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Experiences with FS2004 aircraft import/export

And a follow up... I got it to work now... Two issues when I opened the model there was an animation named "custom_anim_{_00" and the textures named "skj&sib_an10_t.bmp" and "prop_skj&sib_an10.bmp"... The answer was to change the animation name to "custom_anim_1_00" and to delete the textures to "skjsib_an10_t.bmp" and "prop_skjsib_an10.bmp" respectively this combination allowed it to compile properly...
 
... and yet another weird issue... So after changing the names of the textures and animations I does compile. However, it is not saving the animation .xml coding...

So when I go into the .xml editor I add the code: (original code I just changed the name)

</PartInfo>
<Animation name="custom_anim_AN10flap_00" guid="c410ca3b-3e74-4322-b5b4-4bef20eec7a8" length="100" type="Sim" typeParam2="custom_anim_{_00" typeParam="AutoPlay" />
<PartInfo>
<Name>custom_anim_AN10flap_00</Name>
<AnimLength>100</AnimLength>
<Animation>
<Parameter>
<Code>{ (A:GEAR HANDLE POSITION,position) (A:LIGHT STROBE, bool) 50 * * } || { (A:FLAPS HANDLE PERCENT, bool) + 40 * }</Code>
<Lag>2</Lag>
</Parameter>
</Animation>
</PartInfo>

MCX xml 1.JPG

I then go into the animation editor and assign the animation type and export the model.

mcx anim assigned.JPG




Then when I re-open the newly exported model and go to the animation editor it shows the animation as "unknown" and in pink as though the .xml coding didn't stick but the animation still exists and plays...

MCx unknown.JPG
 
jetpilot1980 said:
So I just tried the AN-10 again with the latest dev release from this morning... I know in one of your previous posts you mentioned that the export was failing because of the textures using the "&" character, and I think remember it being mentioned that issue was going to be fixed in this release...? Anyway, I tested it twice again and it failed on me twice.. First test I just did "raw", second test I went into the material editor and re-named the textures to get rid of the "&" character it still failed... files attached. Thanks,
Click to expand...
Í had hoped this was fixed, but apparantly there is something else in the object that makes invalid X output. I'll try to figure out what it is.
 
Would you be able to send me the MDL file that gives you all these weird animation and texture names? It is quite hard to debug with only the X file at the moment.
 
Thanks, got it. Just in case I removed the attachment now.
 
Thanks, having the model helped. I have fixed two bugs and now I can export the model:
  • The code that removed the special textures from the texture name was buggy, so it missed some textures. That is fixed now.
  • I have modified the logic for the custom animation names to prevent brackets from being part of the name.
 
Hi Tom,
tgibson said:
Test 1: FS9 AI DC-6B to FSX
Props and right main wheels now rotate properly. Good.
That only leaves the passenger door, door opening, and animated panel of the airstairs - they are displaced and do not animate.
And the taxi lights do not get the fx_landing effect, they get an MCX generated effect instead. They should be given the fx_landing effect, just like the landing lights.
Click to expand...
I have been looking at the door animations now. It seems that FSX has an issue with the translational animation, when I remove that one and only leave the rotational animation it works fine. Because the translational animation is ignored, you also see the black "hole"of the door on the other side of the fuselage. I am not sure why for this custom animation FSX does not want to do the translation. I'll see if I can figure something out.
 
I GOT IT!!!

Found yet another XtoMDL quirck. For translational animations the first key has to be 0,0,0. If I correct the model for that and door animation does work correctly. Also I need to make sure that the translational and rotational animations are on the same node and not on two different nodes (bit similar to the issue with the dummy scenegraph node before). Now that I understand how the structure should be for XtoMDL, I can modify the optimization in MCX to work towards that structure.
 
That’s great! If the taxi lights can be fixed that will complete that model and we can move on. Hopefully this new optimization will eliminate some of the other issues as well.
 
tgibson said:
That’s great! If the taxi lights can be fixed that will complete that model and we can move on. Hopefully this new optimization will eliminate some of the other issues as well.
Click to expand...
I have implemented the logic now to correct the animations for what FSX needs, the door is working fine now.

For the taxi light, does it need anything special for AI? When there is a FS2004 taxi light present in the model, it should be converted to a FX with visibility condition for FSX.
 
It *is* converted to an FX, but the wrong one. Taxi light splashes use the fx_landing effect (just like landing lights) and thus should be given that effect instead of an effect that MCX creates (which is what is happening now). It is being given the correct visibility condition (light_taxi_vis), but it will never be seen without the correct FX file. I changed it to fx_landing using the Attached Objects Editor and it appears correctly in the sim.
 
Ok, that can probably by configured in the light mapping ini file, I'll check.
 
Yes, it appears that the first section of the light mapping ini file could have a taxi light entry added.

[FS2004_FSX]
Beacon fx_beacon
Landing fx_landing
Taxi fx_landing <--
Strobe fx_strobe
 
Last edited:
In the FS9 AI DC-6B I tried changing the first keyframe of the Position animations to 0,0,0 (there are three, door, door opening, and airstairs panel). I then added the lost transformation into the Transformation section. This worked at keyframe 0. Then I had to adjust each of the other keyframes so that transformation component was removed. This also displayed OK in MCX.

I then exported the model to FSX and tried it out. All of these parts are now in their proper locations, and the Position animations work correctly. But the door Rotation animation does not play, the door is static.
 
Hi Tom,

I got that bit working already. You also need to put the rotation and translation animations on the same node. I'll try to push a new release soon, will fix the light first though.
 
You're right - it works once you move a Rotation animation section to the SGN that contains the Position animation and delete the others! Thanks.
 
But in the next release MCX will do all those steps automatically for you.
 
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