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Can you suggest me a simpler workflow?
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Adding Static Aircraft
- Thread starter bogacerkan
- Start date
Can you suggest me a simpler workflow?
Have you tried to apply the workflow I described on Monday? It does not require any editing of .cig files. You will have to use MCX, a texture conversion process to get .png format textures, and Blender.
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Dear SPerx, I am sorry that I didn't paid enough attention to your post. Sometimes, things get clearer after a while. Probably I am trying to go too fast.
In short, I started following your workflow.
a) Import the source model to MCX and re-export as a .gltf (If I get this correctly, I just open the model vwith MCX and export without doing anything. And as far as I can see, this helps me while in Blender, as I can see which textures are used in the Shading editor. I can import the aircraft to Blender with MSFS Import / Export tool, but when I use this method, I do not see the names of the textures needed.)
b) Note, MCX will not export any animations, so you generally lose any retractable landing gear. (I will deal with that in Blender)
c) Import the .gltf to Blender (done)
d) Replace any missing components, such as landing gear. You can dissect out stowed landing gear and reposition it, but I find it quicker to make my own representative gear - we are talking static scenery objects here after all. (Done.)
e) Check that all the textures are in .png format to a power of two. You may need an App to convert old .bmp textures to .png. Be aware older versions of Flightsim had aircraft specific folders for textures, but in MSFS2020 your model objects will share a single texture folder, so you need unique names for textures for each aircraft and each marking variation. (I tried using a software called DDS Converter for this step but it fails to convert some of the texture files [I do not see thumbnails for these files and an online converter gives errors for these as well. Screenshot attached.]. I tried Gimp but it crashes every time I try to open a DDS. Any recommendations about DDS conversion software?)
f) Correlate the .png textures to Blender materials slots (I will, after successfully converting all the textures.)
g) Export the airplane as an MSFS static object (I am using Blender 3.6 and io_scene_gltf2_msfs for exports.)
Thank you very much.
In short, I started following your workflow.
a) Import the source model to MCX and re-export as a .gltf (If I get this correctly, I just open the model vwith MCX and export without doing anything. And as far as I can see, this helps me while in Blender, as I can see which textures are used in the Shading editor. I can import the aircraft to Blender with MSFS Import / Export tool, but when I use this method, I do not see the names of the textures needed.)
b) Note, MCX will not export any animations, so you generally lose any retractable landing gear. (I will deal with that in Blender)
c) Import the .gltf to Blender (done)
d) Replace any missing components, such as landing gear. You can dissect out stowed landing gear and reposition it, but I find it quicker to make my own representative gear - we are talking static scenery objects here after all. (Done.)
e) Check that all the textures are in .png format to a power of two. You may need an App to convert old .bmp textures to .png. Be aware older versions of Flightsim had aircraft specific folders for textures, but in MSFS2020 your model objects will share a single texture folder, so you need unique names for textures for each aircraft and each marking variation. (I tried using a software called DDS Converter for this step but it fails to convert some of the texture files [I do not see thumbnails for these files and an online converter gives errors for these as well. Screenshot attached.]. I tried Gimp but it crashes every time I try to open a DDS. Any recommendations about DDS conversion software?)
f) Correlate the .png textures to Blender materials slots (I will, after successfully converting all the textures.)
g) Export the airplane as an MSFS static object (I am using Blender 3.6 and io_scene_gltf2_msfs for exports.)
Thank you very much.
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Thank you, I will have a look.
I guess those files might be the ones that need not to be converted, because Blender does not complain about them.
I guess those files might be the ones that need not to be converted, because Blender does not complain about them.
I use DXTbmp which is very old but very simple. - https://www.mwgfx.co.uk/programs/dxtbmp.htm
Remember:
1. Open the texture in DXTbmp
2. Send the texture to the image editor of your choice NOTE - this will have a non-specific file name in your graphics package
3. From your graphics package save the file with a name of your choice, either copying the original name but as a .png, or something more unique given that MSFS2020 has one large texture folder
4. In Blender associate the .png texture to the relevant material in your model.
Good Luck
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Thank you very much.
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Strangely enough, I managed to get the textures into the plane but can not export them.
I added the cube for testing, the textures in the cube exports without any problems but any other texture is not exported from Blender.
Can there be some kind of a protection against what I am trying to do?
Maybe I should try with another aircraft.
I added the cube for testing, the textures in the cube exports without any problems but any other texture is not exported from Blender.
Can there be some kind of a protection against what I am trying to do?
Maybe I should try with another aircraft.
I believe all recommendations offered here may be both well-intended and potentially helpful ...with some study on how to use 3rd party apps.
But I must caution that DXTBMP has the ability to read and write many graphic file formats, some of which are not FS SDK compatible.
I strongly recommend using MCX to do all texture conversions for all intermediate steps of 3D model conversion before Blender export.
Arno's MCX knows how to read / write FS SDK texture files (with / without Alpha channels and compression types / levels) for MDL conversion.
Additionally, Arno's MCX automatically reads values for Alpha Channels and Material Transparency, then adapts when converting to a newer FS MDL
In some cases one may need to manually assign the file output format to be used via Material Editor after assigning the \Texture output path.
GaryGB
But I must caution that DXTBMP has the ability to read and write many graphic file formats, some of which are not FS SDK compatible.
I strongly recommend using MCX to do all texture conversions for all intermediate steps of 3D model conversion before Blender export.
Arno's MCX knows how to read / write FS SDK texture files (with / without Alpha channels and compression types / levels) for MDL conversion.
Additionally, Arno's MCX automatically reads values for Alpha Channels and Material Transparency, then adapts when converting to a newer FS MDL
In some cases one may need to manually assign the file output format to be used via Material Editor after assigning the \Texture output path.
GaryGB
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Did you specify a texture folder within the Blender export options? If not you textures will be dumped into the same go,der as the exported model files. You need to specify a folder called “ texture “ within the export folder.
Fair point, I have stuck with DXTBmp as I am used to it and it’s foibles, but will have a look at MCX as it sounds a if it will cut out the whole conversion process I currently go through.
Also, have you checked the file attributes for the texture files? Are they perhaps read only?
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I will try to act as you suggest but MCX looks scary to me.
It seems I might need to do some reading but I am confused with MCX and the option of importing and exporting without doing anything seemed pretty appealing.
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Ok, I have seen this before. Check the scaling of the airplane model in blender, and you can try joining all the parts of the plane into one. Save the blender file you have, then save it again with a different file name, I use a suffix J” in the file name to denote a joined model. Then open the new version and in object mode press “A” to select all objects, and re-save the file. Then copy the objects and open another instance of blender and Ctrl-V to paste the copied object as a new collection. Rename that - the textures should have come across with the copy & paste, then export again.
It is convoluted but it has worked for me.
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Thank you for your support. Will try that.