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Alphabet soup: SDKs, MDLs, BGLs, and XMLs

PostPosted: Sun Nov 15, 2015 12:11 am
by Shane Stachwick
This may be a dumb question, but what can I use to create and MDL, BGL, and XML files to create my own aircraft and scenery? I looked all over the SDK's files, but didn't find anything useful. Did I miss something? :think:

Re: Alphabet soup: SDKs, MDLs, BGLs, and XMLs

PostPosted: Sun Nov 15, 2015 6:28 pm
by meshman
Yes, you did.

MDL files are for objects, be they scenery or aircraft type. These are put together with a 3D modeling program, such as Gmax which is a part of the SDKs. Other tools to model are Blender, Sketchup and some expensive stuff. Once designed, these 3D items are made into a MDL file format. Object placement is made via a XML snippet, which when used with the BGL Compiler will generate a file for use in FSX or P3D. There are free and pay tools to assist in the object placement / BGL file creation.

Making an aircraft MDL file is a whole 'nother load of fun. :lol:

Re: Alphabet soup: SDKs, MDLs, BGLs, and XMLs

PostPosted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 8:37 am
by garymbuska
Shane Stachwick wrote:This may be a dumb question, but what can I use to create and MDL, BGL, and XML files to create my own aircraft and scenery? I looked all over the SDK's files, but didn't find anything useful. Did I miss something? :think:


I must warn you If you like the hair on your head stay away from GMAX this is not what I would call a user friendly program.
I tried to build a P38 and nearly went bald in the effort and wound up giving up I did manage to build a building which I used as a line shack at my home airport.
But GAMX is a complicated 3d program not for the beginner. <<u

Re: Alphabet soup: SDKs, MDLs, BGLs, and XMLs

PostPosted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 7:04 pm
by Travis
Blender is the choice program for most FSers that want to start designing. You can opt for more expensive/flashy stuff, but it's generally easier to start with Blender and work your way up. When Blender is "old hat" for you, try Gmax.

Re: Alphabet soup: SDKs, MDLs, BGLs, and XMLs

PostPosted: Sun Nov 22, 2015 10:47 pm
by Dickert
Hey Travis. You say Blender is the way to go while GMax is very hard??? I had the opposite experience. The GMax version loaded from the Flight Sim 2004 discs had excellent tutorials included, that were easy to work through, and then to apply those techniques to building an aircraft. Further, the on-line info, including videos were most often all of the same version of the soft wear, so there is little confusion.
Blender also has a ton of info out there, but almost every video is of a different version of the soft wear, with different interfaces, and with almost non of the info regarding aircraft. Further many of the videos assume you know many of the commands - which someone learning the program does not - so actually learning Blender is harder than learning GMax.

Having said that, GMax needs to be registered before being able to be used, yet the web site to do that no longer exists. I have been trying to get my copy of GMax running on my new confuser, to be able to update my aircraft, but I am not able to get a new registration yet the old number will not work. So - is there now any service out there that can get my stranded GMax files back into service?

And, I have been making progress learning Blender, have been thinking of modeling my aircraft from scratch using Blender, but the question still remains, once having done all that; is there a compiler to be able to take the Blender files and make a MDL file? Or, is there a plug-in to be able to import my GMax files into Blender, and then into MDL? Help!

To add insult, my updated Win 10 drive does not recognize my CD ROM, so I can't even load Flight Sim to this computer. I have had to reload XP to a new drive to be able to use my flight sim, but as I said, I can't reload GMax. :( Yes, I have been out of the loop for a while. So if you can point me to a Blender to MDL compiler..... Thanks.

Re: Alphabet soup: SDKs, MDLs, BGLs, and XMLs

PostPosted: Sun Nov 22, 2015 11:17 pm
by Travis
Dickert, try downloading Gmax from Turbosquid. It shouldn't require a reg process.

Re: Alphabet soup: SDKs, MDLs, BGLs, and XMLs

PostPosted: Wed Nov 25, 2015 2:11 pm
by Shane Stachwick
Dickert wrote:Hey Travis. You say Blender is the way to go while GMax is very hard??? I had the opposite experience. The GMax version loaded from the Flight Sim 2004 discs had excellent tutorials included, that were easy to work through, and then to apply those techniques to building an aircraft. Further, the on-line info, including videos were most often all of the same version of the soft wear, so there is little confusion.
Blender also has a ton of info out there, but almost every video is of a different version of the soft wear, with different interfaces, and with almost non of the info regarding aircraft. Further many of the videos assume you know many of the commands - which someone learning the program does not - so actually learning Blender is harder than learning GMax.

