MDL - Revision history

BASys: Replaced Applicable-FSVersion for MSFS with MSFS2020, added MSFS2024

2024-05-25T17:27:35Z

Replaced Applicable-FSVersion for MSFS with MSFS2020, added MSFS2024

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:27, 25 May 2024
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{Infobox-Applicable-FSVersion		{{Infobox-Applicable-FSVersion
	\| ~~MSFS~~ = true		\| MSFS2024 = unknown
			\| MSFS2020 = true
	\| FSXI = false		\| FSXI = false
	\| FSXA = true		\| FSXA = true

Arno at 20:11, 25 March 2021

2021-03-25T20:11:02Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:11, 25 March 2021
Line 18:		Line 18:
	The RIFF-based format MDL was introduced in FS2002, and has been updated in every subsequent version of FS. It can be broken into different main versions:		The RIFF-based format MDL was introduced in FS2002, and has been updated in every subsequent version of FS. It can be broken into different main versions:
	* [[MDL8]] was introduced with FS2002 and was used in aircraft models. It used a simple architecture, containing mostly BGL opcodes wrapped around a simple RIFF shell.		* [[MDL8]] was introduced with FS2002 and was used in aircraft models. It used a simple architecture, containing mostly BGL opcodes wrapped around a simple RIFF shell.
	* [[MDL file format (FS9)\|MDL9]] was introduced with FS2004. FS2004 is especially interesting because the scenery models used the new MDL9 format, but the aircraft models still used the MDL8 format. The MDL9 format introduced some new fourCC tags, and was better organized, but still relied heavily upon BGL codes to actually draw the model.		* [[MDL file format (FS9 scenery)\|MDL9]] was introduced with FS2004. FS2004 is especially interesting because the scenery models used the new MDL9 format, but the aircraft models still used the MDL8 format. The MDL9 format introduced some new fourCC tags, and was better organized, but still relied heavily upon BGL codes to actually draw the model.
	* [[MDL file format (FSX)\|MDLX]] was introduced with FSX. It is a complete departure away from the old BGL drawing codes and relies solely on data structures defined within 57 different fourCC tags.		* [[MDL file format (FSX)\|MDLX]] was introduced with FSX. It is a complete departure away from the old BGL drawing codes and relies solely on data structures defined within 57 different fourCC tags.
	* [[MDL file format (FSX)\|PV20]] was introduced with Prepar3D v2 and was an upgrade to the MDLX format. The main differences are that indices can be stored as integer instead of shorts, allowing more vertices per model part and that additional material attributes were introduced.		* [[MDL file format (FSX)\|PV20]] was introduced with Prepar3D v2 and was an upgrade to the MDLX format. The main differences are that indices can be stored as integer instead of shorts, allowing more vertices per model part and that additional material attributes were introduced.

Arno at 19:35, 25 March 2021

2021-03-25T19:35:19Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:35, 25 March 2021
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{Infobox-Applicable-FSVersion		{{Infobox-Applicable-FSVersion
			\| MSFS = true
	\| FSXI = false		\| FSXI = false
	\| FSXA = true		\| FSXA = true
Line 15:		Line 16:
	The DLL-based format was used in legacy versions of MSFS, before Flight Simulator 2002. It was actually written as a windows DLL library, and simply used the .mdl extension. It is believed to have been coded in Assembly language. More information may be found at [[Legacy MDL Format]].		The DLL-based format was used in legacy versions of MSFS, before Flight Simulator 2002. It was actually written as a windows DLL library, and simply used the .mdl extension. It is believed to have been coded in Assembly language. More information may be found at [[Legacy MDL Format]].

	The RIFF-based format MDL was introduced in FS2002, and has been updated in every subsequent version of FS. It can be broken into 3 main versions: ~~MDL8, MDL9, and MDLX. The~~ [[MDL8]] ~~file~~ was introduced with FS2002 and was used in aircraft models. It used a simple architecture, containing mostly BGL opcodes wrapped around a simple RIFF shell. ~~In FS9 we were introduced to the~~ [[MDL9]] ~~format~~. ~~FS9~~ is especially interesting because the scenery models used the new MDL9 format, but the aircraft models still used the MDL8 format. The MDL9 format introduced some new fourCC tags, and was better organized, but still relied heavily upon BGL codes to actually draw the model. ~~The~~ [[MDLX]] ~~format~~ was introduced with FSX. It is a complete departure away from the old BGL drawing codes and relies solely on data structures defined within 57 different fourCC tags.		The RIFF-based format MDL was introduced in FS2002, and has been updated in every subsequent version of FS. It can be broken into different main versions:
			* [[MDL8]] was introduced with FS2002 and was used in aircraft models. It used a simple architecture, containing mostly BGL opcodes wrapped around a simple RIFF shell.
			* [[MDL file format (FS9)\|MDL9]] was introduced with FS2004. FS2004 is especially interesting because the scenery models used the new MDL9 format, but the aircraft models still used the MDL8 format. The MDL9 format introduced some new fourCC tags, and was better organized, but still relied heavily upon BGL codes to actually draw the model.
			* [[MDL file format (FSX)\|MDLX]] was introduced with FSX. It is a complete departure away from the old BGL drawing codes and relies solely on data structures defined within 57 different fourCC tags.
			* [[MDL file format (FSX)\|PV20]] was introduced with Prepar3D v2 and was an upgrade to the MDLX format. The main differences are that indices can be stored as integer instead of shorts, allowing more vertices per model part and that additional material attributes were introduced.
			* [[MDL file format (FSX)\|PV44]] was introduced with Prepar3D v4.4 and was a further upgrade of the MDLX format. The main difference is the addition of PBR materials.
			* [[MDL file format (MSFS)\|GLTF]] was introduced with MSFS. It uses a similar RIFF-based structure as FSX, but with different sections to store the glTF data of models.

