1) how do you add animations to a plane?

2) How do you make textures for a plane?

3) How much wood can a wood chuck chuck?

thanks

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thanks, i'll check it out.

So you're actually trying to export?  That's a little different.

1) Get the previously mentioned MakeMDL SDK.  This will give you the baseline converters that you need.  Install it to a seperate area (NOT the gmax folder) and then move all the files in the included "plugins" folder into the plugins folder in the Gmax main folder.  You should also move both of the scripts in the "scripts" folder into the main one in the Gmax folder.

2) You are ready to export, but there are a couple of tools that expediate the process when building aircraft.  I would recommend that you create a duplicate of the plugins folder and rename it "plugins-BGL", since we are about to add some different files to the other one.

A little background:

When Gmax was first introduced, there were many problems with exporting to FS2002, so some individuals created a couple of little plugins that work in conjunction with each other to make a nice little program work much better.  That was a couple of years and another generation of software ago.  A few things have changed since then, and the creation of BGL files has been completely turned in a different direction.  So the two little files I'm gonna tell you to go get won't work for BGL creation, but they still do wonders for MDLs.

Middleman
MDLCommander (click around, you'll find it )

Read all the instructions you can find on these two programs, and they'll point you in the right direction for setting up.  Basicly, rename stuff like this:

MakeMDL.exe --> mkmdl.exe
MDLCommander.exe --> makem.exe
Middleman.exe --> makemdl.exe

After you've done this, I recommend renaming the whole folder "plugins-MDL" and renaming "plugins-BGL" to regular "plugins" and doing a test export so you can see the regular process in action.  After you do that, you can rename the folders again and try it one more time.  This will show you the difference in exporting with both sets.  You want to export AIRCRAFT using the MakeMDL-->MDLCommander-->Middleman setup, and export SCENERY using the normal setup.

That should get the animations to show up in FS9.  Now, if you knew all of this already, or have done most of it, but your animations aren't showing up, you're not animating correctly.  Either you aren't naming stuff right, you're not making keyframes in the right way, or something else is off kilter.

Anyway, I'm in the process of making a small tutorial for exporting from Gmax to FS9.  I see it is truly needed.

I'm not really understanding what you mean, so: take some pictures.  Get a couple of screenies of what you mean, and post 'em.

got some better pics...

Well, on the weird look of the air intake and exhaust jet, I would say you used the "Mirror Selected Objects" button in Gmax in the top-right corner.

This button is the devil.

Do not use it.

Instead, try this:

Copy the object (Edit-->Clone)

Mirror the object (Modify Tab-->Modifier List-->Parametric Modifiers-->Mirror)

Now adjust the mirror modifier by changing to the X, Y or Z axis as needed.  Now convert the object back to an editable mesh, and go on about your day.

As for the psychoticly moving rudder assembly, you seem to have named the parts wrong, as well as having the axis rotated wrong.

Only the two little "rudder-flaps" should be named rudder.  Both of them should be named this, and not something like "rudder_right" or whatever, as FS has a big problem with that.  The vertical stabilizers (the thingies moving right now) should have their names changed to something like "vert_stab_r" or something like that.  That way, they won't move.

Now, the current movement of the "rudder" wouldn't be correct even if it were the right part.  So select the new part you have named "rudder" and:

In the Reference Coordinate System box (little box at the top center with "View" in it) select "local".  This will change the XYZ doohicky to be aligned with the object itself, rather than with the world.

On the Hierarchy Tab, click "Affect Pivot Only".  Now click the "Select and Rotate" button and use it to align the Z axis (the blue one) with the rotation.  It should look like the pin around which the rudder will move.  Have the axis arrow pointing away from the main aircraft body, as to ensure proper movement.

Get 'er done!

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If you named them "rudder", then you did.  In regards to some FS parts, naming them things like that will tend to make them move, regardless of whether you intend them to or not.

Look at the second half of my instructions.  It describes what's wrong, why its wrong and how to fix it.