FSDeveloper Wiki - User contributions [en-gb]

Starting a Model in GMax

2011-11-16T17:25:34Z

HerefortheBeer-2396:

{{:Ambox-Content-Needs-Improvement}}

{{Infobox-Applicable-FSVersion
| FSXI = false
| FSXA = true
| FSX = true
| FS2004 = true
| FS2002 = true
}}

If you know what you are doing, starting a model in GMax is fairly simple. It's when you get to the tiny details and shape of the aircraft that modeling can get very challenging. Here are some tips to starting a model.

1. Get access to good reference material, like photo or a backdrop image.

2. Use the backdrop image in your viewports, so you can get the exact shape of your object. Or if making an aircraft, another way is to find a 3-view image of the aircraft, cut it into the separate parts (nose-on, side on and plan view) and crop each view so that the aircraft fits right to the edges of each image. Then, using the dimensions of the aircraft that you have found online, create 3 walls that will form your backdrops, sizing them using these dimensions (the side wall will be length x height, the nose-on wall will be span x height, and the plan view on the floor will be span x length). Texture each wall with the relevant image from the 3-view you cut up, e.g. the side view on the far wall, the front view to one side and the plan view on the bottom "wall". Make sure these walls all align exactly at one corner so that it is like the far wall and side wall of a room and a floor, all joining at a point. You not only have the 3-view available in each viewport, but you also have the workspace dimensioned for the aircraft you are creating. Group the walls as a single object and centre it in the workspace so that the original of the model will be where you want it. When exporting the model, use "export selected" and omit the walls from the export list. Eventually the model will reach the stage when you can remove the walls entirely. If you are new to modelling, this also helps you to get an easy introduction into texturing surfaces.

3. If you are new to modeling, start off with something simple, like a small house, which uses mostly boxes.

4. If you don't like it, don't model it. Modeling can be hard, but fun. If you don't like what your modeling, it will seem like it will take forever to finish.

5. If you start modeling something, but don't want to continue, or don't have enough knowledge of modeling, upload it to a FS website's design downloads. There are probably people out there that could use the model.

6. Many people prefer freeware add-ons, but some of the highest quality, and maybe the only add-on of its kind out there are payware. If you are a beginner, it is probably best that your add-on is freeware, as it is probably not the best out there, yet...

7. If you have A LOT of completed add-ons, or GMax source files YOU have created, you may consider starting your own FS website.

I hope that I have helped you, and remember, DON'T GIVE UP!

[[category:Aircraft Design]]
[[category:Scenery Design]]
[[category:Modeling]]

Starting a Model in GMax

2011-11-16T17:24:39Z

HerefortheBeer-2396: Added my approach to backdrops.

{{:Ambox-Content-Needs-Improvement}}

{{Infobox-Applicable-FSVersion
| FSXI = false
| FSXA = true
| FSX = true
| FS2004 = true
| FS2002 = true
}}

If you know what you are doing, starting a model in GMax is fairly simple. It's when you get to the tiny details and shape of the aircraft that modeling can get very challenging. Here are some tips to starting a model.

1. Get access to good reference material, like photo or a backdrop image.

2. Use the backdrop image in your viewports, so you can get the exact shape of your object.
Or if making an aircraft, another way is to find a 3-view image of the aircraft, cut it into the separate parts (nose-on, side on and plan view) and crop each view so that the aircraft fits right to the edges of each image. Then, using the dimensions of the aircraft that you have found online, create 3 walls that will form your backdrops, sizing them using these dimensions (the side wall will be length x height, the nose-on wall will be span x height, and the plan view on the floor will be span x length). Texture each wall with the relevant image from the 3-view you cut up, e.g. the side view on the far wall, the front view to one side and the plan view on the bottom "wall". Make sure these walls all align exactly at one corner so that it is like the far wall and side wall of a room and a floor, all joining at a point. You not only have the 3-view available in each viewport, but you also have the workspace dimensioned for the aircraft you are creating. Group the walls as a single object and centre it in the workspace so that the original of the model will be where you want it. When exporting the model, use "export selected" and omit the walls from the export list. Eventually the model will reach the stage when you can remove the walls entirely. If you are new to modelling, this also helps you to get an easy introduction into texturing surfaces.

3. If you are new to modeling, start off with something simple, like a small house, which uses mostly boxes.

4. If you don't like it, don't model it. Modeling can be hard, but fun. If you don't like what your modeling, it will seem like it will take forever to finish.

5. If you start modeling something, but don't want to continue, or don't have enough knowledge of modeling, upload it to a FS website's design downloads. There are probably people out there that could use the model.

6. Many people prefer freeware add-ons, but some of the highest quality, and maybe the only add-on of its kind out there are payware. If you are a beginner, it is probably best that your add-on is freeware, as it is probably not the best out there, yet...

