/web/20220703052446mp_/http://stuff4fs.com/newpage.asp?Folder=SAMM
[END_EDIT]
As Don has departed (RIP), you may wish to study the documentation of those FS utilities first, to see how to select a "livery" for a user controlled / pilotable SimObject (in FS, a car is a type of 'Ground Vehicle').
IIRC, one must pre-configure the desired livery prior to processing a selected user pilotable SimObject in MCX and SAMM.
Otherwise, IIRC, in FS one can swap the texture files for a user pilotable SimObject, by ensuring the texture filenames match the mapped Material filenames in the MDL ...as can be seen in MCX Material Editor dialogs.
GaryGB
[EDITED]
SAMM can be downloaded here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220703052446mp_/http://stuff4fs.com/newpage.asp?Folder=SAMM
[END_EDIT]
As Don has departed (RIP), you may wish to study the documentation of those FS utilities first, to see how to select a "livery" for a user controlled / pilotable SimObject (in FS, a car is a type of 'Ground Vehicle').
IIRC, one must pre-configure the desired livery prior to processing a selected user pilotable SimObject in MCX and SAMM.
Otherwise, IIRC, in FS one can swap the texture files for a user pilotable SimObject, by ensuring the texture filenames match the mapped Material filenames in the MDL ...as can be seen in MCX Material Editor dialogs.
GaryGB
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I looked at that web address you have above, but there is no where there to download the program. I worked on this problem for hours, and never got anywhere, It always defaults to the WHITE textures reguardless of what I do. I cannot find a copy of SAMM anywhere. All I want to do is place the models as scenery objects, sounded so simple, but..as I have found out, NOTHING is simple in designing ,especially with FSX. Something that should take only a few minutes, usually winds up taking several hours or even several months to do.
Sorry Tom, I was on the road using a mobile phone browser, and had no way to test that link to see it was a redundant loop.
The last archived version of Don's web page for SAMM is available via Wayback Machine on the Internet Archive website:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220703052446mp_/http://stuff4fs.com/newpage.asp?Folder=SAMM
Either this link on that page: "Version 2.2.10.0"
https://web.archive.org/web/2022070...=Applications/SAMM&Function=Download&JS=False
...or the Left side menu link on that page to the "Development Release" will download the SAMM ZIP.
As to the Lexus 430 car, I could only find it here for a free non-registered download (unlike new requirements at flightsim.com):
https://www.allflightmods.com/microsoft-flight-simulator-x/fs2004-fsx-lexus-ls430/
My FS computers are being rebuilt, so I cannot test anything; perhaps this info may elicit help by another interested party ?
GaryGB
The last archived version of Don's web page for SAMM is available via Wayback Machine on the Internet Archive website:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220703052446mp_/http://stuff4fs.com/newpage.asp?Folder=SAMM
Either this link on that page: "Version 2.2.10.0"
https://web.archive.org/web/2022070...=Applications/SAMM&Function=Download&JS=False
...or the Left side menu link on that page to the "Development Release" will download the SAMM ZIP.
As to the Lexus 430 car, I could only find it here for a free non-registered download (unlike new requirements at flightsim.com):
https://www.allflightmods.com/microsoft-flight-simulator-x/fs2004-fsx-lexus-ls430/
My FS computers are being rebuilt, so I cannot test anything; perhaps this info may elicit help by another interested party ?
GaryGB
Last edited:
tgibson
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You cannot use separate livery directories for scenery objects as you can for aircraft. All folder information is lost in the conversion. What I did:
Create new black textures. Change their name (add a b to the file names, for example). This is only needed for the ones that actually change color.
Import the white object into MCX. Change all the file names to the b version. Export as an MDL or other object file type, giving it a new object file name (I.e. add _black to the file name).
Place this new object using ADE, and make sure the black textures are included in the texture folder alongside the scenery folder that contains the ADE BGL file (if added as an MDL file) or the library BGL file.
Hope this helps,
Create new black textures. Change their name (add a b to the file names, for example). This is only needed for the ones that actually change color.
Import the white object into MCX. Change all the file names to the b version. Export as an MDL or other object file type, giving it a new object file name (I.e. add _black to the file name).
Place this new object using ADE, and make sure the black textures are included in the texture folder alongside the scenery folder that contains the ADE BGL file (if added as an MDL file) or the library BGL file.
Hope this helps,
So let me get this right...I have to load the original 'white' model into MCX, then copy all of the 'black' textures to the "texture" folder where the model is located. then change all the filenames of the textures to something like "texture_blk" ,then use MCX to change all of the texture locations for the model to point to the new textures in my "work/Texture..." folder, then save the new model (I usually save both the MDL and the BGL files) into the "work/Scenery" folder. Add the new model object to the airport in ADE and it should show up with the "black" textures. I also have to change the model name to say "Lexus430_blk" when saving. Is all of that correct?
I still can't find SAMM. I went to that website, and I can't get anywhere with it. Not going to worry about it, probably isn't available anymore. It would take someone actually having a copy to be able to get it. I even checked some of the torrent sites to see if I could find it, no luck anywhere. Must not have been that popular if you can't even find the darn thing anywhere, so probably not worth the effort looking for it. I got my copy of the Lexus430 from a different source I think it was 'flyawaysim.com" or something like that. It was originally a mod for FS2000 and was converted for FSX. Seems to work better than most of the other vehicles I have tried. Most of them have so many moving effects that they really hit my FPS hard and the mods run so choppy that it just isn't drivable. The Lexus430 seems to work flawlessly because it only has the basic effects and it don't hit the FPS so hard. Another one that kinda works is the BMW 760li, but it too is kinda choppy.
I have seen increasingly inconsistent behavior from the Wayback Machine web site, and have no explanation for it (yet).
Try this link from a fresh query seeking stuff4fs.com on the last date in 2023 (2024+ dates may have been hacked):
However, as I was able to attach what appears to be a latter release of SAMM to this post, you will find that ZIP file below.
That ZIP contains what IIUC may be final release of Version 2.20.3 ...posted by Don prior to his untimely passing.
FYI: I worked with Don Beta testing a project, so I saw his generosity and commitment to hard work in coding / support.
Thus, I can assure you SAMM is worthy of respect, and is "worth looking for"; please refer to Don's work accordingly.
The version you may have downloaded was for FS2004; it was later modded for FSX.
I do not see it available any longer at https://flyawaysimulation.com, but it is at flightsom.com (registration required).
I suggest that for this project you may benefit from working with a new copy of the Lexus 430 ...downloadable here:
https://www.allflightmods.com/microsoft-flight-simulator-x/fs2004-fsx-lexus-ls430/
http://dl-file.com/puox9aqzjmys/FS2004_FSX_Lexus_LS430.zip.html
GaryGB
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