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Virtual Cockpit Model Development

With Gmax? Or possibly Blender? Have you done aircraft modelling before?
 
Hello pockrtplanesairways,

I Have the HJG Convair 880 and the 990 and they are both Fs9 models - and I believe the Dc8 is too - which means that You can Not just add a VC - I may be wrong - if it is an FSX model - You should be OK .

You could just add a very simple VC as a test - to see if it works ??

Let us know how You make out ?? :)

Johnman
 
hairyspin said:
With Gmax? Or possibly Blender? Have you done aircraft modelling before?
Click to expand...

Gmax, and No. I haven't made aircraft before. But it will just be an interior model to go with the 10 to 50, and maybe the 60 to 70 if I feel unlazy. But sadly, this will be only for FSX considering that it's he onlyFlightSim to use interior models as well as exterior in some cases.
 
pockrtplanesairways said:
Gmax, and No. I haven't made aircraft before. But it will just be an interior model ...
Click to expand...

(much sucking of teeth) Hmm. You should know many have struggled through making a functional aircraft model before being utterly defeated by attempting a VC... It's not that VC building is impossible, it just is a lot more work and there's a ton to learn in the process anyway. I wish I could point you to a Build-your-own-VC tutorial but I don't know of one, sadly.

Should you want to explore modelling with Gmax, you could read Milton Shupe's classic C162 tutorial and get an idea of what you're up against, but I'm afraid Milton doesn't go into VC building in any real detail. I'd also recommend this thread on getting started modelling with Gmax
 
Huh, well, I plan to, if I actually do dis, be pretty simple, only getting the basics, and have it be a bare bones, yet not POS cockpit. In all reality, would blender be better? Because it would be easier, considering I have a mac running windows on a virtual machine. Plus, I highly doubt to be doing this alone. I definitely will need someone to place the gauges(it will use HJG's panel, just slightly modified to accommodate the VC gauges, and Texturing will be a struggle too, considering even the best s*** I crank out is barely passable. but like I said, if I'm feeling unlazy, I might throw in a pax cabin to my own, and many other's pleasure. And if I had the darn gmax files for the HJG DC-8, I'd fuse the exterior with the VC and make it FS2004 compatible. And I don't even want to get started about the dang animations.
 
Hello pockrtplanesairways,

Hairyspin is right - I have a few aircraft built up to the point of the VC - So far the VC has eluded Me - Not completely - But I have yet not been able to build anything suitable or consistently ! - using gmax or 3dsMax !!

How ever My suggestion is - and is a method that I have used in the past and I am currently pursuing !

A Program called Flight Sim Design Studio 3.5 by Abacus - This is a Program that has been around for Years - and has been created specifically to build Aircraft and scenery for flight sims - and as clumsy as it is to use - IT WORKS - I Can't stress that enough - IT WORKS - It has a Moderate price tag - On sale today $37.46 - and a really well written series of 6 books - "Aircraft Design Guide" by Adam Howe - Book #1 free - #2-#5 $7.46 - If You are seriously interested in building Aircraft for fs9/fsx - this is truly a bargain and gives You every thing You NEED to get started - You can have an aircraft created and in the Sim - in probably an Hour. You will be guided - step by step - either by the included help files - or the "ACD"

I know - It's not the Slick Willy - fancy modifiers - gorgeous rendering - 3dsmax - or even Gmax - You have to build - one vertex at a time - Polygon By polygon - but it has one really HUGE advantage - a vast library of Structured Learning Material - that will have up and running and understanding what You need to know - to get Models built - and into Your Flight Sim - Where they Belong !!

Again I stress - above all the other systems and advantages - every thing else available - FSDS WORKS PERIOD !

Well there is My rant !! Good Luck - and above all else - Have FUN Simmin !!

Johnman
 
Blender, Gmax, Max or FSDS.
Whatever you decide for start small!
Just create a simple box and export that into the sim.
Make some animations, clickpoint etc.
Play around and learn the program.
Then start making your VC.

The learning curve is quite steep whoever program you decide for, but I learned it from scratch, so you should be able to it as well!
 
pockrtplanesairways said:
Huh, well, I plan to, if I actually do dis, be pretty simple, only getting the basics, and have it be a bare bones, yet not ### cockpit...
Click to expand...

Interesting product specification... o_O, perhaps Milton's tutorial does contain what you need after all. I know nothing about using Blender or FSDS since I haven't used either but I know swapping modelling tools when you've already picked up some of one tool is a certain route to madness.

Have a go! And good luck with the project, it's addictive y'know!
 
Making an interior is far easier then you guys think. Relax.

Basically, create the inner shell by making a copy of the fuselage, renaming it cabin, then flipping the polygons inside out. Select all the polygons, select the 'local' setting in Polygon Mode beside 'Extrude' and 'locally' extrude all polygons the thickness of the hull (like 4 inches or so).

Then start making your VC, one part at a time. Start with simple things. Find tons of data before you start. Finding a diagram (schematic) of the instrument panel first is key as you can build the panel right off of that. You can clone switches and things. paint one, mapped and all, then clone the heck out of it.

As you progress, ask for help on things you are hung up on.

Making VC's can really be great. If you are a true addict of model making, doing the VC's can be more fun then the exteriors. A lot of work, but good fun and makes you feel good when its all complete.
 

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Stick to the JF DC-8.

The HJG models are all for FS9 and neither MrFaos' -70 nor Michael2's -50 are going to be ready anytime soon.


lionheart said:
Making VC's can really be great. If you are a true addict of model making, doing the VC's can be more fun then the exteriors. A lot of work, but good fun and makes you feel good when its all complete.
Click to expand...

The fun in model making is primarily a matter of available source data. Even VCs aren't fun when all you have to work with are a few pics from Airliners.
 
And how are you going to obtain an exterior model made for FSX?

Keep in mind that you absolutely can not merge VCs into FS9 models.
 
You cannot, that is the point!
For FS9 there is one .mdl file that contains both the exterior and interior models.
For FSX/P3D there are two .mdl files, one of which is the exterior and the other of which is the interior (vc)...
 
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