Questions for brainy boffins

[hpat]

Hello,
A few questions to help me with my simobject building:

1. Does anyone know how to open cfs3 .M3D model in gmax - i can export to m3d but i can't import from m3d.
2. Could anyone tell me what is wrong with my gun station building, i can get my model into cfs3 (the guns are fully implemented in the model) but once i add the following xdp code for the gunstations the game fails to load the object:

<GunStations>
<GunStation UpLimit="10" DownLimit="10" LeftLimit="120" RightLimit="120" RateLimit="10" SystemID="cannon" Tracer="100" Trainable="1" Trigger="0" Type="105mm45_gun" Name="105mm45" ConvergeDistance="0" Pitch="0" MaxAmmo="100" MuzzleFlash="fx_gunblast_5in"/>
<GunStation UpLimit="10" DownLimit="10" LeftLimit="120" RightLimit="120" RateLimit="10" SystemID="left_cannon" Tracer="100" Trainable="1" Trigger="0" Type="105mm45_gun" Name="105mm45" ConvergeDistance="0" Pitch="0" MaxAmmo="100" MuzzleFlash="fx_gunblast_5in"/>
<GunStation UpLimit="10" DownLimit="10" LeftLimit="120" RightLimit="120" RateLimit="10" SystemID="upper_chin_gun" Tracer="100" Trainable="1" Trigger="0" Type="105mm45_gun" Name="105mm45" ConvergeDistance="0" Pitch="0" MaxAmmo="100" MuzzleFlash="fx_gunblast_5in"/>
<GunStation UpLimit="10" DownLimit="10" LeftLimit="120" RightLimit="120" RateLimit="10" SystemID="chin_gun" Tracer="100" Trainable="1" Trigger="0" Type="105mm45_gun" Name="105mm45" ConvergeDistance="0" Pitch="0" MaxAmmo="100" MuzzleFlash="fx_gunblast_5in"/>
<GunStation UpLimit="85" DownLimit="5" LeftLimit="180" RightLimit="180" RateLimit="100" SystemID="left_waist_gun" Tracer="20" Trainable="1" Trigger="0" Type="37mmFlak_gun" Name="37mm Flak" ConvergeDistance="0" Pitch="0" MaxAmmo="3000"/>
<GunStation UpLimit="85" DownLimit="5" LeftLimit="180" RightLimit="180" RateLimit="100" SystemID="right_waist_gun" Tracer="20" Trainable="1" Trigger="0" Type="37mmFlak_gun" Name="37mm Flak" ConvergeDistance="0" Pitch="0" MaxAmmo="3000"/>
</GunStations>

3. because these are large heavy ship guns, is their any way to slow the rotation of the turrets, the currently take about 1.5 seconds (aprox) to spin from one side to the other and 1 second to do a full up/down sweep. is their any way to slow this to something more like 5 seconds and 3 seconds respectively?

I think that's all for now, thanks.
Harley Paterson

 

[hairyspin]

Does anyone know how to open cfs3 .M3D model in gmax - i can export to m3d but i can't import from m3d.

You can't, period. Annoying, but it's to protect the modellers' copyright.

Could anyone tell me what is wrong with my gun station building, i can get my model into cfs3 (the guns are fully implemented in the model) but once i add the following xdp code for the gunstations the game fails to load the object:

