Give an example of each type of animation you're trying to do.

The two statements are a bit generic - for example 

#1 - a constantly repeating animation:
      propeller, ferris wheel?

#2 - animations that perform with a command - spoilers, flaps, doors....

There are two types of animations that FS supports- the default (prop rotation, basic control surface deflection, tire rotation) and key-frame animation.

With default rotation, the animation of the part depends on the part name, part axis location/orientation, and, in some cases, an entry in the aircraft.cfg file to determine the extents of the animation/deflection.

For example - a rudder part must be named "rudder" (if you have a twin rudder, one can be named "rudder" and the other "rudder.1") .  You model the part and move the part axis to the correct hinge line.

Your aircraft.cfg file will have a line indicating the rudder deflection angle, say 11 degrees to the right and left of the vertical hinge.

That's all you need.


In a key frame animated part you control the animation completely.  You still have to name the part correctly.  This is how you can have such things as fowler flaps, landing gear extension and retraction, special animations to control surfaces.

For detailed descriptions of the correct part names (tags) for both the default and key-frame animations, and the entries to be made in the aircraft.cfg files, check out the proper Flight Simulator SDK documents:

http://zone.msn.com/flightsim/FS02DevDeskSDK00.asp

You want to read and be very familiar with the MakeMDL and Aircraft Container SDKs.

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The NAMES of the parts are given in the MakeMDL SDK, if you're looking for a control stick part, your tag should be lever_stick_l_r, or lever_stick_fore_aft, etc.

For a prop motion - the tags are propX or propX_still, propX_slow, propX_blurred; where "x" is the prop number from 0 to 3 for a four engined plane.

Animated rockers is something I can't help you with...  I've heard of some people doing something with a tick18 key, but I haven't come across an explanation I can understand.

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It's funny, but that could have been approximated easily in FSDS1 and AA and animation sequences.  Basically, you would have x number of parts, each textured with subsequently more transparent textures.  The AA motion sequencing would be that each part would be animated only from time n1 to n2 (which varies for each part, ONLY, so that for any time OUT of that range, the part is invisible,

So, Part1 -full opacity - is visible for time 0-10;  Part2 -90% opcaity is visible for time 11-20, etc. to part 10, 5% opacity, visible for time period 91-100...

WHile gmax can support the gradual opacity animation, I do not believe that FS can support it.

An interesting concept.  WHile it is applicable to the Romulan cloaking device, it could be used on airplane fuselages if the builder wants to provide for a view into the inside of his model....