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Object removal using ModelConverterX

G

GuyJennings

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23
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unitedstates
I was told by the developer of the model aircraft I am retexturing on FSX that in order to remove the headsets off the pilots I would need ModelConverterX tool to actually find them to remove since they are not in the texture folder. Is there anyone that can give me some instructions in doing this. Thanks in advance. Guyjennings@mac.com
 
Hi,

If you load the aircraft model in MCX you can use the hierarchy editor to see the various parts in the model. Hopefully the headset is a separate part, because if it is mixed with other polygons you won't be able to remove them.
 
arno said:
Hi,

If you load the aircraft model in MCX you can use the hierarchy editor to see the various parts in the model. Hopefully the headset is a separate part, because if it is mixed with other polygons you won't be able to remove them.
Click to expand...


Did you mean the hierarchy viewer? I'm not seeing hierarchy editor yet. But I did find one of two headsets in the viewer:

image.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
What sim is the aircraft designed for?

One easy way to remove the headsets (if they use their own special texture) is to make the alpha channel of that texture completely black. That usually will cause them to go transparent. If not (and the plane is in FSX or later format) then MCX is the way to go.
 
GuyJennings said:
Did you mean the hierarchy viewer? I'm not seeing hierarchy editor yet. But I did find one of two headsets in the viewer:
Click to expand...

If it is called Hierarchy viewer on your side I think you have an old build that is not yet able to remove parts from there. I would suggest you download the latest development release:


From your screenshot it looks like the headset has its own material (and thus also texture). So the suggestion from Tom to modify the texture might be easier.
 
tgibson said:
What sim is the aircraft designed for?

One easy way to remove the headsets (if they use their own special texture) is to make the alpha channel of that texture completely black. That usually will cause them to go transparent. If not (and the plane is in FSX or later format) then MCX is the way to go.
Click to expand...
The model is Milton Shupe's aero commander 500/560/680 that was released for fs 2004 in 6/2003, updated for fs9 in 8/2003 and the optimised versions were released in 2006. They run perfectly on my windows 10 system running fsx steam. When I was 11, I flew with my Dad in a 560E and so I repainted Miltons 560 to look like my Dads plane, put my Dads face on the left seat pilot and my face on the right seater.

The last item is to eliminate those headsets. One is red and one is green. I removed each texture folder so all that is left is black ear cups and the grey boom mic.

I am a newb to texturing and computer language, so using mcx is way more difficult for me. Are you able to coach me through this process, whether its the alpha channel or mcx? Thanks very much for responding!!
arno said:
If it is called Hierarchy viewer on your side I think you have an old build that is not yet able to remove parts from there. I would suggest you download the latest development release:


From your screenshot it looks like the headset has its own material (and thus also texture). So the suggestion from Tom to modify the texture might be easier.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your help, Arno!
 
If you go the MCX route you would have to do a complete conversion to FSX or later format, since MCX will not usually export FS2004 aircraft with the animations intact. This is not a trivial process. I have a tutorial online:

Convert FS2004 Aircraft to FSX

Use MCX to convert FS9 aircraft to FSX format
www.calclassic.com

Thus the alpha channel approach would probably be much easier if it works.

1. Load the headset texture into DXTBmp (download from the web - http://www.mwgfx.co.uk/ )
2. Alpha/Send Alpha to Editor (leave DXTBmp running)
3. In Paint, make the texture completely black.
a. Click on small black square in upper right area (Colors) - Color 1 should be black.
b. Choose paint bucket tool in upper left (Tools).
c. Click white image below. - it should turn black.
d. Click Save button or Blue down arrow tab at top left/Save.
e. Back in DXTBmp, Alpha/Refresh Alpha. The upper right square should turn black.
f. File/Save As Extended Bitmap
g. Choose DXT1 as the image type in the drop down box (NOT DXT no alpha).
h. Click Save button.
4. Check in FS (after a restart) that the headset is gone.

Hope this helps,
 
PS. Note that this edited texture will need to be in its original location since you had removed it. Also, make a back up of this texture before editing it.
 
