Very noob question regarding export of gltf file to MSFS

[Thick8]

Hello All,
I hope you can steer my down the correct path.
I currently fly the steam gauge Asobo C-172 in VR using a DIY button box. My next simpit iteration is a 1:1 dashboard (using leap motion 2 for hand tracking) with all of the knobs, buttons, and dial in their correct location. There is limited space for the build, so I decided to move the ADF radio to the bottom of the radio stack. I've imported the model into Blender and made the necessary adjustment but can't figure out how to export the gltf model file. What version of Blender and plug-in do I need to accomplish this task?
Thank you for any help you may be able to provide.
John

 

[jgarnold]

I suggest you use Blender v3.1 with the Asobo exporter addon installed and use it to export.

 

[Thick8]

Thank you. I had gone back to version 3.3. I'll try 3.1. What version of the add-in should I use? The latest version states that it is only compatible with Blender 3.3x.
Oops, Looks like it's version 1.1.5. I'll give it a try.

 

[jgarnold]

I believe that the latest version of the Asobo exporter will also work with Blender 3.3.
I know that it definitely works with Blender 3.1
Let us know if you have any problems using the exporter

 

[Thick8]

I've tried several combinations of Blender and add-on version. Nothing seems to work.
The newest add-on file Github page states "This plugin cannot import glTF files that have been built into a Microsoft Flight Simulator package through the Sim's Package Builder." I'm assuming this disallows the ability to modify MSFS installed models. Maybe this was mandated by MS(?). If so, I wonder if the plugin authors modified the previous versions to meet this requirement.

 

[jgarnold]

Sorry I don't know BUT imagine what you suggest is correct. However I thought you were attempting to export rather than import.
What importer are your using though?

The standard glTF 2.0 or the MSFS glTF?

 

[lionheart]

This will import to Blender 3.6. Then you will need a way to export back to MSFS after you have modded your model. I do not know if this exports fully to MSFS, but it will get the model in. And it needs Blender 3.6.
What you 'really' want is the FlyByWire FBW gltf Importer which worked with Blender 3.2, but it seems to have disappeared. You would need to find someone that has it.

MSFS - Fly By Wire addon for Blender 3.x

I sometimes extract the gltfs from MSFS models to see how they work. To view them in Blender involved a process of importing to Blender2.92 with the Fly By Wire MSFS import/export addon, then save a .blend file then import to Blender 3.x with the Asobo exporter. I got irritated finally and...

fsdeveloper.com

 

[lionheart]

You will need to be very exact in setting up the settings in the FBW settings, especially for TexConv. You must have all PNG files, and you'll need those when you export back to glTF after youre finished modelling, or test exporting.

 

[jgarnold]

I can't remember exactly the problem you are 'up against' but lionheart's response makes me wonder if you should import the 'model using Model Converter X (which allows the import of many different files types including gltf. You then export the textures (preferable as type PNG - there are others too) and then export the model (as a gltf). You then should be able to import those files with Blender 3.1 or 3.3 (maybe maybe later versions too but the Asobo exporter won't work with Blender above 3.3

 

[rhumbaflappy]

This will import to Blender 3.6. Then you will need a way to export back to MSFS after you have modded your model. I do not know if this exports fully to MSFS, but it will get the model in. And it needs Blender 3.6.
What you 'really' want is the FlyByWire FBW gltf Importer which worked with Blender 3.2, but it seems to have disappeared. You would need to find someone that has it.

Actually this FDW addon will work with v2.8 through 4.0 I believe. I just changed the naming so it does not (mostly) interfere with other glTF exporters.