Having said that, GMax needs to be registered before being able to be used, yet the web site to do that no longer exists. I have been trying to get my copy of GMax running on my new confuser, to be able to update my aircraft, but I am not able to get a new registration yet the old number will not work. So - is there now any service out there that can get my stranded GMax files back into service?

And, I have been making progress learning Blender, have been thinking of modeling my aircraft from scratch using Blender, but the question still remains, once having done all that; is there a compiler to be able to take the Blender files and make a MDL file? Or, is there a plug-in to be able to import my GMax files into Blender, and then into MDL? Help!

To add insult, my updated Win 10 drive does not recognize my CD ROM, so I can't even load Flight Sim to this computer. I have had to reload XP to a new drive to be able to use my flight sim, but as I said, I can't reload GMax. :( Yes, I have been out of the loop for a while. So if you can point me to a Blender to MDL compiler..... Thanks.



I'll bet there's a torrent site somewhere that has a cracked version of Gmax....... :shifty: :whistle:

Re: Alphabet soup: SDKs, MDLs, BGLs, and XMLs

PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 2016 8:19 pm
by Azframer
[quote="Shane Stachwick" I'll bet there's a torrent site somewhere that has a cracked version of Gmax....... :shifty: :whistle:[/quote]

I don't think crack is such a good word around here, saying that I have downloaded and installed GMAX on my computer without even going to the version that is on my FSX disk.
The registry problem is the process, even the the version on FSX will require you to register to get it to work, however they have changed the whole process without changing how the program ask for registry, you have to figure out which hoops to jump through to get it registered. By the time I got mine registered I was to wore out to mess with it.
But I have TurboCAD which I have been running for years and working on the prosess of designing in CAD and importing to blender to take over from there until I get a handle on Blender.

Rick

Re: Alphabet soup: SDKs, MDLs, BGLs, and XMLs

PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 12:17 pm
by Krispy1001
Hi Shane Stachwick!

If you are just getting into 3d modeling, I would suggest using Blender 2.77a and downloading the Blender2FSX version that I just released. I have released a modified and updated version of Blender2FSX that makes it very easy to export .mdl, bgl, and xml files.

Using Blender and Blender2FSX you can simply use the cube that is a default object in Blender when it first starts, and then with two buttons export a bgl file that you can put into FSX and you have your first model in FSX. That is a very big deal. That is how easy it is to get a model in FSX with Blender now. I have also made a series of Video tutorials on how to use Blender for FSX. I will be make new and up to date videos for the new functions of the toolset. I am also going to re-make them because when they were made I was learning as well. I have learnt a lot since then.

Using Gmax to make a .mdl, .bgl file:
If you use Gmax you have to export a .x file for your model and a xanim for any animations. Then you have to use a command line application to create your .mdl file. And there is even more if you want to create a scenery object. After making your .mdl file you have to create an xml file and use another application to make a .bgl file.

So what is your choice?

You can find my version of Blender2FSX tools on FSDeveloper.com along with my tutorials using the following links.

And the best part about Blender and Blender2FSX tool-set is that they are Freeware.

Blender2FSX tool set:
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/blender2fsx-tool-set-after-blender-2-75a-crash.438017/

Blender FSX Tutorials:
http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/blender-2-70-blender2fsx-tools-video-tutorials.430998/

Blender:
https://www.blender.org/

If you have any questions you can contact me here or FSDeveloper.com or you can E-mail me at krispy1001@kp-coolstuff.com

Thanks, Krispy1001

Re: Alphabet soup: SDKs, MDLs, BGLs, and XMLs

PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 10:01 pm
by pegger
Shane Stachwick wrote:I'll bet there's a torrent site somewhere that has a cracked version of Gmax....... :shifty: :whistle:


Why the heck would you waste your time with that?

Travis wrote:Dickert, try downloading Gmax from Turbosquid. It shouldn't require a reg process.


http://www.turbosquid.com/gmax
if you really want to use that old program.

As Krispy has mentioned, Blender is a more modern and supported program, with increasing support for Flight sim modellers.