Arno....I downloaded the development release version of mcx and in what is called "object hierarchy" is a delete function, so I deleted both headsets but they are both still present when ready to fly on fsx. Like you said previously, the headset must ha
tgibson said:
If you go the MCX route you would have to do a complete conversion to FSX or later format, since MCX will not usually export FS2004 aircraft with the animations intact. This is not a trivial process. I have a tutorial online:

Convert FS2004 Aircraft to FSX

Use MCX to convert FS9 aircraft to FSX format
www.calclassic.com

Thus the alpha channel approach would probably be much easier if it works.

1. Load the headset texture into DXTBmp (download from the web - http://www.mwgfx.co.uk/ )
2. Alpha/Send Alpha to Editor (leave DXTBmp running)
3. In Paint, make the texture completely black.
a. Click on small black square in upper right area (Colors) - Color 1 should be black.
b. Choose paint bucket tool in upper left (Tools).
c. Click white image below. - it should turn black.
d. Click Save button or Blue down arrow tab at top left/Save.
e. Back in DXTBmp, Alpha/Refresh Alpha. The upper right square should turn black.
f. File/Save As Extended Bitmap
g. Choose DXT1 as the image type in the drop down box (NOT DXT no alpha).
h. Click Save button.
4. Check in FS (after a restart) that the headset is gone.

Hope this helps,
Click to expand...
its own texture but I just can't seem to locate them.
 
GuyJennings said:
Arno....I downloaded the development release version of mcx and in what is called "object hierarchy" is a delete function, so I deleted both headsets but they are both still present when ready to fly on fsx. Like you said previously, the headset must ha
its own texture but I just can't seem to locate them.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Tom....gonna try it now
 
GuyJennings said:
Arno....I downloaded the development release version of mcx and in what is called "object hierarchy" is a delete function, so I deleted both headsets but they are both still present when ready to fly on fsx. Like you said previously, the headset must ha
its own texture but I just can't seem to locate them.
Click to expand...
Did you export the model to mdl again after you made the changes?
 
Did you Import the external model (i.e. click the Set button without changing the gen_model value)? If so and you were in the VC, you were in the wrong model.

You need to change the gen_model value to 1 to load the VC, and then you can remove the headsets from there.
 
If those are the textures that are mapped onto the headsets (the blue and green color), then those are the textures that will need a black alpha channel. Hopefully they aren't used for any other part of the plane, or those will disappear too. BTW, if parts of the headsets are just done as a polygon color without any texture then this technique will not work.
 
In MCX, couldn't you simply use the Material Editor, tick the box 'Highlight Selected' then click through the materials and once the headsets are highlighted, hopefully in isolation, click 'Remove Selected', and re-export?
 
tgibson said:
Did you Import the external model (i.e. click the Set button without changing the gen_model value)? If so and you were in the VC, you were in the wrong model.

You need to change the gen_model value to 1 to load the VC, and then you can remove the headsets from there.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Tom....will try mcx again later today
 
Manfred, at the least he could find out whether they are the only objects mapped to those textures. If so, delete them. I had never needed to delete things before so I didn't realize that was an option.
 
Agree Tom. This 'Remove Selected' button is quite a nifty feature when it comes to taking a mdl apart, quickly reduce it to the bits you need and later merge it with something else. It would even be better if we could click through the elements of a material's mesh and hit 'Remove Selected' there ... the proverbial bee's knees, I think, but maybe a bit too much to ask for.
 
GuyJennings said:
Arno....I downloaded the development release version of mcx and in what is called "object hierarchy" is a delete function, so I deleted both headsets but they are both still present when ready to fly on fsx. Like you said previously, the headset must ha
its own texture but I just can't seem to locate them.
Click to expand...
GuyJennings said:
Thanks, Tom....will try mcx again later today
[/QUOTE
GuyJennings said:
Thanks, Tom....will try mcx again later today
Click to expand...
Tom....still am not able to find and delete those headsets. Would you be willing to download the commander 680 folder and see if you can find and delete them for me so I don't lose my sanity?
Click to expand...
 
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