MDL file format (MSFS) - Revision history

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

2024-05-25T17:27:46Z

Replaced Applicable-FSVersion for MSFS with MSFS2020, added MSFS2024

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

Arno at 19:51, 25 March 2021

2021-03-25T19:51:57Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:51, 25 March 2021
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	= MDL sections =		= MDL sections =

	MSFS uses glTF files for models, but when these are combined to BGL file for use in scenery they are still wrapped as MDL files. These MDL files have a similar RIFF container structure as FSX MDL files. The table below shows the different sections and their content.		MSFS uses [https://github.com/KhronosGroup/glTF/tree/master/specification/2.0 glTF files] for models, but when these are combined to BGL file for use in scenery they are still wrapped as MDL files. These MDL files have a similar RIFF container structure as FSX MDL files. The table below shows the different sections and their content.

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
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	Although the glTF files are stored in binary form inside the MDL files, there are a number of optimizations that the MSFS package tool performs that makes them deviate from the glTF standard. The list below gives an overview of these differences.		Although the glTF files are stored in binary form inside the MDL files, there are a number of optimizations that the MSFS package tool performs that makes them deviate from the glTF standard. The list below gives an overview of these differences.

	~~TODO add list~~		{\| class="wikitable"
			\|+Non standard elements packaged MSFS glTF files
			\|'''Topic'''
			\|'''Description'''
			\|-
			\|Texture coordinates
			\|Texture coordinates are stored as half precision (16 bit) floating point values in the binary data. The JSON glTF data specifies that the data is stored as a short, but it should thus be read as a half precision float. A consequence of using half precision floats is that the accuracy for the texture coordinates is that larger values are stored much less accurate. This can lead to artifacts when textures are tiled many times on a polygon.
			\|-
			\|Non-uniform node scaling
			\|When a node has a non-uniform scaling, e.g. the different axes are not scaled with the same factor, the package tool does optimize the binary vertex data. The vertex positions are modified so that they can be scaled with the average value of the non-uniform scaling. So for example when the scaling is 1.0 around the X axis, 5.0 around the Y axis and 3.0 around the Z axis, the vertex positions are stored in the binary data in such a way that a uniform scaling of 3.0 can be applied. But be aware, the scaling of the node as specified in the JSON glTF data does still contain the non-uniform scaling values!
			\|}


	[[category:File Formats]]		[[category:File Formats]]

Arno at 19:23, 25 March 2021

2021-03-25T19:23:41Z

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 MSFS uses glTF files for models, but when these are combined to BGL file for use in scenery they are still wrapped as MDL files. These MDL files have a similar RIFF container structure as FSX MDL files. The table below shows the different sections and their content.
-TODO add table
+{| class="wikitable"
 = glTF standard exceptions =

Arno at 12:16, 25 March 2021

2021-03-25T12:16:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:16, 25 March 2021
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			{{:Ambox-Content-WIP}}

			{{Infobox-Applicable-FSVersion
			\| MSFS = true
			\| FSXI = false
			\| FSX = false
			\| FS2004 = false
			}}

	= MDL sections =		= MDL sections =

Arno at 12:15, 25 March 2021

2021-03-25T12:15:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:15, 25 March 2021
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	TODO add list		TODO add list

			[[category:File Formats]]

Arno: Created page with "= MDL sections = MSFS uses glTF files for models, but when these are combined to BGL file for use in scenery they are still wrapped as MDL files. These MDL files have a simil..."

2021-03-25T12:14:33Z

Created page with "= MDL sections = MSFS uses glTF files for models, but when these are combined to BGL file for use in scenery they are still wrapped as MDL files. These MDL files have a simil..."

New page

= MDL sections =

MSFS uses glTF files for models, but when these are combined to BGL file for use in scenery they are still wrapped as MDL files. These MDL files have a similar RIFF container structure as FSX MDL files. The table below shows the different sections and their content.

TODO add table

= glTF standard exceptions =

Although the glTF files are stored in binary form inside the MDL files, there are a number of optimizations that the MSFS package tool performs that makes them deviate from the glTF standard. The list below gives an overview of these differences.

TODO add list