7. If you have A LOT of completed add-ons, or GMax source files YOU have created, you may consider starting your own FS website.

I hope that I have helped you, and remember, DON'T GIVE UP!

[[category:Aircraft Design]]
[[category:Scenery Design]]
[[category:Modeling]]

PAPI creation (ASM tweak)

2008-05-22T08:03:25Z

HerefortheBeer-2396: Revised direct instructions, instead made a link to an existing Wiki page for ASM.

You can download this tutorial in PDF format [http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2547&d=1186056984 here].

Before you can begin work using this tutorial, you must reconfigure MakeMDL to leave behind the ASM source files, as detailed in the article on [[Modeling_-_Tweaks_-_Applying_%28ASM%29|ASM Tweaking]].

[[Category:Scenery_design]]

PAPI creation (ASM tweak)

2008-05-22T07:59:15Z

HerefortheBeer-2396:

You can download this tutorial in PDF format [http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2547&d=1186056984 here].

Before you can begin work using this tutorial, you must reconfigure MakeMDL to leave behind the ASM source files, as detailed in the article on [[ASM Tweaking]].

[[Category:Scenery_design]]

PAPI creation (ASM tweak)

2008-05-22T07:45:43Z

HerefortheBeer-2396: Added a rather important step - how to get the ASM files!

You can download this tutorial in PDF format [http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2547&d=1186056984 here].

Before you can begin work using this tutorial, you must alter the MakeMDL.cfg file in your gmax/plugins subfolder. Add the following 2 lines.

[Options]

keep=1

Adding the "keep" option means that the ASM files you are required to modify as part of the tutorial are left behind after the model has been created using the standard Gmax export process.

[[Category:Scenery_design]]

Flickering ground polygons fix (SCASM tweak)

2008-05-09T15:10:12Z

HerefortheBeer-2396: /* Complex API */

== Introduction ==

A scenery that worked fine in Fs2000 sometimes has bleed through problems with the ground polygons. Usually these polygons where then made with a program like FSDS. This is because such programs use SCASM code that is meant for 3D objects and when this code is used for ground polygons the scenery engine gets confused.
The fix for the problem is then also to change the SCASM code used to the one for ground polygons. How to do this will be explained in the rest of this document.

== Simple API ==

For a simple API, that is a API that only contains a ground polygon and nothing else, the following changes must be made.

This is an example of the code as FSDS makes it:
<PRE>
Area( 5 %1 %2 %3 )
IfVarRange( :Exit 0346 %12 5 )
PerspectiveCall( :PCall )
ShadowCall( :PC02 )
Jump( :Exit )
:PCall
Perspective
:PC02
mif( %11 )
RefPoint( 2 :Skip %4 %1 %2 E= %11 v1= %10 V2= 400 )
melse
RefPoint( 7 :Skip %4 %1 %2 v1= %10 v2= 400 )
mifend
RotatedCall( :B 0 0 %5 )
Return
:B
Call32( :Part0 )
:Skip
Return
:Exit
Jump32( :End )
;
; Part: Polygon
:Part0
Points( 0
0 0 100 ; 0
100 0 0 ; 1
0 0 -99 ; 2
-99 0 0 ; 3
)
;RGBSColor( ef 121 121 121 )
Dwx( 2d ) ; color command
Dbd( 121 ) ; red
Dbx( ef ) ; flag/transparency
Dbd( 121 ) ; green
Dbd( 121 ) ; blue
Poly( 0 32767 0 0.00 0 1 2 3 )
Return
:End
EndA
</PRE>

To get the SCASM code for ground polygons the PerspectiveCall and the ShadowCall should be replaced by a LayerCall. The beginning of the changed API looks like this:
<PRE>
Area( 5 %1 %2 %3 )
IfVarRange( :Exit 0346 %12 5 )
;PerspectiveCall( :PCall )
;ShadowCall( :PC02 )
LayerCall( :PC02 8 )
Jump( :Exit )
;:PCall
;Perspective
:PC02
mif( %11 )
RefPoint( 2 :Skip %4 %1 %2 E= %11 v1= %10 V2= 400 )
melse
RefPoint( 7 :Skip %4 %1 %2 v1= %10 v2= 400 )
mifend
RotatedCall( :B 0 0 %5 )
Return
:B
</PRE>

In the above code I have commented out the PerspectiveCall and ShadowCall commands, as these are not needed. Also the Perspective command has been commented, because this command is obsolete since Fs2000.
After the ShadowCall I have added the LayerCall, the same label where the ShadowCall refered to is used for the LayerCall and the next parameter is the layer number, 8 in this example. This layer number can of course be changed if another layer is needed in the scenery.

