vertices and normals

[Moach]

hi again

today i decided to mess around a little more with my plane in gmax...

(for those who haven't read my previous posts, i've been having trouble exporting to MDL format. i get an error message and i can't export.)

i discovered today that probably all the parts in the model have, as the log file says, a 'mismatch between number of vertices and number of normals'

i managed to fix some of the parts that had this problem, but that involved a serious butchering to it's shape... plus, i'm not even sure how i did it.

i wonder if anyone else has gone through this...

this is what i get everytime i try to export:

error message 1:
'MakeMDL was not found or was not able to convert the model specified in c:\gmax\gamepacks\fltsim\ximango to MDL format. check your system path to ensure MakeMDL is on it'

error message 2:
'Export Module Failure'

log file:
Running model

Start! (C:\gmax\gamepacks\FlightSim\ximango)
Loading X C:\gmax\gamepacks\FlightSim\ximango...
Error in exporter: Mismatch between # vertices (14) and # normals (24) in part l_gear_top.
Error!
Error!

does anyone know of a way to fix this issue, or maybe bypass it?

[Felix/FFDS]

Try:

Select part l_gear_top, the in the hierarchy tab, rest scale.

sometimes that works.

[Moach]

i already did that

it did solve another problem that i was having, but this one seems to be tougher...

i just did some testing... this problem happens to ALL parts created in gmax. even newly created, unedited ones.

so i think i'll have to bypass it.

i think i saw an option in MakeMDL to ignore bad normals... i don't know if it would work but it's worth the shot isn't it?

the problem is this option has to be enables in makemdl, so i can't export straight from gmax

i'll need something to convert the model to .x format first.

where can i get one?

[Travis]

You need MakeMDL Middleman, although I have no clue as to where you get it.  Try performing a web search.  There can't be too many things with that name.

[Felix/FFDS]

Try the Makemdl that comes with the scenery SDK, first.  It's newer than the one that came with FS2002 Professional.

Also, middleman can be downloaded from: http://takeoff.to/landing

[Moach]

i downloaded and installed middleman, but it's not working right...

when i try to export, midlleman kicks in, but when i hit the go button, makemdl crashes.

i'm not sure if i installed it right
how do i install it correclty?

[Moach]

i figured some thigs out...
i realized that if i leave the 'ignore normals' checkbox unchecked, i get the mismatch error. and if i check it, makemdl crashes.

how should i set makemdl so i can export?

[Travis]

Go check the thread titled "Gmax to FS2002" at the top of this board for how to install middleman correctly.

And just so I understand this: this happens with EVERYTHING you try to export?  I would imagine it has something to do with a setting in your computer that is giving you issues.  Have you tried sending an email to the publishers of Gmax to see if they have any advice?  This goes beyond what we are used to dealing with around here, and I'm afraid you're not going to get much more advice than what you have gotten already.

If all else fails, try reinstalling Gmax from the source files on your FS disks.  I think its on disk 1.

[Risky777]

I'm no expert...but I *have* encountered this.  It happened when I had accidentally given objects the same name.  

When I made sure all my objects had a unique name, it stopped giving me the, "cannot find makemdl.exe" etc.

I'm sure there are other reasons this error comes up, but that's one that I know of