Adding Catapult Attach Points to a FSX Ship

[TARPSBird]

A question for those of you who are more experienced with ModelConverterX than I am... I added catapult start and end attach points in MCX for two bow catapults on a FSX carrier that didn't have any. The mdl file exported OK from MCX and I see the attach points but my plane is not loading onto either cat anywhere around the start points. Should the catapult attach points be slightly lower than the flight deck platform? If there is an extra step besides adding the attach points that I'm missing here I hope somebody can help me out. I've added lights and other effects to ships in MCX and had no problems. I thought this was going to be an easy update but I guess not.

 

[Essex]

A question for those of you who are more experienced with ModelConverterX than I am... I added catapult start and end attach points in MCX for two bow catapults on a FSX carrier that didn't have any. The mdl file exported OK from MCX and I see the attach points but my plane is not loading onto either cat anywhere around the start points. Should the catapult attach points be slightly lower than the flight deck platform? If there is an extra step besides adding the attach points that I'm missing here I hope somebody can help me out. I've added lights and other effects to ships in MCX and had no problems. I thought this was going to be an easy update but I guess not.

Hi
A zoomed out screenshot of MCX showing the attachment points may help.

 

[TARPSBird]

Hi
A zoomed out screenshot of MCX showing the attachment points may help.

Good idea, I should've done that on my original post. This is Yanco's USS Enterprise (CV-6) from his original Battle of Midway package converted to FSX. Attach points are forward of the elevator which is not modeled on the ship, just a graphic on the flight deck texture so I could make them longer if needed. Similar cats on the Vertigo Studios Enterprise work OK. The cat attach points are the same elevation as the arresting gear attach points so I was thinking maybe I should lower the cat points slightly below deck level...?

 

[Cees Donker]

I have placed the attachpoints for the cats on my Karel Doorman slightly above the deck. Works o.k. for me.

Cees

 

[TARPSBird]

I have placed the attachpoints for the cats on my Karel Doorman slightly above the deck. Works o.k. for me.
Cees

Thanks, Cees. I will try that. BTW pls check my last post in my other thread about the planes sliding off the deck of Gary Payne's USS Midway. I'd like to try your ship and see if the planes stay in place. You have my email address.

 

[Cees Donker]

Thanks, Cees. I will try that. BTW pls check my last post in my other thread about the planes sliding off the deck of Gary Payne's USS Midway. I'd like to try your ship and see if the planes stay in place. You have my email address.

Sent! Hope this helps!

Cees

 

[TARPSBird]

Sent! Hope this helps!
Cees

Sent an email reply. Your ship worked great, no sliding aircraft, frame rate 22 FPS at the ramp which is good for my older rig.
Thanks again for your help!
-Jerry

 

[Mike71]

Thanks, Cees. I will try that. --------

Are you using a plane that you know hooks up properly on other carriers?

 

[TARPSBird]

Are you using a plane that you know hooks up properly on other carriers?

Hi Mike! Yes, I am using Paul Clawson's Northrop BT-1 which hooks up to just about every carrier I have. It jumps a bit sometimes but it hooks up. With my current attach points on Yanco's Enterprise I've run the plane back and forth over the area where the cats are and no jump or any indication the cats are there.

 

[Essex]

Attach points are forward of the elevator which is not modeled on the ship, just a graphic on the flight deck texture so I could make them longer if needed.

Either make them longer or move the ship backwards so they start less than 60m from the origin.
https://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohfor...812-USS-Midway?p=907615&viewfull=1#post907615

 

[TARPSBird]

Either make them longer or move the ship backwards so they start less than 60m from the origin.
https://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohfor...812-USS-Midway?p=907615&viewfull=1#post907615

Essex, thanks for the link. More good info there.

Update: Moved start points back to within 60m of carrier origin - unrealistically long for the Enterprise but I wanted to get the cats to work. Port (left) cat worked like a champ first time, plane hooked up with no jumping. Starboard (right) cat does not work no matter what values I enter for the attach points. Moved them left, right, up, down... Taxied my plane around the flight deck while repeatedly pushing Shift+I trying to find the start point... No luck. I've looked at other carriers' attach points and they are no different from mine. I can't figure out why one cat works fine and the other one doesn't.

 

[TARPSBird]

I've found that the catapult with attach points labeled "attachpt_catapult_start_1" and "attachpt_catapult_end_1" works OK regardless of which side of the flight deck I put it on. The second catapult, with attach points labeled "attachpt_catapult_start_2" and "attachpt_catapult_end_2", does not work, period.