Can AI ships be used as library objects with ADE?

[annber]

I downloaded the wonderful ship AI packages from KL791, but rather than installing them all, I would rather use them as library objects for placement around areas of the caribbean where I am developing photoreal sceneries, is that possible at all? I tried importing the ships to the library but it could not find the file to import.
Alternatively I would if allowable modify the files to just be AI ships around those areas, but someone would need to explain how to do that as well.
Thanks, Bernardo.

 

[Dayou]

Yes you can do that by going to ADEX->Tools->Library Object Manager then you add your library ships.
After that, you "right" click where you want to put your ships and you choose: Add...->Library Object. Now you choose your library from the list then copy and paste it where you want your library ships to appear!

Hope this helps!

 

[scruffyduck]

If these are AI models then they are probably not library objects. Don (gadgets) has a tool called SAMM - http://stuff4fs.com/open.asp?Folder=SAMM&JS=TRUE - which can convert aircraft models to static models. You may need to use this first to convert the AI ships to static models. You can then add the model (mdl) files directly into ADE and use them.

 

[annber]

Thanks Jon, I will give that a try as soon as I am relieved of my holiday duties, like cooking, cleaning, etc. May we all have a happy and peaceful holiday.

 

[Hangar32]

Hi Guys,

I understood what Jon said however, is it necessary?

When I make a boat/ship in gMax I save it as a .mdl. If it is to be a static model, I usually use Arno's thingy (Library Creator?) that creates a a BGL out of a bunch of .mdl's

If/When I want to use them in ADE, I simply add that BGL with the library object manager as explained above.

I can take that same boat/ship .mdl, create a folder under SimObjects/Boats, and "Model" folder under that, and copy the mdl file over to that folder, add the rest of the required .cfg, etc files in the proper places and I have an AI boat/ship.

Seems to me the reverse should be possible. Grab the mdl files from their SimObjects/Boats/Models folders and use Arno's thingy to create a BGL file with all of the boats in it. Actually you don't need to touch the mdl files, just point Arno's thingy at the location of each file. Then it's the ADE library object manager.

Shouldn't that work?

Happy Holidays!

 

[scruffyduck]

I understood what Jon said however, is it necessary?

Well I can only say it depends. I am not an expert on sim objects but I am not sure that the mdl files are going to work directly in ADE. I am sure someone will put me right though

 

[Hangar32]

I guess the point is that I have been making static models that work just fine in ADE, and then converting them to AI models.

I use gMax to guid the state model. There are only a few animations–smoke from stack, fluttering flags, turning radar, etc. Although for hovercraft added spine fans and sound (link to the Kingair turboprop sound). So all in all, very simple models.

My models it will work because I start off with a static model to begin with. I have not tried to "reverse engineer" that process with somebody else's AI models.

Jon has a good point. Not knowing how a model was created, there may be "a fly in the ointment" that presets problems. I may have to do some tinkering - I've been looking for some good AI boats for an upcoming project.

P.S. If anaber can provide the link to the AI ship's package he mentioned, I can do some experiments. Cheers!

 

[Hangar32]

Well I can only say it depends. I am not an expert on sim objects but I am not sure that the mdl files are going to work directly in ADE. I am sure someone will put me right though

You are correct sir. The mdl files cannot be used directly. You need to make them into a BGL.

I don't know what the innards of "ship AI packages from KL791" look like however would assume a standard AI Boat configuration / folder system. If so, one uses Arno's most excellent Library Creator XML to point the correct mdl file and compiles it into a file library BGL. Then that BGL can be used with any program, like ADE, that places static scenery. Obviously you need to work with the Library Manager in the app.

I just tried it with the default CaspianSeaMonster (which does not have a static counterpart like most AI boats do) and got this using OPT
…takes up a lot of ramp space.

Two Points:
1 - The textures must be copied into the proper airport texture or Add-on Scenery Texture folder (or you get a black object)
2 - The model's 0 height may not correspond to the bottom of the object (boat). In this case I had to raise it 10 ft AGL.

Cheers!

 

[robystar]

Update on the last entry:
Just load the simobject mdl in MCX, then in the material editor point the textures to the right texture folder and export as scenery ( a bgl).
No need to use the Library Creator.

 

[Hangar32]

True, enough! I hadn't thought of that. No need to use Library Creator…and therefore none to copy the textures over to another folder.

That said, with most of my projects I have a number of "home made" scenery objects. In that case, is much easier to load them into a single library and then make them available for placement, using ADE or SBuilderX's object library manager. (You can use OBT but have to remember the GUID for each.) So I use Library Creator to create one BGL with literally dozens of custom objects. The textures for each go into another folder…and I'm done.

For Bernardo's project, it sounded like he was looking at converting several if not many objects, which is why I mentioned using Library Creator.

Depending on how many models one is working with it is a case of "Half of one; six dozen of the other"…er…I always get that saying wrong

Cheers!