Have you checked out the tutorials available at: http://www.freeflightdesign.com/tutorials.html ?

A great site for a modeller learning the ropes.

You can also find some good info at: http://www.simviation.com/fsdutilsdesntute1.htm

Have fun.

Once you get past the early hair-pulling stage building planes is a blast.

Hi Mc in...

This is somehting I have looked into pretty extensively & if you do a search on this forum you will find many posts on making windows & round windows using FSDS.

I suggest you don't immediately turn to GMax if you've been OK with FSDS. I fear it may be the final straw

I suggest you persist with FSDS.

Irf you don't find what you need please come back. I have made windows of every variety - round, oval, square with round corners & curved in every direction

It can be done & it's mainly a question of pre planning when making your tube (fuselage) in the 1st place & not moving the points but the cross sections. Then cutting out accordingly.

Like I say - get back with specifics after doing a search here.

good luck

Hi John - I know what you mean about cockpit areas - as you are dealing with compressed & sometimes rotated cross sections.....

But here is a VERY brief method is use as a base for making round windows. The key I have learned is to use few cross sections - & add as you progress....

This is the easy one - a rounded passenger window

FiG 1. The Obvious: Starting with the 32 sided tube.



FiG 2. In Cross Section Mode - In Side View - Go to the cross section which will be the CENTRE of the window. In Front View - Press the X symetry button & move points as shown to group towards the top & bottom of the window.



FiG 3. In Side View - Constrain X & Y & move the Cross Sections either side of the centre cross section in as shown.



FiG 4. Go to Centre Cross section again & click Insert Cross Section. With X & Y constrained - move this new cross section back towards the rear of the window.



FiG 5. Continue to make new Cross Sections from the centre & move back until you see the round shape taking effect.



FiG 6. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of your 'window' - though obviously creating the new cross sections from the forward edge.



FiG 7. Once the shape is as required go to Point Mode.
IMPORTANT: Do not remove points until you are happy with your shape. It's best to sav e your project as New Projects as you proceed. For Instance 'apache1.fsc, apache2.fsc,....etc...)

Click the Mouse Select button & select the points in stages & press Delete. Watch you progress in the top right window.




FiG 8. One simple round window.

WOW WOW WOW, I like this, Pete showing that he isn't just a great person, great webmaster and many other things...he is now showing how much he knows about modeling and also teaching like a real good tutorial would do, step by step...awesome Pete, but....I could had asked that 1 year ago, when I was still using FSDS and didn't knew how to make windows that way...

well...hope your project turns out right MC