few questions

[F-16Viper]

1) how do you add animations to a plane?

2) How do you make textures for a plane?

3) How much wood can a wood chuck chuck?

thanks

[Travis]

1) Adding animations to an aircraft (in Gmax) is "usually" a simple process.

You need to get both the MakeMDL (Make Model) SDK as well as the gmax Gamepack SDK to get started, and I would also recommend the Panels and Gauges SDK.  These will give you the basics.

I tend to use TagTool in conjunction with all of the above, as it will give you a quick reference to all the pertinent information on tagging objects correctly, as well as how to animate them.  You can get this handy little Gmax plugin here, about 2/3 down the page.

To find out an animation's parameters (what axis it moves on, etc) hover over the particular name for that tag and a tooltip will appear, telling you everything you need to know about it.

The rest is down to experience and knowledge in linking and experimentation.

2) Texturing an aircraft is even more complex than adding animations.  There are so many variables for doing this that your best option is to go looking for some tutorials on it, of which there are several.  Try looking on the page I linked to above for two of them ("Multiple Materials" and "Gmax and UVW Maps").

3) 3.2435465 bushels in 1.4547 hours, per chuck of wood as defined by C=2*X^5 where C=chuck.  Solve for X.

[F-16Viper]

[quote]1) Adding animations to an aircraft (in Gmax) is "usually" a simple process.

You need to get both the MakeMDL (Make Model) SDK as well as the gmax Gamepack SDK to get started, and I would also recommend the Panels and Gauges SDK.

[F-16Viper]

is this how you make the parts move in fs9? because i know how to make them move in gmax, but how to transport that movment to fs9... that i dont know...

[Travis]

So you're actually trying to export?  That's a little different.

1) Get the previously mentioned MakeMDL SDK.  This will give you the baseline converters that you need.  Install it to a seperate area (NOT the gmax folder) and then move all the files in the included "plugins" folder into the plugins folder in the Gmax main folder.  You should also move both of the scripts in the "scripts" folder into the main one in the Gmax folder.

2) You are ready to export, but there are a couple of tools that expediate the process when building aircraft.  I would recommend that you create a duplicate of the plugins folder and rename it "plugins-BGL", since we are about to add some different files to the other one.

A little background:

When Gmax was first introduced, there were many problems with exporting to FS2002, so some individuals created a couple of little plugins that work in conjunction with each other to make a nice little program work much better.  That was a couple of years and another generation of software ago.  A few things have changed since then, and the creation of BGL files has been completely turned in a different direction.  So the two little files I'm gonna tell you to go get won't work for BGL creation, but they still do wonders for MDLs.

Middleman
MDLCommander (click around, you'll find it ;))

Read all the instructions you can find on these two programs, and they'll point you in the right direction for setting up.  Basicly, rename stuff like this:

MakeMDL.exe --> mkmdl.exe
MDLCommander.exe --> makem.exe
Middleman.exe --> makemdl.exe

After you've done this, I recommend renaming the whole folder "plugins-MDL" and renaming "plugins-BGL" to regular "plugins" and doing a test export so you can see the regular process in action.  After you do that, you can rename the folders again and try it one more time.  This will show you the difference in exporting with both sets.  You want to export AIRCRAFT using the MakeMDL-->MDLCommander-->Middleman setup, and export SCENERY using the normal setup.

That should get the animations to show up in FS9.  Now, if you knew all of this already, or have done most of it, but your animations aren't showing up, you're not animating correctly.  Either you aren't naming stuff right, you're not making keyframes in the right way, or something else is off kilter.

Anyway, I'm in the process of making a small tutorial for exporting from Gmax to FS9.  I see it is truly needed.

[F-16Viper]

thanks, this is what i wanted

i just have a few problems... im using alphas mig-25 flight dynamics, and when i fly, i use the rudder, and instead of just the little "rudder flaps" turning, the whole vertical tail turns. i have not made any animation for this of any kind. i have no idea what happened...

and another thing. when i look at my plane in Gmax, it looks fine. but when i export it to fs, the right intake is "half transperent"... any help here?

thanks

[Travis]

I'm not really understanding what you mean, so: take some pictures.  Get a couple of screenies of what you mean, and post 'em.

[F-16Viper]

[quote]I'm not really understanding what you mean, so: take some pictures.

[F-16Viper]

got some better pics...

[SkyNoz]

All I can say on the latest pic is that you don't want to name the vertical stab with a animation property, look here for further info..

here animation info.

[Travis]

Well, on the weird look of the air intake and exhaust jet, I would say you used the "Mirror Selected Objects" button in Gmax in the top-right corner.

This button is the devil.

Do not use it.

Instead, try this:

Copy the object (Edit-->Clone)

Mirror the object (Modify Tab-->Modifier List-->Parametric Modifiers-->Mirror)

Now adjust the mirror modifier by changing to the X, Y or Z axis as needed.  Now convert the object back to an editable mesh, and go on about your day.

As for the psychoticly moving rudder assembly, you seem to have named the parts wrong, as well as having the axis rotated wrong.

Only the two little "rudder-flaps" should be named rudder.  Both of them should be named this, and not something like "rudder_right" or whatever, as FS has a big problem with that.  The vertical stabilizers (the thingies moving right now) should have their names changed to something like "vert_stab_r" or something like that.  That way, they won't move.

Now, the current movement of the "rudder" wouldn't be correct even if it were the right part.  So select the new part you have named "rudder" and:

In the Reference Coordinate System box (little box at the top center with "View" in it) select "local".  This will change the XYZ doohicky to be aligned with the object itself, rather than with the world.

On the Hierarchy Tab, click "Affect Pivot Only".  Now click the "Select and Rotate" button and use it to align the Z axis (the blue one) with the rotation.  It should look like the pin around which the rudder will move.  Have the axis arrow pointing away from the main aircraft body, as to ensure proper movement.

Get 'er done!

[F-16Viper]

its weird, because i didnt assign anything to move that... i am using the flight dynamics of one of the foxbats here on simv, because i stink at making them, but i dont see how that would make a difference...

and yes i did use the mirror button

[Travis]

. . . i didnt assign anything to move that . . .

If you named them "rudder", then you did.  In regards to some FS parts, naming them things like that will tend to make them move, regardless of whether you intend them to or not.

[F-16Viper]

[quote]

If you named them "rudder", then you did.

[Travis]

Look at the second half of my instructions.  It describes what's wrong, why its wrong and how to fix it.