FS Model Conversion

My goal was to create a few CFS3 static models from the freeware Alphasim FS models using Model Converter X. Hoping someone in the know can answer several questions:

1. Is it possible to edit textures during the conversion process so that this can be avoided? (see picture)

2. Can this texture issue be corrected in Gmax after conversion?

3. What is the proper scale settings for CFS3 during conversion?

have you tried flipping the textures up-down, left-right or both? I think i remember doing that for one conversion.

I've had that happen before too. In this case, most of the exterior mapping is referencing the same part of the same texture. Other relevant exterior textures did not translate into the M3D.

Texture translation during conversion does happen with the occasional failure. Trying to understand why.



I've done several conversions a year or so ago but ran into what seemed like insurmountable issues. Revisiting it now in hopes that I overlooked something or someone has more knowledge into what can be accomplished.

if the aircraft uses several textures then the material may be linking to the wrong texture. you can usually see that in material navigator

Nice work Barry!

The model could do with smoothing out those facets, if you're not aware of that command.

Thanks guys.

The materials tab doesn't seem to affect missing textures, before or after conversion. There is a failure notice for every texture missing after conversion. A preview w/proper textures (prior to conversion) shows correctly once imported into MCX. The issues are occurring during conversion.

Clive, I assume you do that with the 3DS model?

Another thing, some 3DS models (either old/new 3DS format) will not load into Gmax. I get an "invalid file" message.

I also cannot locate my notes from a year or two ago about MCX. I am lost about scaling models for CFS3. (see pics)




Stupid question #1001: is there any way to hack an M3D into having gun_grp's? Or any other method of adding guns to a gunless model?

there probably is a way to fix in mcx but im not sure how to do it. I usually just fix in gmax as I know that program better. I open material editor and hit pick button. Click dropper over part I want edit material. Then you can click on diffuse color map and change it to one gmax will recognize.


I dont normally have a scaling issue but every model can have its surprises. make sure gmax scaling is set to 1unit to meter. You can scale the model in mcx or gmax if you need to.

Hi Foo,
To scale in MCX do below (you're nearly there yourself!), you can go up or down in scale. Putting your value in the X value and hitting enter will fill in the Y and Z values. Normally you want to make all the re-dimensioning the same, but sometimes an object might be off in a dimension, and this is a great way of seeing the changes, and correcting it.
After entering the values hit enter and it will re-scale, then output to 3DS etc. Don't overwrite the original file as you might want to use the original file again and you know that starting point dimensions.

Smoothing in MCX, visually it works, but when exporting it doesn't seem to keep that info, so as Steve says, you will have to do it in GMax (I mainly use FSDS and have do it there). It's under Special tools - Normals & Shading - Smooth shade object.



The probable reason it's coming up with a failure to load tex is that it is in a format that MCX cannot process/read, so it states that. If you are importiing a model from an .obj, you must have the correct .mtl file with it when you import to MCX, this is a very small text file which is the texture information, without that it doesn't know what texs are neaded, and then when you export it will not have any tex information.




Cheers

Shessi

"Stupid question #1001: is there any way to hack an M3D into having gun_grp's? Or any other method of adding guns to a gunless model"

The only way is via Gmax. There is a shortcut whereby you can 'borrow' bits off of other models such as the SDK models.
In Gmax you can "save selected" parts of one model and then "merge" them into your own model. It doesn't save much time but you do get the naming convention and hierarchy right. Definitely easier for fixed armament.

Thanks all!

I know how to scale, I just don't know what values to enter to achieve the correct CFS3 scale in MCX. Experimenting, but I think I'm getting there, just time consuming. Infuriating as I've already figured this out a couple years ago but can't find my notes.

I will re-format the original BMP textures prior to conversion, maybe they got corrupted somehow. They do show correctly in the MCX preview however.

Thanks for the info Clive! I had an old 3DS model of a P-26 that had faceted surfaces. It now has smooth surfaces. I know what to do next time that happens.



Is there a tutorial for the gun "merging" in Gmax? Can this be done with a 3DS model in Gmax?

FOO FIGHTER said:

... Is there a tutorial for the gun "merging" in Gmax? Can this be done with a 3DS model in Gmax?

Click to expand...

