FSX Model Does Not Display in MCX

[kmanning]

Hi Arno,
I've just recently purchased the new Boeing 787 by QualityWings. By default, the jetway moves to the L2 door, meaning the second door on the left side of the aircraft. That was one of the things I did not like about the QualityWings 757. But I was able to make the changes using the aircraft.cfg, thanks to Model Converter X. I want the jetway to go to the L1 door, not L2. The model displays fine with the 757 but when I imported the 787, the model would not display. By the way, which file do I use to display these models, the aircraft.cfg, or the aircraft model file? I've tried them both and neither one displays correctly. See the screenshot photo below:

Is this something that can be fixed so that the airplane model will display?

Ken.

 

[tgibson]

Hi,

If this cannot be fixed (they may have done this on purpose), just edit the Exits section of the aircraft.cfg file manually, and test in FS using trial and error.

 

[arno]

I have no idea why MCX would not read the file correct. Any MDL file should work. Did you use the arrows to cycle through the various models that were loaded?

 

[kmanning]

I have no idea why MCX would not read the file correct. Any MDL file should work. Did you use the arrows to cycle through the various models that were loaded?

Please clarify for me which ones I'm suppose to use whenever I want to edit the cfg file. Do I load the model files or the aircraft.cfg files? They both seem to do the same thing. Regarding the arrows, I don't know what arrows you're referring to, but I did noticed that in the latest version has what looks like an animation playback button, or slider. I tried that and it cleared up some of the garbage that was in the way. They may have done this on purpose like Tom said. It scans a report and gives some errors, so will that give you a clue? Maybe I can send that to you if that will help. Is there another software that allows one to edit a model without trial and error?

Ken.

 

[arno]

There are two green arrow buttons at the top. It seems multiple models were loaded from the cfg. You can cycle through them.

I doubt it can be done on purpose. Only certain skin and bone animations have problems, but that should not distroy everything.

 

[=rk=]

Is there another software that allows one to edit a model without trial and error?

Yes and no. One can create an original model, exactly to ones liking. Autodesk 3ds Max is software that would be capable of producing this model and by extension, editing it; so that is the yes part. To be able to develop to this degree would take many hours of, you guessed it, trial and error. People that do not want to create models are still able to use models created by other people, but there is no software that substitutes for the learning process of being able to make a model exactly the way one wants it to be.

The reason you are not able to see the textures is because they reside in other folders besides the "texture.qw" called for by the model file. These are called "texture.common" and "texture.vc," example:
(C:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\FSX\SimObjects\Airplanes\QualityWings 787-8\texture.common). It appears MCX is not able to parse "fallback" texture.cfg type documents in a texture folder.

[fltsim]
fallback.1=..\texture.vc
fallback.2=..\texture.common

It might be a functionality Arno could tell us how to apply, or something he may want to implement.

 

[Heretic]

Looks like you're still using v1.3. You should definitely use the development builds of MCX.

 

[kmanning]

Yes and no. One can create an original model, exactly to ones liking. Autodesk 3ds Max is software that would be capable of producing this model and by extension, editing it; so that is the yes part.

Okay. I've been hearing about 3ds Max software. I visited the Autodesk website and it says one can download 3ds Max for free by receiving an educational license. From what I understand, that means it can only be download on that person's computer and can only be used for educational purposes. Or, does that mean I have to be a student in college or something? Would this be something for me to look into?

I've downloaded a software called Blender but I haven't used it much yet. It seems that Sketchup is faster.

To be able to develop to this degree would take many hours of, you guessed it, trial and error.

Well, when I said trial and error, I was actually referring to not having to edit the Exit numbers by trial and error and having to load the simulator to check the results.

People that do not want to create models are still able to use models created by other people, but there is no software that substitutes for the learning process of being able to make a model exactly the way one wants it to be.

I'm eager to learn how to design and create models, but I especially like doing airport sceneries which sometimes call for creating models, like a jetway for example. I assume jetways come under models.

The reason you are not able to see the textures is because they reside in other folders besides the "texture.qw" called for by the model file. These are called "texture.common" and "texture.vc," example:
(C:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\FSX\SimObjects\Airplanes\QualityWings 787-8\texture.common).

Well, I wasn't referring to the textures. All I wanted was for the aircraft model to be displayed, unless you're saying that these textures are required for the model to be displayed. I finally got the model to display, if I use the model file rather the aircraft.cfg file. But it would have some boxes or something in the way right where I needed to make my adjustment:

This is using the latest version, the development version of MCX, and version 1.3 have about the same results. When I slide the Animation slider over to the right a little, the boxes disappear and I can see the nose of the aircraft.

But it shouldn't be doing that at all. I haven't had this problem with any other aircraft I've loaded.

