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Migrating an FS9 aircraft to FSX/P3D

puentes

puentes

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37
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france
Hello,

My purpose is to migrate an existing aircraft created for FS2004 to FSX/P3D.
Animations are ready and XML code (MakeMDL.parts.xlml) should be written in FSX syntax (it's my task for the next week).

For the moment I am interested by all materials (standard materials) which are defined in my model.
For FSX/P3D, all material should be FSX Materials and I have a lot of parts assigned to a lot of materials.

Do you have a script, a method to make automatically this stuff ?
I have carefully read all docs on FFG / BFF script in the hope of finding a way but I do not see ... pherhaps using mayerial export only and with an text editor chnaging standad.material for FSX.materials ...

My idea is wrong or not ? What do you think about ? :confused:
 
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Hi Didier,

First, standard materials do work in FSX/P3D, except they should be converted to DDS standard (usually DXT5, DXT1 if alpha is white).

You have your fs9 model as what - 3ds, gmax, ...?

You are working in what - gmax, Max 2012, ...?

(FFG does not create any FSX materials for you, and its export of FSX materials needs editing.)
 
Mjahn, thanks for our answer

I am working with Gmax 1.2/Max 2012 64b and I have all SDK installed (FS2004, FSX and P3D).
For the moment, my aircraft is under Gmax - FS9 and my aim is to migrate under FSX/P3D in order to use improvements of theses SDK (ambient occlusion, bump mapping etc).
Is for theses reasons what I want to modify Standard material in FSX materials in my model.
 
Right, then it should be no problem porting your FS9 gmax mdl to Max using FFG. Port the standard materials over as well, for reference.

Basically, in Max, you will have to redo all animations, and create proper FSX materials.

The easiest way to do the new materials is to make use of the default FSX DC-3 Max source. You can find it here:

...\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Modeling SDK\3DSM7\samples\Douglas_DC3\Douglas_DC3_SDK.max

Now, from your current scene, merge in a major DC-3 part, say the fuselage. Make its material available in the material editor, get rid of the fuse itself, and apply the material to your fuse and other parts as applicable (easily done using the Select by Material option). Replace the maps, using your own. Add spec, fresnel, bump and tweaks as needed. (As this blows up the file size of the project considerably this can also be left to a later stage.)

Copy the material for specific map assignments or settings, merge in other parts from the DC-3 to access further variants, e.g. prop disks, glass, etc.

Good luck!
 
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Maybe I'm wrong, but I believe ModelConverterX can do this? :confused: I've opened an FS9 model and just hit the "Export to FSX .mdl" and it worked like magic...:wizard:...All I had to do was convert the textures after that.
 
I am French and it's not very easy to explained my problem. in engleih but I will try ... :)

ModelConverterX can migrate my aircraft to FSX but I couldn't add additional textures like bump mapping to actual textures defined in my model.

At this stage, I can write on an Notepad each part of my plane (parts_A) which is associated with an standard texture A, remove this texture A and create an othe FSX texture A' and then associated theses parts parts_A to this new FSX texture A' .... and repeat this process on each texture but it's a very long work ...
What I want to do is "automate the process" to save time rather than doing it manually ... it is possible ? that is the question :rolleyes:

My aim isn't to migrate my FS9 aircraft to 3ds Max 2012. If I should use Max 2012 to obtain an automatic process, I will use Max.
My first idea was to turn my plane several scripts "*.ms" with BFF, then change in theses scripts all standard textures by FSX textures and then retrieve theses scripts with Gmax or with Max to save time.

Thanks for your replies.
 
Say you have 10 materials.

In Max you need to define these materials as FSX materials, no way to automate this except to start off with the predefined recipes present in the default DC-3.

However, no need to have a list of parts associated with materials. In Max, simply select one part then further Select By Material and all parts having this same material will be selected. Apply the FSX material to the selection. Pick another part, Select By Material, assign new FSX material ... etc. Thus ten materials = ten easy steps, which is not bad at all, I think.
 
Perfectly, Mjahn ... I am a newbiee with Max 2012 and I have forget this function that doesn't exist under Gmax.
I will try this solution :greenflag
 
Actually, Select By Material is also available for gmax, it's a separate script, see here:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showpost.php?p=92543&postcount=1

So I suppose you could stick to gmax throughout, the DC-3 and its FSX materials recipes is also available as a gmax source. But seeing that you have Max in the best setup so far ... it would really be strange not to use it. Working animations in gmax could be a factor though because they get trashed by FFG.
 
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Exactly, that is the question I would ask, but you've read my thoughts ... I will test this script immediately that you have founded for me :)
 
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