1. How do you cut out windows

2. How do you make the menu on the left appear (create, modify etc) mine seems to have dissappeared sorry! answered it myself

3. is there anywhere other than here and FFDS where I can get some good source files

Some extra tips on using the boolean function to make windows.

If you do a boolean on an object more than a couple of times, you run into problems. In this first picture you see an open cylinder with extruded rectangles in postion to do a boolean function.

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/X_eidos_boolean_1

In the second picture you see the mess you get in after doing a boolean for each separate window.

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/X_eidos_boolean_2

To get around this - select one of the operand objects and attach all the other operands to it - giving you one object to use as the operand.

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/X_eidos_boolean_3

You end up with much better results

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/X_eidos_boolean_4

If your fuselage object is made from a cylinder that's closed at both ends, the boolean function will treat it as a solid and leave you with "walls" going through the cylinder. You'll probably not want this and you'll have to go in and delete each polygon of the walls. This is known as self-inflected pain.

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/X_eidos_boolean_5

To make the glass for the windows make a clone of the fuselage BEFORE you make the openings in the fuselage and also make a clone of the object that you're going to use to cut out the windows. You can hide these clone objects while you're busy cutting out the window openings. Once you're done cutting out the window openings you can hide the fuselage and unhide the fuselage clone. Rename the fuselage clone to a different name like "window glass". You can tag it properly later. Under the boolean functions make sure to select the "intersection" operation.

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/X_eidos_boolean_6

Select the "glass" fuselage and create the boolean object and select the clone of the window operand to make the windows.
Your results should look something like this.

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/X_eidos_boolean_7

Unhide the original fuselage and you should have something like this.

http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/X_eidos_boolean_8

Now you'll have to decide how you want to model the inside of the fuselage _ or make the windows 90 percent opague. Now you can see why some modellers recommend just to put the windows on the texture map when working on an airliner.

Hope this helps.

I can imagin why.

It be real nice for a full size GMAX airliner to have all of the interior in it.

But, however, the FPS may be impacted in a negative way.

I have a name for 3D models that are flyable in flight simulator, but are too big for the video cards to handle (exaggeration). I call them Flight Simulator Collectables.

I have a Falcon 50 (Corporate jet) that has both the interior cockpit and interior CABIN (both with outstanding details).

However, the plane take a long while to load. So I call it a collectable.

Thanks everyone. now my new jet will come along nicely