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Software Suggestions Please

M

Morkham

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ca-britishcolumbia
Hi all,

I currently have two modeling needs, and I want to get going pretty quickly on both of them.

1 - a static object at an airport that has some transparent elements.
2 - an airplane with moving parts, VC, etc.

I have Gmax, but I'm seeing some reports of FSX issues, and all my stuff needs to work in FSX. I've seen FSDS, and it looks decent, but also wondering about FSX. I actually have access to a machine here at work with 3DS-Max v8 on it, and I've spent a few years working with Max which has made me pretty comfortable with it.

My preference would be to stick with 3DS-Max, but I'm a tad bit confused on the export process etc. If it should work for the above mentioned projects, that will be great, I'll just need a few pointers to get things started. If I need to switch to Gmax, or buy FSDS, no problem either, I just don't want to start down a road and have to turn back mid way through.

TIA
Steve
 
Morkham said:
Hi all,

I currently have two modeling needs, and I want to get going pretty quickly on both of them.

1 - a static object at an airport that has some transparent elements.
2 - an airplane with moving parts, VC, etc.

I have Gmax, but I'm seeing some reports of FSX issues, and all my stuff needs to work in FSX. I've seen FSDS, and it looks decent, but also wondering about FSX. I actually have access to a machine here at work with 3DS-Max v8 on it, and I've spent a few years working with Max which has made me pretty comfortable with it.

My preference would be to stick with 3DS-Max, but I'm a tad bit confused on the export process etc. If it should work for the above mentioned projects, that will be great, I'll just need a few pointers to get things started. If I need to switch to Gmax, or buy FSDS, no problem either, I just don't want to start down a road and have to turn back mid way through.

TIA
Steve
Click to expand...


Keep Max 8. THe SDK tools are "better" than gmax (a few bits and pieces) but if you're comfortable with MAx 8, by all means.

It's not practical to "go back" to gmax, and no point in learning FSDS, when truthfully, you'd have relearn a new approach to modelling for FSX.
 
The only issue I imagine you'll face, due to your experience with max8, will be encountered by using any of the features that are related to rendering, as fsx will become your rendering machine.

The export works great, but its a small process with a few tools. Once you get the sdk installed, set the paths in max to the sdk.

Then explore the tools, you'll be setting a guid and name for the export, and then you'll make an *.x file from max. The same tool can make the placement file for you, especially handy for me as my hand made xml commonly fails to compile.

Use of xtomdl.exe from the sdk makes the mdl file, and finally bglcomp makes the bgl file.

Easy, it just takes a bit. I suggest you make a cube in max, make a material with a simple bmp for the diffuse channel and apply to the cube.

Once the export of the cube is working, you 'll have a process baseline you can trust. As you work with more complicated models, you'll know if your export fails that something in the model is at fault rather than your export process.
 
Ok, getting there I think, but in the steps outlined in the SDK's docs:

3ds Max®

In order for 3ds Max® to work correctly with the scripts and tools of this SDK, go through the following steps:

1. Install and run 3ds Max® 7.
2. Select Customize on the main menu.
3. Select Customize Paths from the drop-down menu, then the Plug-ins tab from the Configure Paths.
4. Select Add, and then browse to the Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Modeling SDK\3DSM7\Plugins folder.
5. Select Use-Path and OK, and this path will appear in the dialog.
6. It is now necessary to shutdown and restart 3ds Max®.
7. On restarting, a new main menu item named FS Tools should appear, with drop down options for: AttachPointTool, LODNameTool, AnimationManager and FSCloudTool.
8. You are now ready to use 3ds Max® to create Flight Simulator X models.

2-5 don't match Max® 8's menu structure.

I tried a few different options and was able to run two of the scripts manually, but they're not properly integrated in Max like they should be, and the third script (AttachTool.ms) throws up an error:

Either the MaxXML or the MaxUtils plugin cannot be found. Please put
those plugins into a folder along with the modeldef.xml file and assign
a plug path to that folder.

Which sounds like steps 2-5 above :)

I haven't worked much with scripts/plugins in Max, so I'm in new territory.

Any pointers would be appreciated.

TIA
Steve
 
Doh!

A little thick I guess :(

Just copied the scripts into the scripts directory, and the plugins into the plugins directory :)

Menu shows up as expected.

Off to model a cube now :)

Thanks
 
Well, as long as it's working I guess...

But, I've had it installed in Max8 for what seems like epochs (really only two years), and had no problems following the steps as the SDK enumerates...
 
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