ok I guess I got around it by taking a cylinder and tapering it to -0.99 (-1 will get the error again) but still this is odd

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Well, first make sure the textures are all in the right folder.  That would be the "texture" folder in the folder of the aircraft you are making.  Now make sure the config file doesn't read anything next to "texture=".  If the texture folder has a suffix to it (texture.trash) then the config file should read "texture=trash".

Now note: FS doesn't read normal 24-bit textures.  The default aircraft use DXT3 with an alpha channel to get that neat little shine on the textures.  To get a texture to be DXT3 you need DXTBmp, which is a free download.  Just search for it on your favorite search engine.  To use it, paint your textures how you want them, and then paint a grayscale immage of the same texture.  That will be your alpha channel.  The darker the shade, the more reflective (black is like a mirror, white is matte).  Use 128,128,128 for a good bare metal reflection; 230,230,230 for glossy paint and so on.

If this seems a little too much for you to do, just save the textures in an 8 bit format and FS should read them fine.

Incidentally, what is the error message you keep getting when you try to export a cone?

If I read this correctly, the dds file is the graphics format for CFS3.  Typically, you'll apply the textures/materials in gmax, and then convert them -outside the gmax program - to the desired format.

If you're mapping the *.dds file directly, I do not believe that gmax can handle that format.


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Are you making the aircraft for FS2002/4?
If so, the file extension needs to be .bmp, not .dds. In Dxtbmp, select "Save Extended Image", "DXT3 with Alpha" from the drop-down menu, and type the file name into the text field (for example fuselage.bmp).