FSX Where did my plane go?

[unc1rlm]

Very simply...merging... (particularly propellers) i know how to isolate...i think...I am isolating the entire unit for one engine.....go thru all that stuff to reimport and do the visibility/animation on each model part. I am not isolating the parts just the unit, if that makes sense. I am creating a mdl and an x file for each one and exporting. I go back and look at the hierarchy and the visibility and anim are still there so we are good. At the end when I want to put the props back into the model..I load the default mdl...NOW, what do I merge a "x" file or a "mdl". I tried going back and removing the unit that I isolated originally (see picture) "was recommended to remove whatever I isolated before merging? The props disappear before i merge the propellers, That didn't work.
Which item type am I merging (a x or a mdl?) and if I go to give the model a new name at the end..say Bob's M404..when i export and then re-import to look at..all I have is propellers...that what I am trying to get around. They look great at the airport and they taxi great but I would kinda like to see my airline colours..

Thank you,
Bob M.

 

[tgibson]

When you load the FS2004 plane, click on the prop part in the Hierarchy Editor, and click remove, what did you think would happen? You are removing the props so the props should disappear. Then when you merge the props they will reappear. Then you use Export Object and use a name like Bobs_M404 (avoid punctuation marks and spaces). You merge MDL files, not X files at this point - KISS. Baby steps.

 

[unc1rlm]

I think i sucessfully merged the props because i can now see them but now what do I do to export so I save the whole plane and not just the props. The picture is as close as I have got so now I am re-merging and hopefully maybe the props will turn..maybe not. They turned one time but without the plane. Not closing MCX till I hear back...

Thanks,
Bob M.

 

[gavinc]

It looks to me like you have isolated the still prop not the blurred prop disk. You need to isolate the blurred prop, assign the right animation and then import it into the main model. Once you have done that you should see both props visible when you look at the model in the sim. Once you are confident you have prop_still, prop_slow and prop_blurred then you can assign them visibility conditions so that the right prop is displayed at the right time.
Gavin

 

[unc1rlm]

Ok I think I did this right..not sure...so I have the prop showing in MCX....before I close out and loose everything before I go to sim...How do I export this (where I am at now) have already merged the two propellers...If I export this as say Robert404.mdl, when I open that new mdl with MCX, all I will have is the two propellers, thats what I am asking help on..

Thanks,
Bob M.

 

[tgibson]

Hi,

If you are working on the AI model, then you must start dealing with LODs. When you import the props, my guess is if you do not assign them to an LOD (I don't know how to do this) they will be assigned to the "main model" and that will be the only thing showing in MCX. If you then use the LOD drop down box on the main display you will see the other models (including the one that is missing).

Hope this helps,

 

[unc1rlm]

Thanks Tom...thought i would try the flyable one...Its in the picture .its the martin 404 National from FlyawaySimulations. (https://flyawaysimulation.com/downloads/files/18737/fsx-national-martin-404-cb-16/) . I just extracted to a folder and am using the model. Anyway, how do I export this after i merge? Thats my question. or is automatic after the merge its there and i just close MCX and move it to a sim to check. Actually this one..I really didn't do anything too other than put the 50/100 in the slots and 10000 for props and everything seem ok but the propellers didn't rotate....No broken parts like flaps or aeirolons etc. I did use the RADItor settings in the sim and the views were great.
Thank you,
Bob M.

 

[tgibson]

Hi,

Nothing is automatic. You must use Export Object and export the plane as an MDL file.

 

[unc1rlm]

ok, Thank you.

Bob M.

 

[gavinc]

Anyway, how do I export this after i merge? Thats my question. or is automatic after the merge its there and i just close MCX and move it to a sim to check.

You need to re-export the model file, the changes you make in MCX are only written to disk when you do the export. Also do yourself a favour and save each change as a different file name so you can go back one step if you make a mistake. Also don't forget to update the model.cfg file to point to your most recent export

everything seem ok but the propellers didn't rotate....

Did you remember to change the animation tag from "engine" to prop_still, prop_slow and prop_blurred as appropriate?

Gavin

 

[gavinc]

Hi,

When you import the props, my guess is if you do not assign them to an LOD (I don't know how to do this)

Tom, the first line of the Merge Objects tool is a box called "Insert model as LOD:". It defaults to LOD 100 but you can type in whichever LOD you want to insert into.

Every once in a while I still forget to set the LOD when I am doing a conversion and spend a frustrating 5 minutes trying to figure out why my inserted part isn't showing up.

Gavin

 

[unc1rlm]

Thank you....I am still messing.. read a post getting closer but I do not know what the 3 parts of the propeller are. Maybe someone know? I guess its assigning visibility and animation to the right parts. Last try I can see moving high speed blades when taxiing but when at a parking spot and plane is not getting ready to taxi...see nothing. I was attempting something that Randy did by merging props etc but i guess I didn't merge the right parts lol....Gavin..I believe you remember this post:
https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/fs2004-aircraft-propeller-states.439521/page-2

But I was surprised that after I did that..the plane did load back up but I guess the wrong merges.

Thank you Tom and Gavin for all your assistance..total novice causing everyone to go crazy
Bob M.

 

[gavinc]

I do not know what the 3 parts of the propeller are. Maybe someone know?

Bob - at a guess the three parts are 1 - spinner, 2 - back of propeller disk, 3 - front of propeller disk

[QUOTE="unc1rlm, post: 810581, member: 17874"
Last try I can see moving high speed blades when taxiing but when at a parking spot and plane is not getting ready to taxi...see nothing. I was attempting something that Randy did by merging props etc but i guess I didn't merge the right parts
Bob M.[/QUOTE]

Bob, you should have 3 prop states

prop still - this is the "normal" propeller where you can see the blades and is usually part of the main model that you are converting
prop slow - this is the first stage of spinning props and is usually (but not always) modelled as a disk
prop blurred - this is the 2nd and faster stage of spinning props.

Usually prop slow and prop blurred use 2 copies of the same part, what makes them different is the animation and the visibility tag applied. Once you have isolated the disk and assigned the prop slow animation, save it then change the animation to prop blurred and save it again with a different name

If you aren't seeing anything for slow and still I wonder if you
a) didn't merge the disk twice
b) didn't use the model with a "normal" propeller as the base for conversion - don't forget that these still props still need the right visibility and animation assigned.

Gavin

 

[tgibson]

Hi,

Gavin, thanks for the tip. I used that to place the props into the various LODs, and that seemed to work. But now when I export the plane there are no obvious LOD shifts as I move away from the plane (which I do see in FS9). But at least you can see the plane in FSX now and the props seem to work fine.

 

[=rk=]

LOD stands for "level of detail" and refers to the practice of rendering progressively lower detail models as distance increases, along with competing rendering loads from other nearby objects. When you're close, you get to see the rivets and when you're far, you get to see an outline, because potentially there are now many outlines in your field of view.

In order to see the lower LOD models, you would have to combine them with the new model, either by creating some, or by extracting them from the original model.

 

[unc1rlm]

No luck..at it all day and still no propellers. I see high speed but nothing more. I have done all and assigned all model parts (3) on each engine...remove merged and still no propellers. Everything else is great.
Pictures worth a thousand words...lol... i am obviously not getting the merging right or props merged into props..not sure. or maybe wrong bmps's. but that can't be..have see propellers but not turning before.
Enjoy the day.. I love seeing the shiny motor works....
Bob M.