<GunStations> 
 
<GunStation UpLimit="10" DownLimit="10" LeftLimit="120" RightLimit="120" RateLimit="10" SystemID="cannon" Tracer="100" Trainable="1" Trigger="0" Type="105mm45_gun" Name="105mm45" ConvergeDistance="0" Pitch="0" MaxAmmo="100" MuzzleFlash="fx_gunblast_5in"/>
<GunStation UpLimit="10" DownLimit="10" LeftLimit="120" RightLimit="120" RateLimit="10" SystemID="left_cannon" Tracer="100" Trainable="1" Trigger="0" Type="105mm45_gun" Name="105mm45" ConvergeDistance="0" Pitch="0" MaxAmmo="100" MuzzleFlash="fx_gunblast_5in"/>
<GunStation UpLimit="10" DownLimit="10" LeftLimit="120" RightLimit="120" RateLimit="10" SystemID="upper_chin_gun" Tracer="100" Trainable="1" Trigger="0" Type="105mm45_gun" Name="105mm45" ConvergeDistance="0" Pitch="0" MaxAmmo="100" MuzzleFlash="fx_gunblast_5in"/>
<GunStation UpLimit="10" DownLimit="10" LeftLimit="120" RightLimit="120" RateLimit="10" SystemID="chin_gun" Tracer="100" Trainable="1" Trigger="0" Type="105mm45_gun" Name="105mm45" ConvergeDistance="0" Pitch="0" MaxAmmo="100" MuzzleFlash="fx_gunblast_5in"/>
<GunStation UpLimit="85" DownLimit="5" LeftLimit="180" RightLimit="180" RateLimit="100" SystemID="left_waist_gun" Tracer="20" Trainable="1" Trigger="0" Type="37mmFlak_gun" Name="37mm Flak" ConvergeDistance="0" Pitch="0" MaxAmmo="3000"/>
<GunStation UpLimit="85" DownLimit="5" LeftLimit="180" RightLimit="180" RateLimit="100" SystemID="right_waist_gun" Tracer="20" Trainable="1" Trigger="0" Type="37mmFlak_gun" Name="37mm Flak" ConvergeDistance="0" Pitch="0" MaxAmmo="3000"/>
</GunStations>

Have you modelled guns with the same names as SystemID in each line of this code? The gun model itself is not named this way, but a dummy object attached to the gun model is, so you'll have dummies named upper_chin_gun, left_waist_gun etc in your model.

because these are large heavy ship guns, is their any way to slow the rotation of the turrets, the currently take about 1.5 seconds (aprox) to spin from one side to the other and 1 second to do a full up/down sweep. is their any way to slow this to something more like 5 seconds and 3 seconds respectively?

The entry to change is RateLimit, it's in degrees per second and is the maximum elevation/traverse speed.


But I think you need to walk before you run... I suggest you visit Viso's CFS3 tutorials, perhaps his Bitmap to Vroom-Vroom-Vroom tutorial for vehicle building. Lots of us started with his CFS3 modelling overviews.

Keep at it!

 

[hpat]

Thanks for that.
I guess I'll have to make educated guesses about the gun id numbers by looking at the ships in fsx.As for the gun stations i see what you mean, thanks - can i just not read, or is that not in the sdk? As for the rate limits, i thought that was to do with the rate of fire, so thanks, i will change that. Oh yes, if you walk before you run you never get the confidence to run.

Yours Sincerely,
Harley Paterson.

 

[hpat]

because i cant oped m3d files is it possible to not have cockpits/ gun stations but still have the vehicle work, for example just driving and shooting without a sight or eyepoint following the guns, basicly just approximate-visual-no-sight-or-eyepoint-aiming. and if so how would you do this?

 

[hairyspin]

I would think so. Stock models still work without the VC file, you just don't see the cockpit. I'm not sure if you could add weapons to a model that doesn't have any originally.

You'll still need .air, .xdp, aircraft.cfg files for the model, and it'll need to be in its own folder in the Aircraft folder. This is because a drivable vehicle or ship has to be treated as an aircraft model by the sim. Look at the drivable vehicles in MAW or ETO for examples of how to do this.

Good luck!

 

[hpat]

It WORKS!! - well er, sort of.

IT WORKS!!!
View attachment 35405View attachment 35406 Well, er, sort off:
List of imperfections to be fixed:
1.only 3 turrets are currently implemented, will add the 4th turret and stock machine guns later.
2.The guns are *&^%$#@ hard to aim (due to lack of "gun-sight" or other suitable type things - i have to get within 50 meters of a ship in order to hit it without luck being invloved) Long term project - find a way to aim guns without modding the M3D.

 

[hpat]

Yah,, My First Compleat Ship. - German Cruiser

My First Ship - The German Cruiser View attachment 35457 Is completed. and one hour's practice has seen me now get successful hits a one mile range.
Thanks for the help.
Next project - possibly British Destroyer.
Harley Paterson.

 

[hairyspin]

Good show, keep at it!

 

[hpat]

B Destroyer now working!!