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Max 2012 and P3D SDK tools 64bit

Skip67

Skip67

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ireland
Hey all,

I just installed the latest 64bit P3D tools for Max2012 64bit.
The SDK 'Using Modelling Tools' says that when exporting a model from 3DSMax (to an X file), I should select.. 'Prepar3D Direct X File (*.x)'.
I'm not seeing that in the list.. I do have the Aces Tools and Aces Docs present in the menu at top of screen so I'm sure the SDK is installed correctly etc.

Can someone please offer advice on what I might check etc....

Thanks,

Skip
 
Use Aces tools "ExportLOD" and check the options to "Prompt on export" and "Choose Export File". It should automatically have "*.x" as the file to be saved.

The window that pops up after clicking "ExportLOD" from the tools menu has everything you need to export an object. Don't forget file properties to create the GUID and name.
 
Hey! Thank you very much. I never thought of looking there.... :)

Can I ask what's the best way to convert the x file to an mdl file. I know about Xtomdl.exe etc. Just wondering about the most efficient way to do it.

Many thanks.

Skip
 
Hi Bill, I read with interest your tutorial on setting up XtoMDL etc... as I did some time ago when setting up Max8 for FSX. But I'm experiencing a problem I'm hoping that you might have a solution for.

The shortcut that I set up for XtoMDL and copied to my 'Send To' folder is all done and dusted but the converter fails straight away with an error that I have traced down to the fact that some of the folder names in the path to where XtoMDL.exe is located contains spaces. e.g. Environment Kit and Modeling SDK. When I replace the spaces with underscores it works fine. But then of course the plugins fail to load in 3DSMax.

Here's my shortcut entry:
%windir%\system32\cmd.exe /K "E:\FlightSimUtilities\Prepar3D_SDK\Environment Kit\Modeling SDK\3DSM7\Plugins\XToMdl.exe" /XANIM /DICT: "E:\FlightSimUtilities\Prepar3D_SDK\Environment Kit\Modeling SDK\3DSM7\Plugins\modeldef.xml"

Ignore the space in "Environmen t", I dunno why this forum is doing that, I don['t really have it in my shortcut.

The warning I get in the cmd window is..... E:\FlightSimUtilities\Prepar3D_SDK\Environment' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
You can see above that the path is truncated where the first [space] appears. Enclosing the path in quotes doesnt seem to have any effect.

Any thoughts on how to fix this ? The path in the shortcut seems unable to handle path names with spaces, despite the use of quotes.

Many Thanks.

Skip
 
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Re-check the Wiki. You may be misplacing the quotation marks... the Wiki has it thus:

%windir%\system32\cmd.exe /K E:"\FSX_SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\ ....

Yes, you have it differently.

If you can't make it work I can point you to a fairly bullet-proof alternative.
 
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I was fixing to point to the misplaced opening quote mark as well. I know it seems like it ought to be as you've done it, but...

...it is wrong. In fact, that's the same stumbling point I had years ago and it took me several frustrating days to discover the answer! :rotfl:

One alternative you've already tried without success because you only did some of the work. That is replacing all blank spaces in a pathname with an underscore character.

Not only do the actual pathnames need to be edited, to match the command shortcut, but changing the pathnames will also affect all of the other tools in FSX SDK so that they also need to be edited!

So, I do not recommend changing the pathnames... :teacher:
 
Gents, thanks so much, it is working now.

I had the quote marks in the wrong place as you pointed out. However, I'm sure I had them in the correct place when I first tried it, as I know well that Bill's words are usually spot on and thus had no reason at that stage to move the quote marks to where I had them.

I did spot another problem.. which can be seen in my pasted path.. I have a space after the DICT:.

When I searched the net for correct quotation and placement of quote marks they are shown where I had them... ie. to the left of the, thus - "E:/ !! Anyway, I try not to let these things keep me awake at night... that is... after I get it fixed :).

One other question, I'm not seeing the '<!-- ++++ Processing Animation : Ambient2 ++++ -->" etc listing 'live' in the cmd window during compile of the mdl file... it remains totally blank. Is there a way to get that back ? I was used to it when compiling from Max8 and I rather liked it :).

Mjahn, I'm curious now, would you be kind enough to share your 'bullet proof alternative' ?

Much and many thanks again.

Skip
 
Skip67 said:
One other question, I'm not seeing the '<!-- ++++ Processing Animation : Ambient2 ++++ -->" etc listing 'live' in the cmd window during compile of the mdl file... it remains totally blank. Is there a way to get that back ? I was used to it when compiling from Max8 and I rather liked it :).
Click to expand...

Sure you can, but then you'll lose the buildlog.txt file...

Simply remove the redirect command from the end of the Target script: "> buildlog.txt"...

The greater-than character (>) in a DOS command script means "redirect the screen output to" and then one gives a filename and extension, such as buildlog.txt.

The problem is that you can't really copy/paste the screen dump of the processing log to a text file, so that makes it more difficult to review and diagnose any reported problems. Worse, you can't SHARE that report to anyone else for their inspection either... :eek:
 
Skip67 said:
Mjahn, I'm curious now, would you be kind enough to share your 'bullet proof alternative' ?Skip
Click to expand...

Pleasure, here goes.

Create a batch file called CreateMdl.bat in the folder where you have your current XtoMdl.exe. In CreateMdl.bat you specify a line containing this:

<XtoMdl.exe path> /XANIM /DICT:<modeldef.xml path> %1 > %1_log.txt

Replace the items delimited by <> by the full path names of the files in question including quotation marks. You best use a file browser to navigate to the files, copy the paths to the clipboard, and paste them in.

To illustrate, here is what I have in my own CreateMdl.bat:

"c:\P3DSDK\Environment Kit\Modeling SDK\3DSM7\Plugins\XtoMDL.exe" /XANIM /DICT:"c:\P3DSDK\Environment Kit\Modeling SDK\3DSM7\Plugins\modeldef.xml" %1 > %1_log.txt

pause


Next create a desktop shortcut to CreatMdl.bat and you are ready to do business -- using a file browser simply drop your x files onto the shortcut.

Edit, Actually I don't have Max 12, so haven't tested this with the new 64bit version. Probably shouldn't have said "bullet-proof".
 
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During export from 3ds max, I check all 3 boxes on left side and I'm automatically left with a .x and .mdl file. I haven't used xtomdl once (manually) with the P3D SDK.

Is there any reason I should be doing this different?
 
Bill, Mjahn,

Thanks very much indeed for all your help and information, much appreciated :)

VAEjonp,

I tried doing that myself and it didn't work for me, I get a cmd window but it trips up somehow, I didn't look further into why it does that.

Skip
 
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