 

[=rk=]

Hello All,
I hope you can steer my down the correct path.
I currently fly the steam gauge Asobo C-172 in VR using a DIY button box. My next simpit iteration is a 1:1 dashboard (using leap motion 2 for hand tracking) with all of the knobs, buttons, and dial in their correct location. There is limited space for the build, so I decided to move the ADF radio to the bottom of the radio stack. I've imported the model into Blender and made the necessary adjustment but can't figure out how to export the gltf model file. What version of Blender and plug-in do I need to accomplish this task?
Thank you for any help you may be able to provide.
John

Before you are done you'll have to deal with the fact that we cannot undo the compression algorithm that occurs when textures are converted from .PNG to .PNG.DDS. Basically, you'd have to take your "captured" model, find the original 172 PackageSource .PNG textures (which we do not have access to) and map those original textures to your captured model.
-OR-
You could save the default .png.dds textures, insert some "dummy" .png versions of those with the same names and sizes to get you through the Package Build process, then once you have a completed project folder, you can swap the default textures back in. You might have to run the layout.json through the "MSFS Layout Generator" to get the sim to accept those edits.

When MSFS first released I did a ton of ripping and hacking of default MSFS aircraft - swapping cockpits, stealing entire animated landing gear assemblies from Hornet and B747 and merging those to my own models using nothing more than MCX. I was able to skirt the texture conversion issue, because I either never actually re compiled my ripped assemblies, or if I did, I first recreated the textures using Photoshop. Here's a screen of my flying desktop with the Daher 930 PFD and MFD mapped to the monitor and a Chinese H-20 bomber with 747 bogies. You can download the desktop/rocket here, the bomber as an AI plane in scenery here.

Aside from the shameless plugging, I wanted to raise the idea that just like the bomber model with 747 landing gear, you could simply merge your 1:1 dashboard with the existing 172, if were not for the fact that the new cockpit has to have a relocated ADF transmitter. Perhaps your addition completely conceals the default transmitter, then you'd only have to include the moved version of the transmitter, along with the parts you've created that you want to merge. Something to consider.

 

[lionheart]

Actually this FDW addon will work with v2.8 through 4.0 I believe. I just changed the naming so it does not (mostly) interfere with other glTF exporters.

Awesome... I havent tried exporting yet with it.

@rhumbaflappy , have you figured out a way to import the DDS textures in a MCX converted glTF file to PNG 'with' the imported glTF file from an FSX model? Mine refuses to work. I can import textures with a glTF from MSFS, but not FSX. I set the bottom slot for the main FSX folder in the importer, but no-go. All materials show their names as 'dds' and no conversions of textures occur.

 

[rhumbaflappy]

I usually convert textures to PNG in MCX, so I don't need to import to Blender as DDS. I also generally export from MCX as straight glTF, not as MSFS glTF. It avoids some problems. Also, many times the alpha should be set to Alpha Clip or None in Blender. MSFS displays straight gltf just fine, so if you don't need the MSFS extensions in a material, you can just keep it straight (without MSFS extensions).

 

[jgarnold]

I usually convert textures to PNG in MCX

Me too as I mentioned earlier.

 

[Pyscen]

The NVidia Texture Tool (standalone) can read and export BC7 Textures which MSFS 2020 uses including TIF.DDS & PNG.DDS.

 

[=rk=]

OK, I'm sure most everybody already knows this, but in case some here are slow careful learners like me, none of the "converters" can undo the compression algorithm, so they don't actually convert, they export to the image format.

It is recommended to use a lossless format at 16 bits per pixel, such as the 16 bpp *.PNG format. This is especially important for roughness, metal and/or occlusion maps, where Microsoft Flight Simulator remaps the data to a curve to have more precision in the dark areas before compressing (which is then remapped again later in the shader).

Textures

docs.flightsimulator.com

Here are some examples taken from the SimpleAircraft sample project, default on the left, re exported .png from .png.dds on the right.

From this we can see that the loss of image quality is most pronounced for the normal texture, followed by the comp texture, barely noticeable in the albedo, leading to: if anyone is at all like me, you'll probably just assume the best for everything. Doing all those hybridized re exports forced me to confront this "sitiation." The quality cannot be restored algorithmically, developers should probably take this into account.

 

[rhumbaflappy]

We're wandering a bit from the OP question. I'm closing this thread. Open a new one with specific questions about textures or conversions of textures.