It appears MCX is not able to parse "fallback" texture.cfg type documents in a texture folder.

[fltsim]
fallback.1=..\texture.vc
fallback.2=..\texture.common

Yes, I remember seeing all these warnings but I didn't know what they mean.

It might be a functionality Arno could tell us how to apply, or something he may want to implement.

Yes, I hope it can fix it.


Thanks for your help


Ken.

 

[kmanning]

Looks like you're still using v1.3. You should definitely use the development builds of MCX.

Hi,

I have version 1.3 installed but that does not come with the editor that allows you to edit the aircraft.cfg. I also have version 1.4 and the development build of MCX, and they both have the same results. The one you see in the photo is either version 1.4 or the development build.

Ken.

 

[arno]

Hi,

No, from the screenshots I could see this was not version 1.3 already.

The fallback texture folders from the texture.cfg file are not yet supported by MCX. I once started to work on this, but never had time to finish it. I'm not sure why loading the MDL or loading the CFG makes a difference here. I guess the CFG file might contain something that MCX doesn't support yet.

About those big planes that are in the way, I guess they are a kind of lights or so. If you add the right texture folders to the texture search path they will show with textures on them and should be less disturbing, because I guess they will be semi transparent.

 

[MANOCHVARMA RAMAN]

Hi,

About those big planes that are in the way, I guess they are a kind of lights or so. If you add the right texture folders to the texture search path they will show with textures on them and should be less disturbing, because I guess they will be semi transparent.

I think Arno is right. It is light textures looking like that.

Okay. I've been hearing about 3ds Max software. I visited the Autodesk website and it says one can download 3ds Max for free by receiving an educational license. From what I understand, that means it can only be download on that person's computer and can only be used for educational purposes. Or, does that mean I have to be a student in college or something? Would this be something for me to look into?

I've downloaded a software called Blender but I haven't used it much yet. It seems that Sketchup is faster.




Well, when I said trial and error, I was actually referring to not having to edit the Exit numbers by trial and error and having to load the simulator to check the results.




I'm eager to learn how to design and create models, but I especially like doing airport sceneries which sometimes call for creating models, like a jetway for example. I assume jetways come under models.




Well, I wasn't referring to the textures. All I wanted was for the aircraft model to be displayed, unless you're saying that these textures are required for the model to be displayed. I finally got the model to display, if I use the model file rather the aircraft.cfg file. But it would have some boxes or something in the way right where I needed to make my adjustment:


View attachment 37289


This is using the latest version, the development version of MCX, and version 1.3 have about the same results. When I slide the Animation slider over to the right a little, the boxes disappear and I can see the nose of the aircraft.


View attachment 37290



But it shouldn't be doing that at all. I haven't had this problem with any other aircraft I've loaded.




Yes, I remember seeing all these warnings but I didn't know what they mean.




Yes, I hope it can fix it.


Thanks for your help


Ken.

Hi,
Please add the texture path correctly for all the textures in the MCX Option > Texture Setting>>Texture Search Path:

Once you done that, reload the texture and it should be solved:

Thanks,
Manochvarma Raman

 

[kmanning]

I think Arno is right. It is light textures looking like that.


Hi,
Please add the texture path correctly for all the textures in the MCX Option > Texture Setting>>Texture Search Path:

View attachment 37291

Hi Manochvarma,
In the photo where you show the texture path, I've noticed that yours have a line saying \steamapps. Does this mean you have the Steam Edition of FSX? I do not have the Steam Edition. If you're using the Steam Edition of FSX, I need to know the path for FSX, not FSXSE. I'm thinking the path will not be the same.

Ken.

 

[=rk=]

I'm thinking the path will not be the same.

Ken you state an intention to edit commercial models, it is very ambitious. The default install path for FSX is about as basic an understanding a developer can have. If you do not demonstrate initiative by Googling the easy questions, you will likely get uninspired replies.
I need to know the path for FSX

 

[MANOCHVARMA RAMAN]

Hi Manochvarma,
In the photo where you show the texture path, I've noticed that yours have a line saying \steamapps. Does this mean you have the Steam Edition of FSX? I do not have the Steam Edition. If you're using the Steam Edition of FSX, I need to know the path for FSX, not FSXSE. I'm thinking the path will not be the same.

Ken.

Hi,

Default install is normally at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X
That is if you didn’t change the default installation path.

Thank you,
Manochvarma Raman

 

[kmanning]

Hi,

Default install is normally at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X
That is if you didn’t change the default installation path.

Thank you,
Manochvarma Raman

Hi Manochvarma,
I did change the path for FSX and it's C:\FSX. I don't use neither of the Program Files. I already knew the path for FSX, but you said, "add the texture path" That did not sound like you meant the path for FSX. I've added the path into the box and reload the model but it still does the same thing.

