Getting started

[Meshman]

To answer CFS2 related questions.
Object librarys in CFS2 and FS2K2 are a very different thing from those in FS9 and FSX.

I'm thinking Arno G.'s Model Converter X can take CFSx files and convert them to FS(x) format, which can then be made into a Library. Mark from the Solomons 1943 project did this (IIRC) and would be a good source to check with. Think I'll go rattle his cage and see if he's awake?

 

[roger-wilco-66]

I'm thinking Arno G.'s Model Converter X can take CFSx files and convert them to FS(x) format, which can then be made into a Library. Mark from the Solomons 1943 project did this (IIRC) and would be a good source to check with. Think I'll go rattle his cage and see if he's awake?

He's awake
You can not read CFS2 models directly into MCX, unfortunatly, without getting an awful 3d mess or errors.
I only used MCX to import SCASM code, convert the textures to dds and optimize the 3d models for FSX (draw call reduction and color-to-texture fixes) and finally save it as FSX mdl. The hard part of converting CFS2 objects to FS9 / FSX is SCASM coding. You have to decompile the mdl / bgl files into SCASM code and isolate the "good" code from the damage model, which is the reason why FSX / FS9 can't read CFS2 code for scenery objects. The cfs2 model consists of several sub-parts which includes the damage models, which is set or filtered by conditional commands in the code stream. FSX does not understand this, this is why you get a "model cannot be read" error or the like.
Well, after separating the code, I read it into MCX, do my optimization work and in some cases set the right dimensions, and the save it as native FSX model. After that, I usually group the mdls in bgl archives.
That's the process.
Good thing about MCX regarding FS9: it can save FS9 mdls, among other formats.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[roger-wilco-66]

Ahh I forgot, reagarding the question of the usability of ADE(x) for CFS2: theres a forum where the developer is active. He goes by the name of scruffyduck there.

Just wander to:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=95

I designed all my airports (or "deleted" non historical ones) in my Solomon scenery with ADE for FSX. Nice and easy to work with, once you have learned the basics.
For obvious reasons (incompatibility of scenery objects, for example), I don't believe that you can use it for CFS2. But I have not tried it, I must say.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Willy]

I was mainly interested in using static ships from CFS 2 in FS9. My FS install has been redone with vintage scenery and AI. The modern container ships and cruise liners are very much out of place. I've got a bunch of aircraft carriers scattered about the globe, but would like to put in some older ships.

 

[roger-wilco-66]

I was mainly interested in using static ships from CFS 2 in FS9. My FS install has been redone with vintage scenery and AI. The modern container ships and cruise liners are very much out of place. I've got a bunch of aircraft carriers scattered about the globe, but would like to put in some older ships.

Willy,

the CFS2 ships are easy. I converted all of them to native FSX models.
But I must say, some of the original CFS2 ships look very simple. Anyhow, since I have the code ready, I might try to convert them to FS9 and you can have a try with them, if you like. Just tell me, which ships do you want.

Cheers,
Mark