ModelConverterX changes

[arno]

Over the last months I have been working on improving the FS2004 aircraft MDL export from ModelConverterX. While working on this I have made some changes that affect the general usage of ModelConverterX as well, so I want to give an overview of them in this post.

Attachpoint orientation

While making sure that landing lights and taxi lights of FS2004 aircraft export correctly, I have refactored the way the X file are writen by ModelConverterX. While working on this I have also double check that all attached effects, attached library objects and attached platforms are still working correctly in both FS2004, FSX and P3D. Everything is working consistently now.

But there is one change and that is that for some objects the orientation is now shown differently in MCX. For most attached objects the Z axis is the upward direction. For example an attached smoke stack will flow in the direction of the Z axis. But for landing lights and spot lights the direction of the light is different, they shine along the -Y axis. Before this used to by the +Y axis, so be aware that you need to position your lights differently now inside ModelConverterX.

Representations

FS2004 stores the virtual cockpit representation in the same MDL file as the external representation, while in FSX and P3D these are stored as two separate MDL files. To be able to export these representations to FS2004 correctly I have made a change to the internal representation that ModelConverterX uses for the objects. It is now possible to store different object representations and you can also select which one you want to render in the preview with a dropdown box. ModelConverterX supports the following representations:

• External.
• Internal (for virtual cockpit).
• Shadow (used for custom shadow model, at the moment this representation can only be read from file and not yet exported).

The image below (which comes from the updated ModelConverterX manual btw), shows an example of the external and internal representation for an aircaft model.



When reading FS2004 aircraft MDL files or when reading aircraft using the aircraft.cfg file for FSX (or the sim.cfg file for P3D) ModelConverterX will now read the different representations into one object. If you just load a MDL of a specific FSX representation you only get the representation that you have loaded.

On export the FS2004 aircraft MDL exporter will write both representations to the MDL file when present. For all other exporters it depends on a new setting in the exporter settings. You can set them to either:

• Give preference to the external representation and only write that one when present (this is the default value).
• Give preference to the internal representation and only write that one when present.
• Write separate files for each representation.

Found any bugs?

I have spend quite some time on testing all these changes, but I do also realize that they have a relative big impact on ModelConverterX as well whole. So if you encounter any issues or weird things with the current development release, please let me know by posting it on the forum. And I will make sure to look at them as soon as possible.

Continue reading...

 

[nachoarregui]

ade some changes

Hi Arno.
First of all, please excuse my clumsiness on the networks and forums. I am not very active and I am not familiar with this means of communication.
I am enthusiast of fligh simulators and I have installed fs2004 and p3d v.4.

Given the large number of free fs2004 addons, I transform and improve planes with Model convertX, I add pilots, change parts and do some merges, change materials, and later with Photoshop I paint them. You can't imagine how they change with more realistic glasses and pilot heads on older models.

The thing is that I have installed your beta of ModelConverterX 1.7.8 (I think this is the last one).
With it I have been able to transform some fsx addons to fs9, but with some problems that I think I have solved.
The main problem is that when they are exported, the Rudder, Aileron, and elevator control surfaces do not work.

I assumed that these surfaces would have an associated output for FS2004 makemdl.exe
To fix this I edited the animation_mapping.ini file
I changed these parameters:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
; This section defines the mapping from FSX animation names
; to FS2004 animation names as used during exporting to
; FS2004 MDL files.
[FSX_FS2004]
elevator_percent_key l_elevator
elevator_percent_key r_elevator ( new line)
l_aileron_percent_key l_aileron
r_aileron_percent_key r_aileron
rudder_percent_key rudder

--------------------------------------------------------------

With these changes the export to mdl aircraft 2004 works.

Another problem is that when editing or importing an aircraft from fs2004 to change or add things, the control surfaces Rudder, Aileron, and Elevator appeared rotated in one of their axes.
This is a consequence of this, that they automatically change to be shown in FSX in the modelconverterXy, and some parameter rotates them.

But from the Hierarchy editor it is very easy to locate the problem and solve it.

Highselected is active.
I move the hierarchy tree with the cursor until the surface object to be edited is highlighted

There is usually a SceneGraphNode hosting another SceneGraphNode and finally a Modelpart.

We must select to edit that SceneGraphNode that contains the animation (it would be seen on the right).
Now on the right screen, we will see a transformation matrix over the animation.
Right click on Transformation and select edit transformation.
A window with two tables opens. In the Decomposition Table there will be one of the rotation axes other than 0, I set it to 0 and close the table.
So for each surface.
When I have all of them done I save them.

I attach photos.

Another tool that I use from Hierarchy editor is Flat Shade to correct surfaces of old fs9 models.

Now I have time so I can take a look.
A pleasure to participate.

 

[arno]

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback. Let me check the things you report and see if I can improve the conversion by default so that they automatically go right. I need to check if they have no negative side effects somewhere.

 

[nachoarregui]

Take your time, there is no hurry.
Thanks to you. I'm converting only from fsx to fs9 an fs9 to fs9

 

[nachoarregui]

Icon A from FSX to fs9. With tileproxy flying over Ibiza.

 

[nachoarregui]

Hi Arno.Another issue when converting to fs9 is that the original propeller material looks blurry and almost solid when exported. The diffuse color lost its alpha channel and looks more solid when rendered. I'm trying to investigate this.

 

[arno]

Hi,

I had a look at the animation mapping, but I feel the changes you suggest make things worse. If I map the control surfaces like you suggested I get an aircraft in FS2004 that is not working right, while with the default mapping the control surfaces work. So I will keep it like it is.

I will try to check the prop transparency.

 

[nachoarregui]

Thank you very much for the review Arno.It is true that expecting everything to work for everything is madness.Your solution seems adequate to me.Finally, the option I have taken is to create an alternative animation_mapping.ini file that I use only to convert aircraft to fs2004.before opening the program, I change the animation_mapping with which I am going to work and that's it.the methodology is always the same:I rename the animation _mapping fsx to fs9.ini to animation _mappin.ini (make a backup copy of the original file)open Modelconverter X and the model to export.I correct the control surfaces in the Object hierarchy editor,I change materials or maps in material editor.I import some additional element with MergeobjectI export as fs2004 MDL aircraft object.mdlI hope someone uses it and tells us.I attach my animation _mapping fsx to fs9.ini file and some example images

 

[nachoarregui]

Tunned: Fokker S-11 ; Extra2 200L; Extra300L; Mudry 232; Taylorcfrat MkV; Menestrel HN-433; Gippsland GA-8 (M.Stone!!)
Converted : Corby

 

[arno]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Yes, the idea of making the animation_mapping.ini file something the user can easily edit himself is indeed to allow users to adjust it to their own needs.

 

[nachoarregui]

 

[nachoarregui]

Thanks Arno. I really appreciate your time and interest.I imagine you have other things to do.