Now what?

[Longsword 102]

Okay. I've been working on a Tomcat model in 3DS max, and as best I can tell, it seems to be at a level where I can start thinking about getting it ready for FS9.

(Ignore the textures...)

http://content.bolt.com/uploads6/photo/ ... 060276.jpg


http://content.bolt.com/uploads6/photo/ ... 058651.jpg


http://content.bolt.com/uploads6/photo/ ... 057219.jpg


http://content.bolt.com/uploads6/photo/ ... 055907.jpg

But the question is...now what? I don't have GMAX (I use 3DS Max), nor do I have any clue how to do the animations. I've really been wanting a F-14D+LANTARIN for FS9 (As good as Dino's are, I need muh laser!), but I really wanna fly something I did from the ground up...Is that so wrong?

[Threadkiller]

hey dude...

well, im no wiz on max, but the tags you need for keyframe animation (gear flaps spoilers...) are on the FS9 or FSX SDK, the sdk is microsoft's instruction booklet on how to make you model fly on FS, you can get it on the FS insider site (for FSX) and i think the FS9 one is here in SImV, somewhere...try under design utilities orsomething. once you animate it with your tags and keyframes and all you need to make an air file for it, and then you're set. it sounds easy but its not, it takes time.... make sure your model is not a polygon momma...if it has excesive number of poly's the average joe's computer prolly wont run it...

that kitty looks good by the way 8-) best ofluck getting her off the ground! she sure looks like a worthy addition to the library!

[Longsword 102]

I think it's that SDK that did me in last time I tried. I just could not figure out how to convert it to a .MDL or anything. On another note, I double checked my poly count. It's about 50,000 or so clean, and closer to 60 dirty. And that's with two a fully modeled powerplants, and some other highly intricate details...

[Threadkiller]

well i really dont know the poly range for models, however....did you try the make mdl tool to convert it into the sim?

[Travis]

50k-60k should be just fine as far as polys go.  Looks very nice, by the way.

The MS SDK was CREATED with 3DS Max in mind, so you shouldn't have any trouble using it, although there are plenty of people that have come up with some problems after converting.  That's a whole other issue that should take as long to work with as the thing took to create in the first place.  Download the SDK, then install and get back to us with whatever might be going wrong.