Simviation Forum - No .MDL ouput in GMAX

Apr 9^th, 2006 at 11:32am

Gnome Offline
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I've just downloaded and installed GMAX 1.2 on a new machine but it won't let me export as .MDL. I have installed MakeMDL from M$ (renamed makem) and Middleman into the plugins folder.

The file I'm trying to export is from GMAX 1.1 but it all seems to work OK in GMAX 1.2 so have I forgotten something else or is that the problem?

Thanks.

Kev

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Reply #1 - Apr 9^th, 2006 at 1:52pm

Travis Offline
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Well, WHY won't it let you export? Does it give you an error message? Is the export option black or gray on the menu drop-down? Have you installed the newest SDK for Gmax? Check all this, then try again, or repost.

I would (as a side note) recommend going and getting MDLCommander if you're going to be using Middleman. Middleman is just a gobetween for MakeMDL and MDLCommander.

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Reply #2 - Apr 9^th, 2006 at 2:52pm

Felix/FFDS Offline
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gmax+makemdl = nothing.

Remember, you need to install the GMAX gamepack so that the converter plugin (FSModelExp.dle) gets installed.

You can have MDLCommander, middleman, makemdl, etc., but without FSModelExp.dle, you're not getting anything out of gmax that makemdl can handle.

Felix/FFDS

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Reply #3 - Apr 9^th, 2006 at 3:26pm

Katahu Offline
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The Gmax Gamepack can be found here:

http://www.microsoft.com/games/flightsimulator/fs2004_downloads_sdk.asp#gmax

Just scroll down a little to look for the highlighted download link. It has all the files that you need. Let us know if you need any help on how to install it.

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Reply #4 - Apr 9^th, 2006 at 3:53pm

Gnome Offline
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Ah, my fault then. <Downloads another 15MB>
I develop for FS2002 exclusively as FS9 runs as a slideshow on my machine... Can I still produce the older type MDL files?

I ask because I have noticed that many FS9 aircraft won't even display in FS2002.

Kev

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Reply #5 - Apr 9^th, 2006 at 4:39pm

Felix/FFDS Offline
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Yes.

Since you build for FS2002, just remember NOT to use ANY of the FS2004 specific XML animations.

The best way is to simply remove (move to some other location) the makemdl.parts.xml file

The SDK tells you how to create and install an FS2002 "gamepack".

If you have FS2002Professional Edition, the FS2002 specific export module would have come there. You can still use the FS2004 gamepack export module with the caveat shown above.

Felix/FFDS

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Reply #6 - Apr 9^th, 2006 at 5:48pm

Gnome Offline
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That's good news. Thanks Felix. I'll backup the MakeMDL.parts.xml file and vape it then.

Kev

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Reply #7 - Apr 10^th, 2006 at 2:43am

Gnome Offline
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<later>
That did it. It can now output MDL and BGL files.
The other good news is that a model that peviously wouldn't compile with a VC now does.

The bad news is I work strictly in imperial and my model ended up hundreds of feet tall!

Please tell me there is a really easy way to convert it other than scaling otherwise there will be a LOT of animated parts that will need having their scale removed. Sad

Kev

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Reply #8 - Apr 10^th, 2006 at 3:26am

Mathias Offline
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Quote:

The bad news is I work strictly in imperial and my model ended up hundreds of feet tall!

Please tell me there is a really easy way to convert it other than scaling otherwise there will be a LOT of animated parts that will need having their scale removed. Sad

Kev

Save your scene new for backup purposes and collapse all parts to editable mesh or editable poly, reset scene and set units to meters both in the preferences tab and the Units Setup tab.
When done merge your collapsed scene with the new one. That should do it.

Mathias&&

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Reply #9 - Apr 10^th, 2006 at 5:47am

Gnome Offline
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Thanks Mathias, that seems to have worked (GMAX didn't scold me this time). I won't know until this evening as I don't have FS on this machine yet.

Kev

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Reply #10 - Apr 10^th, 2006 at 7:38am

Felix/FFDS Offline
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MAthias - I think that for FS, the most important setting - as far as units go - is for the systems units = 1m to be set in the Preferences tab.

The particular "Units setup" for the scene can be either in imperial, or metric units (or cubits, if that's your preference)

Felix/FFDS

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Reply #11 - Apr 10^th, 2006 at 7:46am

Mathias Offline
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Yes that's correct so let's expand this as a hint for the next project:
Under preferences set units to meters, under Units Setup set to feet or whatever you like. Grin

Mathias&&

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Reply #12 - Apr 12^th, 2006 at 2:32am

Gnome Offline
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That sounds like the setup I have got in GMAX 1.1.
The newer MakeMDL and/or the latest Middleman certainly does a better job of outputting the model. Nice to see my Triebflugel with a VC at last.

Revealed a whole lot of missing parts though and as I released the source files to some CFS guys (who have done wonderful things with it) I shall keep my word to them and not release another version.

Now to see how well GMAX 1.2 converts DXF files....

Thanks everyone, for your help.

Kev

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