I was just testing the dev version of MCX and wanted to see the FSX objects contained in a .BGL file. I selected "Import " and selected the \Scenery\Global\scenery\ airport_objects.bgl file. But MCX only imported a single object.
So I tried the Wizards\Batch Convert and selected the same file as before. I created a NEW folder and pointed the export to it with export as the default .ac format. MCX did its thing and I had a whole heap of .ac files to import. However they imported either black/white squares and the status showed that it could not find the associated .dds file.
I opened the .ac file in Notepad and it showed:
AC3Db
MATERIAL "mat0" rgb 0.588235020637512 0.588235020637512 0.588235020637512 amb 0.588235020637512 0.588235020637512 0.588235020637512 emis 0 0 0 spec 0.196078404784203 0.196078404784203 0.196078404784203 shi 0 trans 0
OBJECT WORLD
kids 3
OBJECT POLY
name partpart0_lod_5
texture "gen_beacons.dds" <----- here is the texture but no path so MCX cannot find it.
numvert 63
-0.97843 -0.50244 -0.33062
-0.97843 -0.50244 0.70477
-0.97843 0.50244 -0.33062
-0.97843 0.50244 0.70477
....
....
So it had the texture name of "gen_beacons.dds" but no way to find the texture. So I added the full path before the texture, in Notepad and saved:
texture "c:\fsx\scenery\global\texture\gen_beacons.dds"
and now MCX could find it. Also I discovered that selecting the "Material Editor" icon opened a window that had properties and I could navigate to set the full path for the texture in the "Diffuse texture" property.
But doing this for each object is counter productive especially as a batch process.
So I have a suggestion for adding in the next dev version:
Either
Save the FULL path to the texture into the ac file
In FSX ALL textures are stored in the texture folder of the relevant scenery.
So if I select a BGL file from \Global\scenery then we KNOW that the texture is located in ..\texture from the path of the selected BGL file!!
The FULL path if the BGL file can easily be obtained because when a user selects a single file or a series of files using the "ADD" button on the batch form, the full path+file name are stored in the "Input" list box.
Thus the path to the texture for each BGL file can be deduced and inserted into the .ac file so that importing a .ac file brings in its texture as well.
OR
Get the path to the texture as before but now create a \texture folder and copy the textures into, inserting the texture path into each .ac file or code that into MCX:
name partpart0_lod_5
texture "..\texture\gen_beacons.dds"
numvert 63
-0.97843 -0.50244 -0.33062
Either way is ok, but to avoid duplicates the first method is better, as the path to the FSX scenery textures NEVER changes unless the installation is redone.
Since the MCX app is still being developed, it should be easy to do.
Thanks for this excellent app, which I am still learning.
So I tried the Wizards\Batch Convert and selected the same file as before. I created a NEW folder and pointed the export to it with export as the default .ac format. MCX did its thing and I had a whole heap of .ac files to import. However they imported either black/white squares and the status showed that it could not find the associated .dds file.
I opened the .ac file in Notepad and it showed:
AC3Db
MATERIAL "mat0" rgb 0.588235020637512 0.588235020637512 0.588235020637512 amb 0.588235020637512 0.588235020637512 0.588235020637512 emis 0 0 0 spec 0.196078404784203 0.196078404784203 0.196078404784203 shi 0 trans 0
OBJECT WORLD
kids 3
OBJECT POLY
name partpart0_lod_5
texture "gen_beacons.dds" <----- here is the texture but no path so MCX cannot find it.
numvert 63
-0.97843 -0.50244 -0.33062
-0.97843 -0.50244 0.70477
-0.97843 0.50244 -0.33062
-0.97843 0.50244 0.70477
....
....
So it had the texture name of "gen_beacons.dds" but no way to find the texture. So I added the full path before the texture, in Notepad and saved:
texture "c:\fsx\scenery\global\texture\gen_beacons.dds"
and now MCX could find it. Also I discovered that selecting the "Material Editor" icon opened a window that had properties and I could navigate to set the full path for the texture in the "Diffuse texture" property.
But doing this for each object is counter productive especially as a batch process.
So I have a suggestion for adding in the next dev version:
Either
Save the FULL path to the texture into the ac file
In FSX ALL textures are stored in the texture folder of the relevant scenery.
So if I select a BGL file from \Global\scenery then we KNOW that the texture is located in ..\texture from the path of the selected BGL file!!
The FULL path if the BGL file can easily be obtained because when a user selects a single file or a series of files using the "ADD" button on the batch form, the full path+file name are stored in the "Input" list box.
Thus the path to the texture for each BGL file can be deduced and inserted into the .ac file so that importing a .ac file brings in its texture as well.
OR
Get the path to the texture as before but now create a \texture folder and copy the textures into, inserting the texture path into each .ac file or code that into MCX:
name partpart0_lod_5
texture "..\texture\gen_beacons.dds"
numvert 63
-0.97843 -0.50244 -0.33062
Either way is ok, but to avoid duplicates the first method is better, as the path to the FSX scenery textures NEVER changes unless the installation is redone.
Since the MCX app is still being developed, it should be easy to do.
Thanks for this excellent app, which I am still learning.