== Complex API ==

For a more complex API the principles are the same, but in such a macro also other object code is there which should not get a LayerCall. Therefore we need to have both a PerspectiveCall and a LayerCall.

Here is an example of such a code from FSDS:
<PRE>
Area( 5 %1 %2 %3 )
IfVarRange( :Exit 0346 %12 5 )
PerspectiveCall( :PCall )
ShadowCall( :PC02 )
Jump( :Exit )
:PCall
Perspective
:PC02
mif( %11 )
RefPoint( 2 :Skip %4 %1 %2 E= %11 v1= %10 V2= 500 )
melse
RefPoint( 7 :Skip %4 %1 %2 v1= %10 v2= 500 )
mifend
RotatedCall( :B 0 0 %5 )
Return
:B
Call32( :Part0 )
Call32( :Part1 )
Call32( :Part2 )
:Skip
Return
:Exit
Jump32( :End )
;
; Part: Polygon
:Part0
Points( 0
0 0 100 ; 0
100 0 0 ; 1
0 0 -99 ; 2
-99 0 0 ; 3
)
;RGBSColor( ef 121 121 121 )
Dwx( 2d ) ; color command
Dbd( 121 ) ; red
Dbx( ef ) ; flag/transparency
Dbd( 121 ) ; green
Dbd( 121 ) ; blue
Poly( 0 32767 0 -0.00 0 1 2 3 )
Return
;
; Part: Box
:Part1
Points( 0
75 0 -24 ; 0
75 50 -24 ; 1
125 50 -24 ; 2
125 0 -24 ; 3
75 0 25 ; 4
75 50 25 ; 5
125 50 25 ; 6
125 0 25 ; 7
)
;RGBSColor( ef 121 121 121 )
Dwx( 2d ) ; color command
Dbd( 121 ) ; red
Dbx( ef ) ; flag/transparency
Dbd( 121 ) ; green
Dbd( 121 ) ; blue
Poly( 0 0 -32767 25.00 0 1 2 3 )
Poly( 0 0 32767 25.00 7 6 5 4 )
Poly( -32767 0 0 -75.00 5 1 0 4 )
Poly( 32767 0 0 125.00 2 6 7 3 )
Poly( 0 32767 0 50.00 5 6 2 1 )
Poly( 0 -32767 0 0.00 0 3 7 4 )
Return
;
; Part: Box.1
:Part2
Points( 0
-124 0 -24 ; 0
-124 50 -24 ; 1
-74 50 -24 ; 2
-74 0 -24 ; 3
-124 0 25 ; 4
-124 50 25 ; 5
-74 50 25 ; 6
-74 0 25 ; 7
)
;RGBSColor( ef 121 121 121 )
Dwx( 2d ) ; color command
Dbd( 121 ) ; red
Dbx( ef ) ; flag/transparency
Dbd( 121 ) ; green
Dbd( 121 ) ; blue
Poly( 0 0 -32767 25.00 0 1 2 3 )
Poly( 0 0 32767 25.00 7 6 5 4 )
Poly( -32767 0 0 125.00 5 1 0 4 )
Poly( 32767 0 0 -75.00 2 6 7 3 )
Poly( 0 32767 0 50.00 5 6 2 1 )
Poly( 0 -32767 0 0.00 0 3 7 4 )
Return
:End
EndA
</PRE>

In this case Part0 is the ground polygon and Part1 and Part2 are the 3D parts of the object.

The corrected code now looks like this:
<PRE>
Area( 5 %1 %2 %3 )
IfVarRange( :Exit 0346 %12 5 )
LayerCall( :L 8 )
PerspectiveCall( :PC02 )
ShadowCall( :PC02 )
Jump( :Exit )
:PCall
;Perspective
:PC02
mif( %11 )
RefPoint( 2 :Skip %4 %1 %2 E= %11 v1= %10 V2= 500 )
melse
RefPoint( 7 :Skip %4 %1 %2 v1= %10 v2= 500 )
mifend
RotatedCall( :B 0 0 %5 )
Return
:B
Call32( :Part1 )
Call32( :Part2 )
Return
:L
mif( %11 )
RefPoint( 2 :Skip %4 %1 %2 E= %11 v1= %10 V2= 500 )
melse
RefPoint( 7 :Skip %4 %1 %2 v1= %10 v2= 500 )
mifend
RotatedCall( :B2 0 0 %5 )
Return
:B2
Call32( :Part0 )
:Skip
Return
:Exit
Jump32( :End )
</PRE>

Here I copied the structure and the RefPoint information from the PerspectiveCall part and also used that for the LayerCall part. The actual LayerCall is at the top and it calls the code at the bottom. I hope you can spot the differences between the origional and the changed source and that is enough for you to be able to do the same.

[[Category:Scenery design]]