Ken.

 

[MANOCHVARMA RAMAN]

Hi Manochvarma,
I did change the path for FSX and it's C:\FSX. I don't use neither of the Program Files. I already knew the path for FSX, but you said, "add the texture path" That did not sound like you meant the path for FSX. I've added the path into the box and reload the model but it still does the same thing.

Ken.

What i mean there was adding the qualitywings 787 airplane texture part. It should be in
[FSX directory]\SimObjects\Airplanes\QualityWings 787-8\texture.common
[FSX directory]\SimObjects\Airplanes\QualityWings 787-8\texture.qw

After saving it, try to reload/reopen MCX and import your QW model and see. I hope it works. If you got any texture missing error on the MCX event log, then your path is wrong. Try to figure it out. Maybe you can screenshot the MCX screen and attach on the next post.

Thank you,
Manochvarma Raman

 

[kmanning]

The default install path for FSX is about as basic an understanding a developer can have

Default install is normally at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X

Hi Rick and Manochvarmam,

I could not understand why this was raised regarding the path of FSX, and now I see why. I just happened to went back and read over some things and I noticed that in the post above, I stated that "I needed to know the path of FSX," and why I did not catch that I don't know. What I meant to say was I needed to know the texture path to add in that box in MCX. So, I did not explain that correctly and I wanted to bring that to light. So, hopefully we got it straight. I guess ya'll were wondering why I did not know the path to FSX.

Ken.

 

[kmanning]

What i mean there was adding the qualitywings 787 airplane texture part. It should be in
[FSX directory]\SimObjects\Airplanes\QualityWings 787-8\texture.common
[FSX directory]\SimObjects\Airplanes\QualityWings 787-8\texture.qw

After saving it, try to reload/reopen MCX and import your QW model and see. I hope it works. If you got any texture missing error on the MCX event log, then your path is wrong. Try to figure it out. Maybe you can screenshot the MCX screen and attach on the next post.

Hi Manochvarmam,

Now I understand what you're saying. I have to enter both paths. You stated that above but what was throwing me off was that your path started off as - F:\Flight Simulators\steamapps\common\ followed by the path you just quoted. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that it works, but the only thing I noticed is that the wings are now textured. But I still see a little bit of that blackness that is in the way, but not nears as bad. The path I added is C:\FSX\SimObjects\Airplanes\QualityWings 787-8\ texture.common and the texture.qw. But since I've done this, the textures do not show up in the other models I look up. By default, the textures would all show up, with the exception of the QW 787-8. In order to make them show, I have to put in the path for those textures. It seems like what was originally in the box worked for all textures, with the exception of the QW 787, but I don't remember what it originally was if I want to change it back. But as I said, it works for the 787 now, other than that blob of blackness that appears around the nose of the aircraft. When I slide the Animation slider over to the right about halfway, it clears up. Thanks for all you help.

Ken.

 

[MANOCHVARMA RAMAN]

Hi Manochvarmam,

Now I understand what you're saying. I have to enter both paths. You stated that above but what was throwing me off was that your path started off as - F:\Flight Simulators\steamapps\common\ followed by the path you just quoted. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that it works, but the only thing I noticed is that the wings are now textured. But I still see a little bit of that blackness that is in the way, but not nears as bad. The path I added is C:\FSX\SimObjects\Airplanes\QualityWings 787-8\ texture.common and the texture.qw. But since I've done this, the textures do not show up in the other models I look up. By default, the textures would all show up, with the exception of the QW 787-8. In order to make them show, I have to put in the path for those textures. It seems like what was originally in the box worked for all textures, with the exception of the QW 787, but I don't remember what it originally was if I want to change it back. But as I said, it works for the 787 now, other than that blob of blackness that appears around the nose of the aircraft. When I slide the Animation slider over to the right about halfway, it clears up. Thanks for all you help.

Ken.

If you don’t know the paths try reinstalling MCX and it should reset it. Then add a new path directory and add quality wings both path as a new path. Not changing on the existing path line. The image below shows the texture path:

Yellow highlighted is the default MCX texture. Other textures are the one i added for my textures to be shown when i load my model.

Here is the text version which you can copy and paste:

[MCXTEMP]
texture
..\texture
..\..\texture
[FSXPATH]\texture
[FSXPATH]\effects\texture
[FS2004PATH]\effects\texture

Next, I don’t understand what you mean by blackness? Is it around the aircraft? If yes, it is the lighting texture of the aircraft. It should be like that. If no please give some info about it. If you could post screenshot will be better rather than writing it in words.

Thank you,
Manochvarma Raman