	[[category:File Formats]]		[[category:File Formats]]
	[[category:Aircraft Design]]		[[category:Aircraft Design]]
	[[category:Scenery Design]]		[[category:Scenery Design]]

Arno at 19:10, 6 July 2008

2008-07-06T19:10:54Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:10, 6 July 2008
Line 8:		Line 8:
	\| FS98 = unknown		\| FS98 = unknown
	}}		}}

	MDL is the file format used by Microsoft Flight Simulator to store visual model data. It uses the .mdl file extension.		MDL is the file format used by Microsoft Flight Simulator to store visual model data. It uses the .mdl file extension.

Line 17:		Line 18:

	[[category:File Formats]]		[[category:File Formats]]
	[[category:Aircraft ~~design~~]]		[[category:Aircraft Design]]
	[[category:Scenery ~~design~~]]		[[category:Scenery Design]]

BASys at 14:49, 19 April 2008

2008-04-19T14:49:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:49, 19 April 2008
Line 1:		Line 1:
			{{Infobox-Applicable-FSVersion
			\| FSXI = false
			\| FSXA = true
			\| FSX = true
			\| FS2004 = true
			\| FS2002 = true
			\| FS2000 = unknown
			\| FS98 = unknown
			}}
	MDL is the file format used by Microsoft Flight Simulator to store visual model data. It uses the .mdl file extension.		MDL is the file format used by Microsoft Flight Simulator to store visual model data. It uses the .mdl file extension.

Nlr at 15:29, 20 November 2007

2007-11-20T15:29:03Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:29, 20 November 2007
Line 5:		Line 5:
	The DLL-based format was used in legacy versions of MSFS, before Flight Simulator 2002. It was actually written as a windows DLL library, and simply used the .mdl extension. It is believed to have been coded in Assembly language. More information may be found at [[Legacy MDL Format]].		The DLL-based format was used in legacy versions of MSFS, before Flight Simulator 2002. It was actually written as a windows DLL library, and simply used the .mdl extension. It is believed to have been coded in Assembly language. More information may be found at [[Legacy MDL Format]].

	The RIFF-based format MDL was introduced in FS2002, and has been updated in every subsequent version of FS. It can be broken into 3 main versions: MDL8, MDL9, and MDLX. The [[MDL8]] file was introduced with FS2002 and was used in ~~both~~ aircraft ~~and scenery~~ models. It used a simple architecture, containing mostly BGL opcodes wrapped around a simple RIFF shell. In FS9 we were introduced to the [[MDL9]] format. FS9 is especially interesting because the scenery models used the new MDL9 format, but the aircraft models still used the MDL8 format. The MDL9 format introduced some new fourCC tags, and was better organized, but still relied heavily upon BGL codes to actually draw the model. The [[MDLX]] format was introduced with FSX. It is a complete departure away from the old BGL drawing codes and relies solely on data structures defined within 57 different fourCC tags.		The RIFF-based format MDL was introduced in FS2002, and has been updated in every subsequent version of FS. It can be broken into 3 main versions: MDL8, MDL9, and MDLX. The [[MDL8]] file was introduced with FS2002 and was used in aircraft models. It used a simple architecture, containing mostly BGL opcodes wrapped around a simple RIFF shell. In FS9 we were introduced to the [[MDL9]] format. FS9 is especially interesting because the scenery models used the new MDL9 format, but the aircraft models still used the MDL8 format. The MDL9 format introduced some new fourCC tags, and was better organized, but still relied heavily upon BGL codes to actually draw the model. The [[MDLX]] format was introduced with FSX. It is a complete departure away from the old BGL drawing codes and relies solely on data structures defined within 57 different fourCC tags.

	[[category:File Formats]]		[[category:File Formats]]
	[[category:Aircraft design]]		[[category:Aircraft design]]
	[[category:Scenery design]]		[[category:Scenery design]]

Sean Isom: created page Sean

2007-04-06T18:34:30Z

created page Sean

New page

MDL is the file format used by Microsoft Flight Simulator to store visual model data. It uses the .mdl file extension.

The MDL format can be broken down into 2 main types; the DLL-based type and the RIFF-based type.

The DLL-based format was used in legacy versions of MSFS, before Flight Simulator 2002. It was actually written as a windows DLL library, and simply used the .mdl extension. It is believed to have been coded in Assembly language. More information may be found at [[Legacy MDL Format]].

The RIFF-based format MDL was introduced in FS2002, and has been updated in every subsequent version of FS. It can be broken into 3 main versions: MDL8, MDL9, and MDLX. The [[MDL8]] file was introduced with FS2002 and was used in both aircraft and scenery models. It used a simple architecture, containing mostly BGL opcodes wrapped around a simple RIFF shell. In FS9 we were introduced to the [[MDL9]] format. FS9 is especially interesting because the scenery models used the new MDL9 format, but the aircraft models still used the MDL8 format. The MDL9 format introduced some new fourCC tags, and was better organized, but still relied heavily upon BGL codes to actually draw the model. The [[MDLX]] format was introduced with FSX. It is a complete departure away from the old BGL drawing codes and relies solely on data structures defined within 57 different fourCC tags.

[[category:File Formats]]
[[category:Aircraft design]]
[[category:Scenery design]]