View source for Talk:MDL file format (FSX)

Also:

 PLAL, PLAT   (platform)	 
 VISL, VISS   (visibility)	
 BMAP	     (bitmap) 	
 SKIN 	     (skin)		
 IKCL 	     (chain list)	
 IKJC 	     (joint constraint)	

... and many more.

Good information at [http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/archive/index.php?t-4343.html http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/archive/index.php?t-4343.html]

--[[User:Mikeham|Mikeham]] 13:38, 22 June 2007 (CEST)

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IMHO the description of the content of the MDLH section is not correct. "MDLX" is part of the RIFF header, the MDLH section seems always to contain 1 integer with the value of 123456 and 1 float with the value of 10; I assume that is a kind of file signature.
osman

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You are correct Winfried. I realised this after I had typed it, but I haven't had the time yet to update it. Will try to do that ASAP. Arno

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I have updated the document now. I see the same parameter in the header section indeed, so it seems they are sort of constants. I have no idea what they mean (10.0 might refer to the version of FS????). Arno

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I have looked to the VERB section of a rather large mdl file (one of the default aircrafts). There I see that the VERT and the TANS sections are repeated several times (always one TANS section following one VERT section). I wonder how this is reflected in the PART structures referring to the VERT sections, have you any idea ?)
osman

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I would check the first two parameters of the part section, I suspect on of them is refering to the vertex buffer used for that part. Which object are you looking at, then I'll take a look. Arno

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I was looking to the Airbus_A321.mdl.

The CRAS section apparently is different from the one in FS2004 (although it is still an octree). It has first two unknown integer values, then there are 3 float values giving the lower left corner of the object, then 3 float values giving the length, height, and width, then another unknown int, and then the branches of the tree, which are now all integer values instead of bytes (apparently -1 replacing oxff and -2 replacing 0xfe). 

The ANIB section has several subsections (RIFF, XANH, XANL). And after that we have a REFL section if any points have been attached to the object, with a REFP subsection for every attached point and a ATTO section for every point which has something attached to it describing the attached object. 
osman

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I took a look at the A321 model at well and if I look at the values in the PART sections I think the sceneref value refers to the vertex buffer being used. But I have not verified that yet, to do so I would have to visualise the model and see if it looks ok :).

PS. I don't know what you prefer, but I guess it would be easier to have discussions like this on the forums.
OK, so, I will continue with questions on the forum
osman