I don't think there is a tutorial, but fortunately it isn't hard: Open your project in gmax and click the 'Merge'-function (File > Merge). A window opens which you can use to navigate to the gmax file containing the parts that you want to merge (I think you need the 'Import'-function for a compatible non-gmax file - I never did anything with a 3DS model). Select those parts, click "OK" and they will be added to your model. Depending on the orientation and location of the parts in the 'donor'-project, the added parts may end up in unexpected places and/or in the wrong orientation. Also check their hierarchy: if the merged parts were the children of some object in the 'donor' project, you probably need to link them to objects or nodes in your own project.
I agree with Clive that creating a few dummies and naming them and aligning their pivot points according to the SDK is sometimes easier and less aggrevating than moving and realigning merged parts.

(BTW, there is a 'help'-function in gmax which may provide some assistance. And I like the C-46 model!! It's missing from CFS3, even as AI)

when I merge a part into my scene , I usually select the part and it's parent and parent's parent all the way up the hierarchy if I can . Then I delete unwanted parts. Normally beats realigning the part in most cases.

That p-26 would do well in the Philippines addon.

You may know this but its a good idea to freeze the control surface animations to a neutral position in MCX before exporting to gmax. Maybe you did and I am seeing it wrong.

SUCCESS!!! Mostly.

I literally spent all %@$#! day experimenting with this instead of working on things I should.

The magic scale number is 0.02500 w/o scaling LODs. This seems correct for aircraft (so far), ain't tested the scale number on ships or vehicles yet.

I had a closer look at the materials tab as sdsbolt suggested. Changed all from FS to MSFS. Then saved all to DDS (under textures tab through materials tab), then to BMP and then matched and resized all (through the same tabs). Saved to 3DS, then opened and saved as M3D through Gmax. Time consuming as hell but at least it worked . . . until.

Then I adjusted the animations so the control surfaces were neutral and everything went sideways. The MCX preview shows everything correctly but this is the final product:



Tomorrow will be another caffeine fueled day of experimenting!

Well, that is progress, I would say!

I don't have any experience with FSDS or MCX but when the orientation of the pivot points of parts is different across your various pograms or not according to the CFS3 SDK, you may get funny (OK, rather annoying) stuff in CFS3. But if the pivot points are changed, the animation probably will also go haywire (parts moving along the wrong axis). So if the animations in your model aren't very complex, why not remove those and redo them after importing the model in gmax? Rudder, ailerons and flaps, (bomb)doors, hatches etc. usually aren't that hard to do. Most of the time it's the landing gear and some cockpit stuff that requires more work.
Parts visible in gmax but missing in CFS3 are sometimes caused by them not being attached to the top node in gmax.

I reckon Frosty is bang on with that suggestion. By affecting the ani information in MCX, GMax can't read and display them, I would do exactly as he suggests, leave the anis, as is, and re-do them in GMax. I've certainly found that bringing models from all sorts of other sims into Fs9/CFS2, that re-doing stuff especially ani's yourself, time consuming and a pain, but quicker in the end.

Cheers

Shessi

Then I adjusted the animations so the control surfaces were neutral and everything went sideways. The MCX preview shows everything correctly but this is the final product:

Click to expand...

here's what I do. I missed the right flap in my example

Thanks again for the advice! Having some of the creating heavyweights responding is much appreciated!

I adjusted some of the animations with the fix tab. It worked, sort of. I saved two models of the P5M: one with gear down and everything open and one buttoned up as a floater. Oddly, the float version was a mess like before and the one with everything opened turned out like this:



Not complaining but the result should have been the opposite. Did the same thing with the C-46 and both turned out identical with everything closed and gear up. At least it's smooth now without faceting. More experimenting to do.

The ships seem to scale pretty good too.



Unfortunately, I don't know how to do anything in Gmax at the moment except how to convert 3DS to M3D, and other than smoothing.

To quote Doctor McCoy: "By golly, Jim, I'm beginning to think I can cure a rainy day"

It took me awhile to get the Fix Selected Animations tab figured out. You have to select a particular animated part, adjust it and then click the tab. This will eliminate it from the list and lock it into position. If you select all and move everything to a ground posture and click the the tab it won't work. Each part has to be individually adjusted and locked. I finally became somebody now that I can convert FS/CFS2 models into CFS3 static or AI aircraft. It's just a matter of adjusting the contact points now.

I think this has run it's course as far as conversion w/MCX goes. I don't see any other issues to overcome just now. Gmax next?

I cannot thank everyone enough for the advice or I would still be lost!

Ignore the faceting on the C-46, I forgot to smooth it out.

Good work sir!
If you're going to convert it to a flying aircraft, it's a good idea to have the gear fixed in fully retracted position. It will be easier to animate that way.
I suggest trying a fixed gear aircraft 1st as Frosty mentioned , gear animation can be the trickiest part.